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CaseyDawg
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Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) are defined by commuting flows between counties. The Monroe MSA is comprised of Ouachita Parish and Union. MSAs exceed 50,000 population.
Monroe MSA (Ouachita and Union) – 180,000
Hattiesburg MSA (Forrest, Lamar and Perry) – 149,000
*Why is Union Parish part of the Monroe MSA and not Lincoln Parish? Because Lincoln Parish is a job center itself and sends a lower percentage of its residents to work in Ouachita Parish, therefore is less dependent on Ouachita Parish.
Lincoln Parish and Morehouse Parishes are both individual Micropolitan Statistical Area (µSA) <50K population.
Ruston µSA – 48,000
Lincoln and Morehouse Parishes combine with the Monroe MSA to form the Monroe – Ruston – Bastrop Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA). CMSA’s are formed by adjacent MSA and µSA that have some economic ties but lower than the MSA standards.
Monroe – Ruston – Bastrop CMSA – 250,000
Hattiesburg – Laurel CMSA – 253,000
*Washington DC and Baltimore are separate MSA, but combine to form a single CMSA
The Census also defines Urbanized Areas. They represent an area of continuous development. They follow blocks so they can have odd shapes and are much smaller in size than MSA’s, but contain a majority of the population. They do not follow city or county boundaries.
Monroe Urbanized Area – 117,000
Hattiesburg Urbanized Area – 80,000