Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Overview

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is a U.S. government agency responsible for overseeing the implementation of the President’s vision across the Executive Branch, including defining statistical areas such as Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas. OMB establishes standards for federal statistical programs and geographic classifications used in census and economic data.

Key Concepts

Statistical areas are geographic units defined for collecting and reporting statistical data. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is a CBSA with at least one urbanized area of 50,000+ population. Micropolitan Statistical Area is a CBSA with an urban cluster of 10,000-49,999 population. Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) is a geographic area anchored by an urban center with socioeconomically tied counties. OMB Bulletins are official publications that update statistical area definitions.

Geographic Classifications

OMB defines and maintains standards for:

• Metropolitan Statistical Areas
• Core-Based Statistical Areas
• Combined Statistical Areas
• Principal cities and urban areas

Appendix

Created: 2025-12-13 | Modified: 2025-12-13

See Also

• Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
• Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)
• US Census Bureau
• Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)

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