US began defining metro areas in 1950, at which time a 50,000 population threshold was determined to define a urban area, which is the core geography in defining metro areas that receive federal funding. We are now over 300 million in population, so to reduce federal spending despite objection regionally in small metros, we need to increase the urban area population minimum to 100,000. Additionally, each census proportionately re-defines the urban area minimum depending upon overall US population growth.



