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Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Mathematics/2011 June 27

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June 27

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Demographics and population statistics

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There are many inconsistencies in the population statistics of the US. For example under the subject "United States" the leading urban centers use only the Untied States Office of Management and Budget's MSA statistics. Which are not footnoted as such. The stats are correct but there are two kinds of statistical areas (MSA and CSA) that the USOMB uses for information and should be clarified. Now if you look under the subject "Western United States" the city populations figures are different. For example the San Francisco area, as a USOMB MSA, does not rank in the top 10 cities of the United States but as a CSA it is 7.5 million. The "Western United States" uses the CSA statistics, which is fine, but should be noted or clarified to the reader. Furthermore in the "Western United States" subject, if you continue on down the list of cities to the Santa Rosa - Petaluma MSA, that is actually part of the San Francisco CSA. So that is doubling up on the numbers. Los Angeles is also incorrect on the "Western United States" page. If one is using the CSA then L.A.'s population should be about 18,000,000. These are huge discrepancies and may lead to incorrect facts being used. The CSA's and MSA's need to be clearly defined in these subject areas.

Aloha! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.130.193.92 (talk) 18:45, 27 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This page is for questions about Mathematics. Also, this is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, WP:SOFIXIT. -- kainaw 18:48, 27 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]
You can also put those comments on the talk page(s) for those articles. StuRat (talk) 18:50, 27 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]