Harvard Government 90dn Lecture 4

8/14/2019 Harvard Government 90dn Lecture 4

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Government 90dnMapping the Census

Lecture 4: Geographical Units

Sumeeta Srinivasan

[email protected]


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Outline for Today Geographical Units in Census

How to compare across time/ space

Discussion


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Major Units: Blocks, Census Blocks, TractsSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

Blocks, Block groups, tracts do not cross the

boundaries of any entity for which the U.S.Census Bureau tabulates

Tabulation blocks are identified uniquely within

census tract and block groups

Census 2000 collection blocks, block groups

and tracts are numbered uniquely within county(or statistically equivalent entity)
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.htmlhttp://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html


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Major Units: CountiesSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

The primary legal divisions of most states are

termed counties. In Louisiana, these divisions are known as

"parishes"

In Alaska, statistically equivalent entities are

organized boroughs and the census areas

Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia haveone or more incorporated places that are

independent cities

DC is one county


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Major Units: County subdivisionsSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

Census county divisions CCD, census subareas,

minor civil divisions MCD, and unorganizedterritories

The boundaries of CCD, MCD etc. follow visible

features, and coincide with census tracts whereapplicable

CCD delineated by Census 21 states (includes

Alabama)

MCDs are the governmental or administrative

divisions of a county in 28 states (includes Mass.)


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Major Units: Metropolitan AreasSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

Concept of a metropolitan area (MA): large population nucleus,

with communities that have economic/ social integration

Each MA must contain a place with minimum population 50,000

or a U.S. Census Bureau-defined urbanized area

An MA contains one or more central counties (with specified

level of commuting)

Classified as:

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA) or

Consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) divided into primary

MSA (PMSAs)

If MA has more than 1 million people 2 or more PMSAs may be

defined


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Metropolitan Areas Each MSA, PMSA and CMSA was assigned a unique 4-digit

FIPS code, inherited usually from Standard Metropolitan

Statistical Areas SMSA of the same or similar name in previousCensus.

For Massachusetts:


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Major Units: PlacesSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

Place is a concentration of population

Include census designated places CDP, consolidated cities, and

incorporated place

CDPs are delineated to provide data for population that are

identifiable by name but are not legally incorporated

A consolidated city is a unit for which the functions of an

incorporated place and its county or MCD merged

An incorporated place is established for governmental functions

for a concentration of people as opposed to a MCD created to

provide services or administer an area without regard to

population


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Places


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Major Units: Urban or RuralSource: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

U.S. Census classifies as urban all territory,

population, and housing units located within an

urbanized area (UA) or an urban cluster (UC)

An urban cluster (UC) consists of densely settled

territory that has at least 2,500 people but fewer than50,000 people

An urbanized area (UA) consists of densely settled

territory that contains 50,000 or more people. A UAmay contain both place and nonplace territory


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UA and UC For Massachusetts:


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Comparing across geographic unit

and time

Across time:http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/websas/geocorr2k.ht

ml

Across unit:

http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/bound

ary_changes/
http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/websas/geocorr2k.htmlhttp://mcdc2.missouri.edu/websas/geocorr2k.htmlhttp://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/http://www.census.gov/popest/geographic/boundary_changes/http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/websas/geocorr2k.htmlhttp://mcdc2.missouri.edu/websas/geocorr2k.html

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Harvard Government 90dn Lecture 4