A Look At The UZA

Submitted by whitemice on Mon, 10/30/2023 - 07:24

Let's take a look at the Federally defined Urbanized Area (UZA). This is in contrast to the city, and the generally meaningless Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which is most commonly cited. The appealing aspect of the UZA is that it represents a geographically contiguous area, usually clearly defined by the underlying infrastructure. It is also fun to say.

So, where is the Grand Rapids UZA?

Population: 609,023
Area: 280.5 square miles
Population Density: 2,170.8 people per square mile
Median Age: 35.4, 62% of the population is "working age" (18 - 64)
Race & Ethnicity: 69% white, 12% hispanic, 10% black, 3% asian, 5% multi
Per capita income: $40,620 [slightly below national average: $41,804]
Median household income: $76,686. 37% of households have an income over $100,000/yr; 31% have an income below $50,000/yr.
Mean commute time: 20.2 minutes (73% drive-alone to commute)
Housing units: 249,641, vacancy rate is ~4%. 67% of housing units are owner-occupied. 69% of housing units are single unit detached.
Households which move in a given year: 14.3%

The region you likely hear talked about the most, much more often than the UZA, is the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), here's the map:

If your reaction to that this "Huh", I agree. I feel talking about things on the MSA level is mostly absurd. I'll highlight that further in a moment. But first let's look at a straight-up zooming out, from the city, to the UZA, the MSA, the state, and the nation:

Area Size Population Median Age Working Age Income (per capita / household) % Households over $100k/yr Mean Commute Minutes % Households moving per year % White
The City 44.8sq/mi 196,904 33.1 67% $38,558 / $65,660 28% 19.4 20.1% 62%
The UZA 280.52sq/mi 609,023 35.4 62% $40,620 / $76,686 37% 20.2 14.3% 69%
The MSA 2,689.1sq/mi 1,094,198 36.6 61% $39,022 / $77,771 36% 20.6 13.5% 76%
Michigan 56,610sq/mi 10,034,118 40.3 60% $38,151 / $66,986 32% 24.2 11.6% 73%
USA 3,537,296.5sq/mi 333,287,550 39 61% $41,804 / $74,755 37% 26.4 12.6% 58%

Given the difference in the maps you'd expect the UZA and the MSA to have a greater difference between each other. The key factor to remember is that each contains the other; the MSA contains the UZA which in turn contains The City. So what if we back these out to the degree possible:

Area Population Net Population % Population Sq/MI Net Sq/MI % Sq/MI Population Density
The City 199,800 199,800 18% 44.8 44.8 < 2% 4,460
The UZA 609,023 409,223 37% 280.52 235.72 < 9% 1,738
The MSA 1,094,198 485,175 44% 2689.1 2408.58 ~90% 201 👈 ZOINKS!
Population
 Land

Yes, I think we can lay to rest any notion that talking about the Metropolitan Statistical Area is anything other than nonsense. Just for fun, and to put some more nails in this solidly closed coffin, here are a few zip codes from within the MSA:

Zip Code Size Population Density Median Age Working Age Income % Households > $100k/yr Mean Commute Minutes % Households moving per year % White
49503 7.3mi 37,005 5,097 30.4 72%👈 $32,043 / $52,441 20% 👈 18.7 26.7% 58%
48809 80.1sq/mi 11,340 141.6 38 51% $27,138 / $59,640 25% 30.7 11.1% 93% 👈
48884 61.3sq/mi 4,861 79.3 👈 43.6 58% $28,268/ $54,616 22% 31.6 7.8% 94% 👈
48849 83.7sq/mi 5,762 68.8 👈 38.2 58% $31,202 / $70,451 29% 28.2 9.2% 93% 👈
49464 73.1sq/mi 29,060 397.3 38.2 59% $39,156 / $86,742 41% 17.9 8.2% 85%
49512 23sq/mi 18,245 792.7 33.8 66% $38,331 / $55,346 28% 18.9 20.8% 67%

These are some astonishingly different places! And all within the "Metropolitan Statistical Area". Which is why I like the UZA so much more as a meaningful geographic grouping.

Take a few moments and look at this data; or follow the links and look around yourself. I believe, in a slow and quiet way, this data tells a story about not only West Michigan, but Michigan as a whole. There is a vision of Michigan as a sprawling auto-centric place. Things like public transportation can't work here, right? But look. The reality is that most of the MSA is empty. The population is surprisingly concentrated. Michigan is an urban state, its population is heavily concentrated in cities. One of the most suprising facts about Michigan - which shocks most people the first time they hear it - is that 80% of Michigan residents live within 25 miles of an Amtrak station. I know, right? It is not as if we have robust passenger rail service. It is that the states population is very concentrated along a few corridors, and the rest is mostly empty. And those concentrated areas are becoming more concentrated, and those empty areas are only becoming emptier. This is a hopeful thing. I think of the state of Michigan as a long neglected, now ramshackled, old house with enormous lawns and gardens. All it needs is some industrious new tenants to come along and love it for what it is. Michigan has "great bones". With what is still the largest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the United States, a booming medical sector, numerous universities, and the potential to be a climate refuge, the cities of Michigan (Holland, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Ann Arbor, & Detroit) could be linked into a super-corridor [hint: the rail infrastructure is all there!]. Imagine it! What is needed? Leadership. I hope, sooner rather than later, the younger generation(s) will throw-the-bums-out and restore the dignity of this dingy old house.

And let's stop talking about the Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Sources

Tags: 
data
census
uza