Census Urban and Rural Classification
| Details | Urban and Rural Classification/td> |
|---|---|
| Topics | Urban and Rural |
| Source | US Census Bureau |
| Years Available | 2020 |
| Geographies | Block Group, Census Tract |
| Public Edition or Subscriber-only | Public Edition |
| Download Available | yes |
| For more information | https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html |
| Last updated on PolicyMap | April 2023 |
Description:
The Census Bureau identifies urban areas (UAs) following every decennial census. For the 2020 decennial census, UAs are defined as a densely settled core of census blocks that encompasses at least 2,000 housing units or has a population of at least 5,000. UAs also include adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses. The Rural designation encompasses all areas not included within an UA.
The Urban and Rural Classifications from the Census Bureau are released at the Census Block level. The indicators in PolicyMap are represented at the Census Block Group and Census Tract Level. Areas are identified as urban if a specified threshold of land area sits within the Census designated UA – 50 percent threshold or 80 percent threshold. These indicators were developed by PolicyMap through a spatial join of Block Group and Census Tract boundaries to Census UA boundaries.