Census Definition of NC's Triad Area Changes

The Triad no longer exists, according to the federal government - at least not in the geographic form in which it has been identified for years.

In the place of what was classified as an eight-county metropolitan statistical area, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has established five statistical areas that enable federal agencies to gather more in-depth data.

The change, 15 years in the making, separates Winston-Salem's economic data from Greensboro and High Point's. It also splits up the Triad's population base, which was ranked the 36th largest in the nation.

More here.