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I just thought whether it's a "town" or "city" depends on its population, but had no idea it entails a gov't system. Reading this thread has been educational. Anyway, to me, it's a "town" if its population is approx. 1,000. A city has way more than that. I've considered city planning might be a living worth thinking about. Just saying.
The definitions of each are pretty much the same. Some states do make legal distinctions between what constitutes a city, town, or village. Others don't. In Iowa all incorporated municipalities are cities. The smallest incorporated city in Iowa is 15 people.
I was the mayor of a city of 40 people. When I decided to move, nobody wanted to be mayor so we went through the process of discontinuing the city so it's now just a collection of houses governed by the county. It's still there in name, and the people still have the same addresses; it's just not legally a "city." Most refer to it as a town or village, or sometimes formally as "The former city of Mount Sterling."
The population of my county is about 7400. There are seven incorporated cities in the o****y, the largest being about about 1000 people, the smallest about 200. There are also seven unincorporated towns with enough houses remaining to warrant a city limits sign, ranging in size from about 12 to about 100.
Last edited by duster1979; 04-23-2014 at 07:37 AM..
How about if you high school graduating class has 6 graduating seniors, and you lose half of your 6 man football team every graduation?
Or because your school district is so small, 3 towns have to consolodate to get enough students to make a graduating class of 6 students?
Lots of small towns in my state with only one paved road, (the highway that runs through town)
That is similar to the high school I graduated from. But we were a lot bigger we had 75 in my graduating class, at the time the largest graduating class the school ever had. Actually we came from 5 towns/cities. But for the most part it was a very wealthy school district and we had nearly as many Teachers as students. Several of the teachers being retired Yale Professors. It was an excellent school and just by good fortune I managed to be one of the few students from a poor family. The school budget per student was one of the highest in the USA at that time. I don't recall the exact amount but remember it was at least $1000 per year per student in the 1950's. (Nearly what my family's annual income was) But the school was no nonsense. If you did not produce you were kicked out at the age of 16. In those years a school was only obligated to provide education up to the age of 16.
Times have changed, today the school has been rebuilt and greatly enlarged, the last graduating class I heard of was over 1000 and all the students are now from one city. The school budget has also dropped to one of the lowest in the nation I think only about $100 per year per student. there are now about 50 students for every teacher. Everybody graduates, no more kicking unproductive students out at the age of 16. I guess this is what we call progress.
That is similar to the high school I graduated from. But we were a lot bigger we had 75 in my graduating class, at the time the largest graduating class the school ever had. Actually we came from 5 towns/cities. But for the most part it was a very wealthy school district and we had nearly as many Teachers as students. Several of the teachers being retired Yale Professors. It was an excellent school and just by good fortune I managed to be one of the few students from a poor family. The school budget per student was one of the highest in the USA at that time. I don't recall the exact amount but remember it was at least $1000 per year per student in the 1950's. (Nearly what my family's annual income was) But the school was no nonsense. If you did not produce you were kicked out at the age of 16. In those years a school was only obligated to provide education up to the age of 16.
Times have changed, today the school has been rebuilt and greatly enlarged, the last graduating class I heard of was over 1000 and all the students are now from one city. The school budget has also dropped to one of the lowest in the nation I think only about $100 per year per student. there are now about 50 students for every teacher. Everybody graduates, no more kicking unproductive students out at the age of 16. I guess this is what we call progress.
I hear you.
The grade school I attended was a country school, 6 students, (K-8) and most of us rode horses to school as there was still a barn on the grounds.
By the way, this was in the early 70's and the school is still going and still has the barn
One town in Montana, Red Rock, in the 90's had a high school graduating class of 1.
The commencement speaker was the governor
We still have a lot of small districts here, and budgets vary widely as the schools are funded by property taxes, and a lot of the rural areas where the small schools are, agricultural land doesn't bring in the big bucks, but they seem to do fine.
That is even smaller than a typical small town. It is a tiny village or hamlet.
In ND there are no towns or villages or hamlet every incorporated community is considered to be a city. The smallest city is Russo which has a population of 4
I have seen tiny towns...where you have to slow-down and look hard or miss it when you drive by. One town, I've lived in, for the sake of discussion, has barely 5,000 residents. Increases when Canadians just across the border (the edge town borders with Canada) come in to shop on weekends at the town's only grocery store. I believe now there is one set of traffic lights...on the main thoroughway that connects you to the road to Canada. I-95 ends in this town...and becomes 99 on the Canadian side. Hardly any traffic...and generally very quiet town. The town is right on Drayton Bay harbor...with clear view of White Rock, BC and see beautiful sunsets every evening.
Beautiful town, peaceful, and likely very low in crime...I didn't hear police sirens much when I lived there. I suppose, if you have to use some kind of statistical criteria...this town may or may not qualify as a small town or city, depending on whose criteria you're using. For me...the fact that the town proper has a few old-fashioned type shops, no malls, very friendly folks, no parking meters, no hospital, one grocery store, one small library, and pretty much shuts down by early evening..tells me it is a small town. Great 4th of July events here...old-fashioned kind. Parade, lots of food stands, much fanfare and merriymaking! Sounds like the perfect place to live/raise a family (yes, the town has both elementary and high schools)...indeed it seems that way, but unfortunately, not much jobs to be had..if you have to have one to survive. Unless you're rich...don't have to work...or have good income coming from elsewhere.
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