NCES Locale Framework for Rural IHEs with locale codes.pdf
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The document is a technical reference file detailing the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Locale Framework, which classifies geographic locations into granular categories using two-digit locale codes. The framework categorizes locations across four primary types (City, Suburban, Town, and Rural) with additional subclassifications based on population size and proximity to urban areas. Each locale code (ranging from 11-43) provides precise definitions, such as "City - Large" (code 11) representing territories inside urban areas with populations of 50,000 or more within principal cities of 250,000 or more, or "Rural - Remote" (code 43) describing territories outside urban areas more than 25 miles from urban populations of 50,000 or more.
The document, dated 2024 and published by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, is part of the Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) Program. It includes a comprehensive Locale Boundaries Technical Documentation and references a Locale Lookup map tool for visual representation. The framework is designed to provide detailed geographic classification that can be used for various educational research, planning, and statistical purposes, with a suggested citation for researchers and practitioners who may utilize this geographic classification system.
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NCES Locale Framework NCES classifies geographic locations as City, Suburban, Town, and Rural, with additional subclassifications for population size and proximity to larger areas. The NCES Locale framework relies on urban area criteria defined by the Census Bureau, and NCES extends standard urban and rural classifications to provide additional detail.
The NCES classifications and corresponding two-digit locale codes are included below and can be visualized with the Locale Lookup map tool. Additional information is available from the NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) Program and the Locale Boundaries Technical Documentation.
Locale Code
Locale Type - Subtype Definition
11 City - Large Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population of 250,000 or more.
12 City - Midsize Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.
13 City - Small Territory inside an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and inside a principal city with population less than 100,000.
21 Suburban - Large Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population of 250,000 or more.
22 Suburban - Midsize Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.
23 Suburban - Small Territory outside a principal city and inside an urban area with population less than 100,000 and greater than or equal to 50,000.
31 Town - Fringe Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.
32 Town - Distant Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.
33 Town - Remote Territory inside an urban area with population less than 50,000 that is more than 35 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more.
41 Rural - Fringe Territory outside an urban area that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more, as well as territory outside an urban area that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.
42 Rural - Distant Territory outside an urban area that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more, as well as territory outside an urban area that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.
43 Rural - Remote Territory outside an urban area that is more than 25 miles from an urban area with population of 50,000 or more and is also more than 10 miles from an urban area with population less than 50,000.
Suggested Citation: Geverdt, D. and Maselli, A. (2024). Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates Program (EDGE): Locale Boundaries Technical Documentation. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC.
Retrieved [date] from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries.
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