Table 1 Statistical Area Classification Hierarchy (2001)[20, 21]
From: An evaluation of access to health care services along the rural-urban continuum in Canada
| Category | Description | % of Canadian Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban | |||
| Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA) | One or more adjacent Census Subdivisions (CSDs) situated around a major urban core (population ≥ 100,000). | 64.3 | |
| Census Agglomerations (CA) | One or more adjacent CSDs situated around a major urban core (population ≥ 10,000). | 15.1 | |
| Rural | |||
| Strong Metropolitan Influenced Zone (MIZ) | A CSD where more than 30% of residents commute to work in an urban core (population < 10,000). | 5.1 | |
| Moderate MIZ | A CSD where between 5% and 30% of residents commute to work in an urban core (population < 10,000). | 7.6 | |
| Weak MIZ | A CSD where between 0% and 5% of residents commute to work in an urban core (population < 10,000). | 6.6 | |
| No MIZ | A CSD where forty or fewer residents commute to work in an urban core (population < 10,000). | 1.1 |