In 2000, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised the standards for defining federal statistical areas. It was then announced in 2003 that statistical area definitions would be updated to follow the new standards in 2005. The updated Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are defined in terms of whole counties and must meet two criteria based on the 2000 Census.

Each MSA must include

• at least one (1) urbanized area of 50,000 or more people,

      and

• all adjacent counties showing a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.

      When the changes are implemented in January 2005, Oklahoma will be left with three MSAs:  Lawton, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.  Enid, which has qualified under previous guidelines, will lose MSA status because its urban area population is less than 50,000.

      Population won’t be the only factor affecting the state, as commuting patterns will also force change. LeFlore County in eastern Oklahoma will join Sequoyah County as part of the Fort Smith (Arkansas) MSA. In addition, two of the remaining three MSAs for the state will see changes in their county makeup. The Oklahoma City MSA (Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain and Oklahoma counties) will add Grady and Lincoln Counties but drop Pottawatomie County. The Tulsa MSA (Creek, Okmulgee, Osage, Pawnee, Rogers, Tulsa and Wagoner counties) will add Okmulgee and Pawnee counties.  The Lawton MSA will remain as is.