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What is the “Metro MSP Region”? "Metro MSP region" refers to Minnesota’s 11-county Twin Cities metro area. It includes the anchor cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Bloomington as well as the counties of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright. Where data is not available for the entire 11-county region, the website quotes data from the seven-county “Twin Cities” region. It covers Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington Counties. These counties are under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Council.
What is the Minneapolis/Saint Paul/Bloomington “MSA”? MSAs are federally defined “metropolitan statistical areas.” The Minneapolis/Saint Paul/Bloomington MSA covers 13 counties – the 11 counties in the Metro MSP region plus the two adjoining Wisconsin counties of Pierce and St. Croix. It is also called the "Twin Cities MSA."
What’s an “anchor city”? "Anchor cities" refers to the three cities designated as part of the Twin Cities. They are Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Bloomington. "Core cities," a term often used in urban versus suburban comparisons, means Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
What’s the difference between a population “estimate” and a “projection”? Past and present population numbers are “estimates.” Because the population is continuously changing, assumptions must be made to reach reasonable estimates of its size and composition. The U.S. Census Bureau’s “intercensal” estimates give detailed characteristics of the population down to the county level from the last census to the present. The Metropolitan Council also prepares local population and household estimates for the seven-county Twin Cities area. These estimates are the official population and household estimates used by the Minnesota state government. Numbers for the population in the future are “forecasts” or “projections.” The Metropolitan Council, State Demographic Center, and U.S. Census Bureau (through the American Community Survey) all prepare projections on population, households and employment by geographic area.
What is the "MSP Prospector"? MSP Prospector is a powerful GIS-based site selection tool which gives site selectors, business owners and economic development professionals instant access to essential information on commercial and industrial sites in Minnesota’s 11-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region. The tool is built around interactive maps which display available sites and their proximity to other businesses, transportation routes and important landmarks. In addition to content-rich maps, MSP Prospector provides layers of site-specific data on workforce demographics, consumer spending, competitors and potential business allies. MSP Prospector’s web-based, interactive mapping program enables users to quickly locate available buildings and sites, access valuable site-specific demographic information, and generate the reports they need to make informed decisions. It greatly simplifies the process of finding the optimal business location in the Metro MSP region.
What is "GIS"? GIS is an abbreviation for "Geographic Information System." A GIS combines layers of geographic information about a place to make it easy to view very specific information about it and the surrounding area. In the case of MSP Prospector, the Internet-based GIS enables companies to identify optimal business locations based on available commercial and industrial properties, location differences, demographic variations and business industry characteristics. Users can customize the GIS analysis to their specific needs.
What does “MSP” stand for? MSP is the internationally recognized symbol for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. It lends its name to the “MSP Prospector” – the GIS-based site selection tool that covers the 11-county “Metro MSP” region. This region, often called the “Twin Cities,” includes the anchor cities of Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Bloomington as well as the counties of Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright.
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