Quintile	HIV prevalence† (cases per 100,000)	Urban status	Definition
5th‡	≥264–3442	Super-urban	“Central” & “fringe” counties in metropolitan statistical areas§ ≥1 million
4th	144–263
3rd	88–143	Urban	Counties in metropolitan statistical areas of 50,000–999,999
2nd	57–87	Peri-urban	Counties in micropolitan statistical areas¶
1st	17–56	Rural	Counties not in micropolitan statistical areas

^*Based on the 2013 National Center for Health Statistics urban-rural classification scheme.

^†Reflects adult and adolescent cases per 100,000 population.

^‡In addition to aggregate estimates, we also report HIV prevalence in the top HIV prevalence quintile for different races and ethnicities: 131–1,437 (non-Hispanic Whites); 1,141–10,049 (non-Hispanic Blacks); and 603–15,785 (Hispanics).

^§Metropolitan statistical areas are federally defined geographic areas with high population density, typically consisting of a core city (minimum population 50,000) and multiple adjacent counties which have strong social and economic ties. There are currently 157 metropolitan statistical areas represented in the South, or approximately 40% of all metropolitan statistical areas nationally.

^¶Micropolitan statistical areas are federally defined geographic areas with lower population density, typically consisting of towns and communities with populations greater than 10,000 but less than 50,000. There are currently 213 micropolitan statistical areas in the US South, or approximately 40% of micropolitan statistical areas nationally.