Delineation methodology

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A census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent census subdivisions (CSD) centred on a large urban area known as the urban core. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the urban core.  A CA must have an urban core population of at least 10,000.  To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent CSDs must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area, as measured by commuting flows derived from census place of work data.   For the 2011 Census, the CMA and CA delineations are based on the 2006 Census place of work (POW) data.  These data are the most recent data illustrating the commuting patterns among CSDs.  Other CSDs may be added to or retained in a CMA or CA in order to maintain the spatial contiguity or the historical comparability of a CMA or CA.   Table 2.1 lists the CMA and CA delineation rules.  The details of these rules and their application can be found in the 2006 Census Dictionary (see More information on Census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA)).

Table 2.1
Census metropolitan area and census agglomeration delineation rules
Delineation Criteria Delineation Rule
1 urban core rule
2 forward commuting rule
3 reverse commuting rule
4 spatial contiguity rule
5 historical comparability rule
6 manual intervention rule
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