This data layer produced by the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimates (EDGE) program provides a geographic locale framework that classifies all U.S. territory into twelve categories ranging from Large Cities to Remote Rural areas. NCES uses this framework to describe the type of geographic area where schools and school districts are located. The criteria for these classifications are defined by NCES, but they rely on standard geographic areas developed and maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The 2024 NCES Locale boundaries are based on geographic areas represented in Census TIGER/Line 2024. The NCES Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program collaborates with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Education Demographic, Geographic, and Economic Statistics (EDGE) Branch to annually update the locale boundaries. For more information about the NCES locale framework, see: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/edge/Geographic/LocaleBoundaries. The classifications include:

City - Large (11): Territory inside an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more and inside a Principal City with population of 250,000 or more.

City - Midsize (12): Territory inside an urban area with a 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.

City - Small (13): Territory inside an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more and inside a Principal City with population less than 100,000.

Suburb – Large (21): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an urban area with population of 250,000 or more.

Suburb - Midsize (22): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an urban area with population less than 250,000 and greater than or equal to 100,000.

Suburb - Small (23): Territory outside a Principal City and inside an urban area with population less than 100,000.

Town - Fringe (31): Territory inside an urban area with a population of less than 50,000 that is less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with a population of more than 50,000.

Town - Distant (32): Territory inside an urban area with a population of less than 50,000 that is more than 10 miles and less than or equal to 35 miles from an urban area an area with a population of 50,000 or greater.

Town - Remote (33): Territory inside an urban cluster with a population of less than 50,000 that is more than 35 miles of an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more.

Rural - Fringe (41): Census-defined rural territory that is less than or equal to 5 miles from an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more, as well as rural territory that is less than or equal to 2.5 miles from an urban area with a population of less than 50,000.

Rural - Distant (42): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 5 miles but less than or equal to 25 miles from an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more, as well as rural territory that is more than 2.5 miles but less than or equal to 10 miles from an urban area with a population of less than 50,000.

Rural - Remote (43): Census-defined rural territory that is more than 25 miles from an urban area with a population of 50,000 or more and is also more than 10 miles from an urban area with a population of less than 50,000.