Census metropolitan influenced zones: Detailed definition

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The census metropolitan influenced zone (MIZ) is a concept that geographically differentiates the area of Canada outside census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs). Census subdivisions (CSDs) within provinces that are outside CMAs and CAs are assigned to one of four categories according to the degree of influence (strong, moderate, weak or no influence) that the CMAs or CAs have on them. CSDs within the territories that are outside CAs are assigned to a separate category.

Census subdivisions within provinces are assigned to a MIZ category based on the percentage of their resident employed labour force that commutes to work in the core(s) of CMAs or CAs. CSDs with the same degree of influence tend to be clustered. They form zones around CMAs and CAs that progress through the categories from 'strong' to 'no' influence as distance from the CMAs and CAs increases. As many CSDs in the territories are very large and sparsely populated, the commuting flow of the resident employed labour force is unstable. For this reason, CSDs in the territories that are outside CAs are assigned to a separate category that is not based on their commuting flows.

CSDs outside CMAs and CAs are assigned to the following MIZ categories:

1. Strong metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where at least 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
2. Moderate metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where at least 5% but less than 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
3. Weak metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where more than 0% but less than 5% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
4. No metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where none of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It also includes CSDs in provinces with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
5. Territories (outside CAs): This category includes CSDs in the territories outside CAs.

Censuses

2011, 2006, 2001

Remarks

The MIZ is a concept applied, for statistical analysis purposes, to CSDs outside CMAs and CAs. All CSDs in Canada are either a component of a CMA or a CA or not a component (outside CMAs and CAs). The MIZ provides users with a more detailed geographic identity for the CSDs outside CMAs and CAs. As with CMAs and CAs, the allocation of a CSD to a MIZ category was determined using commuting flows of the resident employed labour force derived from the 2006 Census place of work data.

The calculation of the commuting flows for MIZ differs from the calculation used for CSD inclusion in CMAs or CAs. For the MIZ concept, the percentage of the resident employed labour force living in a particular CSD outside CMAs and CAs and working in the core of any CMA or CA are combined to determine the degree of influence that one or more CMAs or CAs have on that CSD. The resulting percentage then determines the MIZ category assigned to the CSD, as follows:

1. Strong metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where a commuting flow of at least 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
2. Moderate metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where at least 5% but less than 30% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
3. Weak metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where more than 0% but less than 5% of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It excludes CSDs with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
4. No metropolitan influenced zone: This category includes CSDs in provinces where none of the CSD's resident employed labour force commute to work in any CMA or CA. It also includes CSDs in provinces with fewer than 40 persons in their resident employed labour force.
5. Territories (outside CAs): This category includes CSDs in the territories outside CAs.

Table 3 shows the number of census subdivisions by the Statistical Area Classification (SAC) for Canada, provinces and territories.

Refer to the related definitions of census metropolitan area (CMA) and census agglomeration (CA); census subdivision (CSD); core, fringe and rural area; Statistical Area Classification (SAC) and Standard Geographical Classification (SGC).