Locale codes are a measure of geographic status on an urban continuum that ranges from “large city” to “rural.”
New locale codes incorporate changes in the way rural areas are defined, in agreement with geographic standards used in the 2000 decennial Census.
Old Locale Codes
| 1 - Large City |
A central city of a CMSA or MSA, with the city having a population greater than or equal to 250,000. |
| 2 - Mid-size City |
A central city of a CMSA or MSA, with the city having a population less than 250,000. |
| 3 - Urban Fringe of a Large City |
Any territory within a CMSA or MSA of a Large City and defined as urban by the Census Bureau. |
| 4 - Urban Fringe of a Mid-size City |
Any territory within a CMSA or MSA of a Mid-size City and defined as urban by the Census Bureau. |
| 5 - Large Town |
An incorporated place or Census-designated place with a population greater than or equal to 25,000 and located outside a CMSA or MSA. |
| 6 - Small Town |
An incorporated place or Census-designated place with a population less than 25,000 and greater than or equal to 2,500 and located outside a CMSA or MSA. |
| 7 - Rural, Outside MSA |
Any territory designated as rural by the Census Bureau that is outside a CMSA or MSA of a Large or Mid-size City. |
| 8 - Rural, Inside MSA |
Any territory designated as rural by the Census Bureau that is within a CMSA or MSA of a Large or Mid-size City. |
New Urban-Centric Locale Codes
| 11 - City, Large |
Territory inside an urbanized area and inside a principal city with population of 250,000 or more. |
| 12 - City, Midsize |
Territory inside an urbanized area and inside a principal city with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000. |
| 13 - City, Small |
Territory inside an urbanized area and inside a principal city with population less than 100,000. |
| 21 - Suburb, Large |
Territory outside a principal city and inside an urbanized area with population of 250,000 or more. |
| 22 - Suburb, Midsize |
Territory outside a principal city and inside an urbanized area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000. |
| 23 - Suburb, Small |
Territory outside a principal city and inside an urbanized area with population less than 100,000. |
| 31 - Town, Fringe |
Territory inside an urban cluster that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an urbanized area. |
| 32 - Town, Distant |
Territory inside an urban cluster that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an urbanized area. |
| 33 - Town, Remote |
Territory inside an urban cluster that is more than 35 miles from an urbanized area. |
| 41 - Rural, Fringe |
Census-defined rural territory that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an urbanized area, as well as rural territory that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an urban cluster. |
| 42 - Rural, Distant |
Census-defined rural territory that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urbanized area, as well as rural territory that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban cluster. |
| 43 - Rural, Remote |
Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an urbanized area and is also more than 10 miles from an urban cluster. |