Why are Clay and Boone Counties WV part of the Charleston WV MSA?

[DINGO Joe]

I don't know how much MSAs are defined by technical criteria or whether politics impact their definition.

Prior to the 2000 Census, the Charleston MSA was Kanawha Co (Charleston) and Putnam Co.  It made sense because Putnam had all the obvious markings of a suburban bedroom community.  After 2000, Putnam was shifted to the Huntington MSA, which seemed plausible since it's right between Charleston and Huntington and it's possible that more people travel to Huntington that Charleston.  When Putnam was removed from the Charleston MSA, Clay and Boone were added, but both of these counties don't seem to belong to a metro area.  While they are adjacent to Kanawha county, both have small declining populations and have no indicators of being suburban or having commuters to Kanawha whatsoever.  While both counties certainly lack local commerce or medical options (Clay county doesn't even have a single grocery store) that require travel to Kanawha (or possibly in Boone's case--Logan), they just don't seem "worthy" of being in an MSA.

If anyone has any technical knowledge to share that would be swell.

[DINGO Joe]

Explanation to follow.

Well, that kind of explains Putnam and the overall Huntington MSA, but I don't see any indication from those maps as to why Clay and Boone got slapped on to Kanawha unless they needed a consolation prize for losing Putnam.

[DINGO Joe]

Thanks for the very detailed explanation.  It's interesting that you utilized Minnesota as a comparison since the work force participation rate is substantially higher there than in WV, frequently around 70% vs 40% for Boone and Clay.  So, in the WV case, with such a minimal workforce, it doesn't take very many people making the commute into some part of Kanawha to trip the statistical definition of being in an MSA even if a hefty chunk of the populace is really pulling down a SSI check or nothing at all (subsistence food/copper gathering).