New York State Geography

Overview

New York State consists of 62 counties. Counties are the building blocks used to build progressively larger geographic areas for which labor market statistics are reported. These larger areas include Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) and Labor Market Regions (LMRs).

Each CBSA consists of a county or associated counties containing at least one urban area of 10,000 or more population, plus adjacent, outlying counties that have a high degree of social and economic integration with the core. An outlying county is included in the CBSA if at least 25 percent of its employed residents work in the central county (or counties) or if not less than 25 percent of the jobs in the outlying county are held by residents of the central county (or counties).

There are two types of CBSAs:

  • Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs): Each MSA must have at least one urban area of 50,000 or more inhabitants.
  • Micropolitan Statistical Areas: Each micropolitan area must have at least one urban area of at least 10,000, but less than 50,000 inhabitants.

Also of note are Metropolitan Divisions, which are a county or group of counties located within a larger Metropolitan Statistical Area. The multi-state New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area has two metropolitan divisions with counties in New York State:

  • Nassau County-Suffolk County Metro Division (Long Island)
  • New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metro Division: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond counties (five boroughs of New York City) and Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties

Labor Market Regions (LMR) correspond to ten geographic areas of the state, which are defined by the New York State Department of Labor, each of which is served by a Department of Labor regional analyst. These LMRs also correspond to the economic development regions defined by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC).

For a list of New York State LMRs and their component counties, see below. In addition, see OMB Bulletin No. 23-01, which summarizes the most recent changes to Metropolitan Statistical Area Delineations, based on 2020 Census data.

Metropolitan Statistical Areas 

  • Albany-Schenectady-Troy: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie counties
  • Binghamton: Broome and Tioga counties
  • Buffalo-Cheektowaga: Erie and Niagara counties
  • Elmira: Chemung County
  • Glens Falls: Warren and Washington counties
  • Ithaca: Tompkins County
  • Kingston: Ulster County
  • Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh: Dutchess and Orange counties
  • New York City labor market area: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond counties (part of the New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division)
  • Rochester: Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, and Wayne counties
  • Syracuse: Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties
  • Utica-Rome: Herkimer and Oneida counties
  • Watertown-Fort Drum: Jefferson County

Metropolitan Divisions

  • Nassau County-Suffolk County Metropolitan Division: Nassau and Suffolk counties

Minor Counties (outside of Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan Divisions)

  • Allegany County
  • Cattaraugus County (also Olean Micropolitan Area)
  • Cayuga County (also Auburn Micropolitan Area)
  • Chautauqua County (also Jamestown-Dunkirk Micropolitan Area)
  • Chenango County
  • Clinton County (also Plattsburgh Micropolitan Area)
  • Columbia County (also Hudson Micropolitan Area)
  • Cortland County (also Cortland Micropolitan Area)
  • Delaware County
  • Essex County
  • Franklin County
  • Fulton County (also Gloversville Micropolitan Area)
  • Genesee County (also Batavia Micropolitan Area)
  • Greene County
  • Hamilton County
  • Lewis County
  • Montgomery County (also Amsterdam Micropolitan Area)
  • Otsego County (also Oneonta Micropolitan Area)
  • Putnam County*
  • Rockland County*
  • St. Lawrence County (also Massena-Ogdensburg Micropolitan Area)
  • Schuyler County
  • Seneca County (also Seneca Falls Micropolitan Area)
  • Steuben County (also Corning Micropolitan Area)
  • Sullivan County (also Monticello Micropolitan Area)
  • Westchester County*
  • Wyoming County
  • Yates County

*Note:Although part of the multi-state New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties as non-covered areas (minor counties) for the purposes of the Current Employment Statistics program.

Micropolitan Statistical Areas

  • Amsterdam, NY
  • Auburn, NY
  • Batavia, NY
  • Corning, NY
  • Cortland, NY
  • Gloversville, NY
  • Hudson, NY
  • Jamestown-Dunkirk, NY
  • Massena-Ogdensburg, NY
  • Monticello, NY
  • Olean, NY
  • Oneonta, NY
  • Plattsburgh, NY
  • Seneca Falls, NY

Labor Market Regions

  • Capital: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties
  • Central New York: Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, and Oswego counties
  • Finger Lakes: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties
  • Hudson Valley: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties
  • Long Island: Nassau and Suffolk Counties
  • Mohawk Valley: Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego, and Schoharie counties
  • New York City: Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond counties (the five boroughs of New York City)
  • North Country: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties
  • Southern Tier: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins counties
  • Western New York: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara counties

 

Workforce Development Areas

  • Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties
  • Broome and Tioga counties
  • Cattaraugus and Allegany counties
  • Cayuga and Cortland counties
  • Chautauqua County
  • Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties
  • Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego counties
  • Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties
  • Columbia and Greene counties
  • Dutchess County
  • Erie County
  • Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties
  • Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties (GLOW)
  • Hempstead, City of Long Beach
  • Herkimer, Madison, and Oneida counties
  • Jefferson and Lewis counties
  • Monroe County
  • New York City
  • Niagara County
  • Onondaga County
  • Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, and Yates counties
  • Orange County
  • Oswego County
  • Oyster Bay, North Hempstead, and Glen Cove
  • Rockland County
  • Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties
  • St. Lawrence County
  • Suffolk County
  • Sullivan County
  • Tompkins County
  • Ulster County
  • Westchester and Putnam counties
  • Yonkers

Balance of State

  • New York State excluding New York City (Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens and Richmond counties)