2010 Urban Area Delineation

Michael Ratcliffe
Geography Division, US Census Bureau
Washington, DC

Every 10 years, after each decennial census, the Census Bureau delineates individual urban areas and the rural areas for the United States and Puerto Rico.  The Census Bureau’s urban areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses.  “Rural” is a residual category representing territory not included in any individual urban area.  The Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification provides an objective, nationally consistent definition for use in tabulating, disseminating, and analyzing statistical data relating to urban and rural areas.  In this presentation, I will discuss the criteria and process for delineating urban areas for the 2010 Census.  I also will discuss the relationship between the Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification and other urban-rural definitions in use by federal agencies, each of which provides slightly different ways to identify urban and rural landscapes from administrative, structural, and functional perspectives.