Public Use Microdata Areas
Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMA) are statistical geographic areas defined for the tabulation and dissemination of Census Bureau data. This includes the ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data, ACS period estimates, and decennial U.S. census.
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Definition
PUMAs are defined by State Data Centers (SDCs) with cooperation from state and municipal governments, as well as other stakeholder organizations and data users.
The entirety of the United States plus Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are divided into PUMAs. They nest within state (or equivalent) borders. Wherever possible, they encompass entire CBSAs. They may cross county borders if following a Census tract, as long as each division of a county meets a minimum population of 10,000.
Each PUMA must have a population of at least 100,000. Except where a high rate of population decline is predicted, the PUMAs are subdivided to maintain a population below 200,000.