In recent years, nonmetropolitan (nonmetro)
areas have become more socially and economically integrated
with
metropolitan (metro) areas. Still, newly released data from
the 2000 Census of Population and Housing, along with new
metropolitan area definitions, show nonmetro areas continue
to lag metro
areas in many respects. Nonmetro areas generally had higher
poverty rates, fewer college graduates, lower average earnings,
fewer full-time year-round jobs, and more low-skill jobs.
Nonmetro areas, however, also have lower housing costs and
more natural
amenities.
The new metropolitan area classification (see Behind
the Data) divides nonmetro areas into two categories:
micropolitan (micro) areas and noncore (other nonmetro) areas.
Micro areas are nonmetro areas with urban clusters of at
least
10,000 persons. Noncore areas have no urban clusters of 10,000
or more persons. The new classification highlights the diversity
within nonmetro areas. For example, micro areas have more
college graduates and full-time workers, higher average earnings,
and lower poverty rates than other nonmetro areas.
Nonmetro areas have fewer college graduates than metro
areas
The share of persons with college degrees was almost
twice
as high in metro areas (26.4 percent) as in the most
remote
noncore areas (13.3 percent). Within nonmetro areas,
micro areas had a slightly higher college completion
rate (15.5 percent)
than other nonmetro areas. Overall college completion rates
have risen in the past decade, and the number of college
graduates in nonmetro areas has increased nearly 40 percent.
More college
graduates implies a more highly skilled workforce and better
paying jobs.
A smaller share of nonmetro workers
are employed full-time year-round
The share of workers with full-time year-round jobs is
lower in nonmetro areas than in metro areas, for all racial
and ethnic groups. The lower nonmetro share reflects higher
unemployment rates than in metro areas. Among nonmetro areas,
however, micro areas fared better than noncore areas, with
a higher share of workers employed full-time year-round.
In general, nonmetro areas have more part-time work and seasonal
jobs in agriculture and tourism industries.
Nonmetro areas have a lower share of jobs in
management and professional occupations than metro areas
In metro areas, 37.8 percent of the workforce was employed
in higher paying management and professional occupations,
compared with 28.8 percent in micro areas and 27.8 percent
in other nonmetro areas. Over 21 percent of metro workers
were employed in sales and office occupations, compared
with 17.4
percent in micro areas and 15 percent in noncore areas
. Nonmetro areas have more jobs than metro areas in farming,
construction, production, and transportation.
Average earnings are lower in nonmetro
areas than in metro areas
Average annual earnings for full-time year-round workers
are substantially lower in nonmetro areas than in metro areas
for both men and women. Average earnings in metro areas ($44,635)
were 24.4 percent greater than in micro areas ($33,738),
and 30.3 percent greater than in noncore areas ($31,121).
The ratio of women’s to men’s earnings was fairly
constant across all areas. Women on average earned about
67 percent of men’s earnings.
Nonmetro areas have higher poverty rates than metro areas
The overall poverty rate is significantly higher in nonmetro
areas than in metro areas. The new nonmetro classification
shows that poverty in micro areas (13.9 percent) was
2 percentage points higher than in metro areas, while
the rate in noncore
areas (15.9 percent) was 4 percentage points higher than
in metro areas. The poverty rate for children was also
significantly higher in nonmetro areas than in metro
areas. The micro-noncore
distinction will help anti-poverty programs better target
areas of high poverty.
Housing expenses consume less of a
household’s
budget in nonmetro areas
Housing costs for both renters and homeowners
are generally lower in micro and noncore areas than in metro
areas.
For metro households, 32.3 percent of renters
and 16.4 percent of homeowners had housing expenses exceeding 35 percent
of their gross household income. In contrast, 27.8 percent
of renters
and 13.6 percent of homeowners in noncore areas
were in that situation.