Is the Census' definition of LA Metro Area inaccurate? (Los Angeles: camps, beach)

[MrIndependent]

The US Census defines Los Angeles MSA officially as LA County + Orange County. There's a different definition for CSA, but I'm not focused on that right now. My attention is on understanding the rough boundaries of Los Angeles' MSA or "greater urban area"

I've been casually surveying locals about this, and I've been surprised to learn very few people seem to agree with that definition.


Typically in response, people have fallen into one of two opposing camps:

Narrow Definition of the greater LA urban area

• West of The 605
• East of Woodland Hills
• South of Sylmar
• North of The 405 (until you reach LAX)

Broad Definition greater LA urban area

• All of LA County
• Orange County north of Newport Beach/Irvine (including both cities as part of LA MSA)
• Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley
• Municipalities of Riverside and San Bernardino (excluding the rest of those counties)

What are your thoughts on this topic. When you think of LA as a metro area, which bucket do you typically fall in.

[sean1the1]

Since the census uses counties I think LA, and OC is appropriate. I can understand why people think like that remember LA county alone is by far the most populous county in the nation, and can stand on its own so that's probably why people don't think about OC at least in LA. OC is still definitely apart of LA metro though it's still the 6th largest county in the country so again it can feel like it's own metro. If you want to understand this relationship just drive down the 405, 22, 91, 5, or the 57 we are a city of freeways, and these freeways are the busiest freeways in OC because of their connections to LA.

Since the census goes by counties I can understand why the did it this way, but greater LA would be better defined by cities as the counties here are massive. Cities like Ontario should be apart of the LA metro, but not cities like Victorville. The census also has actual Urban areas that go by cities, and LA still has 13 million, and is the densest urban area in the country.

Overall I think the CSA, and MSA are pretty accurate. It still gives us the #1, and #3 metros by size in the state. Even though I don't really see the IE as it's own metro it's more like far out exurbs.

[Taiko]

From the local newscaster of my youth Jerry Dunphy and his opening of the telecast

"From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening"

Socially everywhere that the old broadcast and antenna signal reached was the Southland, or the greater LA area. Political and geologic boundaries of course are different.

[sean1the1]

Originally Posted by Taiko

From the local newscaster of my youth Jerry Dunphy and his opening of the telecast

"From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California, a good evening"

Socially everywhere that the old broadcast and antenna signal reached was the Southland, or the greater LA area. Political and geologic boundaries of course are different.

Yeah the news covers the entire almost 19 million metro area.

[TimTheEnchanter]

The Greater Los Angeles Area is Riverside, Ventura, Orange County, LA and San Bernardino counties. That is the census definition.


That is different from the Los Angeles MSA, which is different from the Los Angeles - Long Beach Combined Statistical Area.


I just call it So Cal and don't worry about it.

[LuvSouthOC]

Who cares?

[RocketDawg]

Metropolitan statistical areas always include the entire county, regardless of how big it is in area. A better definition of actual size is the "urban area". I believe that's defined as having 1000 people/sq mile.

Here's a list of urban areas in the US. LA is 2nd at 12.15M. There's also a nice map of the urban areas at the top of the page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...es_urban_areas

[Californiaguy2007]

I consider Metropolitan L.A as (Los Angeles County,Orange County,Riverside County,San Bernardino County,Ventura County)

The term CSA(Combined Statistical Area) is very strange in how it includes many other towns/cities from other states into your own state metropolitan area...I can just imagine calling Las Vegas,NV and Phoenix,AZ as part of The Greater L.A Region

[looker009]

To me greater Los Angeles area is east of Calabasas, West of LA Downtown, South of Sylmar, North of LAX