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Table 3 NCHS urban–rural classification scheme for counties

From: Diet-related chronic disease in the northeastern United States: a model-based clustering approach

Urbanization level

Classification rule

Metropolitan counties

 Large central metro

Populations of 1 million or more that

 

1. Contain the entire population of the largest principal city, or

 

2. Have their entire population contained in the largest principal city, or

 

3. Contain at least 250,000 inhabitants of any principal city

 Large fringe metro

Populations of 1 million or more that did not qualify as large central metro counties

 Medium metro

Populations of 250,000–999, 999 

 Small metro

Populations of 50,000–250,000

Non-metropolitan counties

 Micropolitan

Populations of 10,000–49,999

 Noncore

Populations less than 10,000