### Question
What does nonmetropolitan county mean?


### Answer
**Nonmetropolitan county** has the following meaning in *15 U.S.C. § 657a*:

> a county that was not located in a metropolitan statistical area (as defined in section 143(k)(2)(B) of title 26) at the time of the most recent census taken for purposes of selecting qualified census tracts and does not otherwise qualify as a qualified nonmetropolitan county

#### Citation:
  - *15 U.S.C. § 657a*
  - Heading: **CHAPTER 14A-AID TO SMALL BUSINESS**

