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I voted Boston. I spent a lot of time in Boston and in Manchester, and they didn't feel like one CSA. Mentions I've heard in one city of the other was more like hearing someone in Dallas mention Oklahoma City than someone in Dallas mentioning Sherman, or someone in San Francisco mentioning San Jose.
I voted Boston. I spent a lot of time in Boston and in Manchester, and they didn't feel like one CSA. Mentions I've heard in one city of the other was more like hearing someone in Dallas mention Oklahoma City than someone in Dallas mentioning Sherman, or someone in San Francisco mentioning San Jose.
I would say Boston too. After all 50% of the CSA isn't in the core MSA, and it's spread over several states.
The Detroit CSA is quite detached in my opinion. For example, Flint is included in thee CSA (as Genesee and Oakland counties border each other and there's crossover because of that,) but Flint is an entirely separate entity. And while it's a little more connected with metro Detroit than Flint is, Ann Arbor is generally it's own entity as well. The same holds true for some smaller cities included in the Detroit CSA such as Port Huron and Monroe as well.
Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
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Originally Posted by CityGuyForLife
We all know combined statistical areas (CSAs) are the most hotly debated population metric on this forum, as they're often touted as the "ultimate" version of a city's reach which leads to their improper (or debatable) use in many comparisons. This thread, though, isn't about how they are defined and what metropolitan/micropolitan areas are or should be included. That's standardized across the board with the 15% commuter threshold, despite real world "issues".
What this thread is simply asking is, which CSA has the area that is most detached from the core? "Detached" in the sense of being isolated or not really included socially speaking, since most, if not all, of these areas are geographically furthest from the core (though feel free to disagree). And I used area rather than county to provide nuance, as all counties are not created equal in terms of size.
For example, Cecil County, MD, while part of the Philadelphia CSA, isn't covered in any of the news broadcasts here. It has the second smallest population in the entire CSA, and leans towards Baltimore in terms of sports and culture. It's inclusion is based on commuting into New Castle County, especially around Elkton, MD, but you never feel as if you are a part of Greater Philadelphia.
Using CSA, Los Angeles is the clear winner. The CSA considers places like Blythe, Needles and Baker to be part of the CSA when these places are in the middle of the desert, over 200 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Baker and Needles are more closely linked to Las Vegas and Blythe is more closely linked to Phoenix
Using CSA, Los Angeles is the clear winner. The CSA considers places like Blythe, Needles and Baker to be part of the CSA when these places are in the middle of the desert, over 200 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Baker and Needles are more closely linked to Las Vegas and Blythe is more closely linked to Phoenix
I think the population of the deaf he'd areas of the LA CSA are small. As most of the LA CSA is within the MSA. Most of the Providence MSA SOuth of Providence or NH North of the immediate border towns, or Worcester county from worcester west have nothing to do with Boston and are probably 25-30% of the CSA populatikn.
The Detroit CSA is quite detached in my opinion. For example, Flint is included in thee CSA (as Genesee and Oakland counties border each other and there's crossover because of that,) but Flint is an entirely separate entity. And while it's a little more connected with metro Detroit than Flint is, Ann Arbor is generally it's own entity as well. The same holds true for some smaller cities included in the Detroit CSA such as Port Huron and Monroe as well.
How connected to Detroit is Windsor, realistically?
Actually, going against the grain, I would go with Houston. There are many areas such as Grimes and Washington County that are included in the CSA, but don't seem to be as obviously connected to Houston as a more inner-ring suburb such as Spring or Pearland. I know plenty of people in Washington County that travel to Austin for amenities just as much as they do to Houston. Even some parts of Montgomery county, like the rural-urban boundary of the Woodlands and Magnolia are a result of the Houston area's development but still seem very detached.
The real answer is: all of them. No one who has ever spent time in Baltimore felt they were in metro DC. No one who went to Princeton or Yale, says they went to school in the New York area. CSAs represent interconnected regions, not a true city metro. Some of these CSAs are larger (in land area) than Belgium. I'd hardly call that a metropolis.
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