Census Metropolitan Area

A census metropolitan area, or CMA is a Canadian census subdivision comprising a large urban area (known as the urban core) and adjacent areas (known as urban and rural fringes) that have a high degree of social and economic integration with the urban core.

Related Topics:
Canadian - Census subdivision

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A CMA has an urban core population of at least 100,000, based on the previous census. Once an area becomes a CMA, it is retained as a CMA even if the population of its urban core declines below 100,000.

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All CMAs are subdivided into census tracts. A CMA may be consolidated with adjacent Census Agglomerations if they are socially and economically integrated. This new grouping is known as a consolidated CMA, and the component CMA and CAs are known as the primary census metropolitan area (PCMA) and primary census agglomeration(s) (PCA). A CMA may not be consolidated with another CMA.

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