County Definitions

Data from several different sources were used in this publication. To ensure comparability of county definitions, we used Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS)¹ codes to link county definitions across data sets and to reconcile differences. For most states, county definitions were 100% comparable across the data sets. Definitions that were not comparable were modified as needed; details regarding these modifications are explained in the following sections. 

Independent Cities

The following independent cities were retained in the geographic data–base as discrete entities separate from adjacent counties. FIPS codes were modified as needed to allow data from multiple data sources to be accurately linked.

2. Alaska

3. Arizona

4. Hawaii

5. Virginia
Virginia has 34 independent cities. We used the 1996 Area Resource File database to incorporate data from these cities into their adjacent counties, which is standard practice.

5. Yellowstone National Park

 
Reference

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology. Federal information processing standards publication 55–3: codes for named populated places, primary county divisions, and other locational entities of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the outlying areas. Gaithersburg: US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology; 1994. Available on the Internet at http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip55-3.htm. Accessed June 12, 2002.

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Date last reviewed: 05/12/2006
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion