Editing Town (section)

=== United States ===
[[File:Wyatt-indiana-from-above.jpg|thumb|The tiny farming community of [[Wyatt, Indiana]]]]

The definition of ''town'' varies widely from state to state, and in many states there is no official definition. In some states, the term ''town'' refers to an area of population distinct from others in some meaningful dimension, typically population or type of government. The characteristic that distinguishes a town from another type of populated place — a city, borough, village, or [[Civil township|township]], for example — differs from state to state. In some states, a town is an incorporated [[municipality]]; that is, one with a [[charter]] received from the state, similar to a city (see [[incorporated town]]), while in others, a town is unincorporated. They're originally based around a population center and in most cases correspond to the geographical designations used by the United States Census Bureau for reporting of housing and population statistics. Municipalities vary greatly in size, from the millions of residents of New York City and Los Angeles to the few hundred people who live in Jenkins, Minnesota.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State and Local Government |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/state-local-government/ |access-date=23 May 2023 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> In some instances, the term ''town'' refers to a small incorporated municipality of less than a population threshold specified by state statute, while in others a town can be significantly larger. Some states do not use the term ''town'' at all, while in others the term has no official meaning and is used informally to refer to a populated place, of any size, whether incorporated or unincorporated. In some other states, the words ''town'' and ''city'' are legally interchangeable. The [[Census of Governments]] treats jurisdictions called towns in the [[New England]] states, [[Minnesota]], [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Wisconsin]] as [[civil township|townships]] rather than municipalities.<ref name="isd2022">[https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2024/econ/2022ISD.pdf Individual State Descriptions: 2022], 2022 [[United States Census of Governments|Census of Governments]], [[United States Census Bureau]]</ref>

Small-town life has been a major theme in American literature, especially stories of rejection by young people leaving for the metropolis.<ref>[[Miles Orvell]], ''The Death and Life of Main Street: Small Towns in American Memory, Space, and Community'' (University of North Carolina Press; 2012)</ref>

Since the use of the term varies considerably by state, individual usages are presented in the following sections:

====Alabama====
In [[Alabama]], the legal use of the terms ''town'' and ''city'' is based on population.  A municipality with a population of 2,000 or more is a city, while less than 2,000 is a town (Code of Alabama 1975, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130616104014/http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/CodeOfAlabama/1975/11-40-6.htm Section 11-40-6]).  For legislative purposes, municipalities are divided into eight classes based on population.  Class 8 includes all towns, plus cities with populations of less than 6,000 (Code of Alabama 1975, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130616104906/http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/CodeOfAlabama/1975/11-40-12.htm Section 11-40-12]).

====Arizona====

In [[Arizona]], the terms ''town'' and ''city'' are largely interchangeable. A community may incorporate under either a town or a city organization with no regard to population or other restrictions according to Arizona law (see [[Arizona Revised Statutes]], Title 9). Cities may function under slightly differing governmental systems, such as the option to organize a district system for city governments, but largely retain the same powers as towns. Arizona law also allows for the consolidation of neighboring towns and the unification of a city and a town, but makes no provision for the joining of two adjacent cities.

====California====
In [[California]], the words ''town'' and ''city'' are synonymous by law (see Cal. Govt. Code §§ 34500–34504).<ref>[https://law.justia.com/codes/california/code-gov/title-4/division-2/part-1/chapter-3/ California Government Code, Title 4, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 3]</ref> There are two types of cities in California: charter and general law. Cities organized as charter cities derive their authority from a [[municipal charter|charter]] that they draft and file with the state, and which, among other things, states the municipality's name as "City of (Name)" or "Town of (Name)." Government Code §§ 34500–34504 apply to cities organized as [[general-law municipality|general law cities]], which differ from charter cities in that they do not have charters but instead operate with the powers conferred them by the pertinent sections of the Government Code. Like charter cities, general law cities may incorporate as "City of (Name)" or "Town of (Name)."

Some cities change what they are referred to as. The sign in front of the municipal offices in [[Los Gatos, California]], for example, reads "City of Los Gatos", but the words engraved on the building above the front entrance when the city hall was built read "Town of Los Gatos." There are also signs at the municipal corporation limit, some of which welcome visitors to the "City of Los Gatos" while older, adjacent signs welcome people to the "Town of Los Gatos." Meanwhile, the village does not exist in California as a municipal corporation. Instead, the word ''town'' is commonly used to indicate any unincorporated community that might otherwise be known as an unincorporated village. Additionally, some people may still use the word ''town'' as shorthand for ''township'', which is not an incorporated municipality but an administrative division of a county.

====Georgia====
Georgia is divided into 159 [[County (United States)|counties]] and contains 535 [[Municipal corporation|municipalities]] consisting of cities, towns, consolidated city-counties, and consolidated cities.<ref name="Census Georgia 2010">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-12.pdf|title=Georgia: 2010 Population and Housing Unit Counts 2010 Census of Population and Housing | date = September 2012|publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]]| website = [[2010 United States census]]| access-date = August 8, 2016|page=III-2}}</ref><ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/reapportionment-document-library/2020-census-count-by-city-population.pdf?sfvrsn=274928ba_2|title= 2020 Census Count by Georgia City Population | access-date = April 17, 2022}}</ref> There is no legal difference in Georgia between cities and towns.<ref name="NGE">Perry Hiott & Chris Dobbs, [http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/georgias-city-governments Georgia's City Governments], ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (last updated November 12, 2015).</ref>

====Hawaii====

In Hawaii, the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism has the statutory authority to establish, modify, or abolish the statistical boundaries for cities, town, and. villages.<ref>[https://casetext.com/statute/hawaii-revised-statutes/division-1-government/title-4-state-organization-and-administration-generally/chapter-26-executive-and-administrative-departments/part-i-organization-generally/section-26-18-department-of-business-economic-development-and-tourism Hawaii Revised Statues, § 26-18]</ref> However, the only municipal government in Hawaii is the City and County of [[Honolulu]].<ref name="isd2022" />

====Illinois====
In [[Illinois]], the word ''town'' has been used both to denote a subdivision of a county called a township,<ref>See the Township Code, 60 ILCS 1 et seq.</ref> and to denote a form of municipality similar to a [[village]], in that it is generally governed by a president and trustees rather than a mayor.<ref>See ''Phillips v. Town of Scales Mound'', 195 Ill. 353, 357, 63 N.E. 180 (1902)</ref> In some areas a town may be incorporated legally as a village (meaning it has at large trustees) or a city (meaning it has aldermen from districts) and absorb the duties of the township it is coterminous with (maintenance of birth records, certain welfare items). [[Evanston, Illinois|Evanston]], [[Berwyn, Illinois|Berwyn]] and [[Cicero, Illinois|Cicero]] are examples of towns in this manner. Under the current Illinois Municipal Code, an incorporated or unincorporated town may choose to incorporate as a city or as a village, but other forms of incorporation are no longer allowed.<ref>''See generally'' Article 2 of the Illinois Municipal Code, 65 ILCS 5/2‑1‑1 et seq.</ref>

====Indiana====
In [[Indiana]], a ''town'' is differentiated from a ''city'' in that a town can not become a city until it has a population of at least 2,000. The form of government is also different from that of a city in that the town council is both the legislative and executive branches of government. The mayor is selected by the council from within its ranks and operates as a [[first among equals]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Town vs. City|url=http://www.townofclarksville.com/town_vs_city.php|website=Townofclarksville.com|access-date=11 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908020047/http://www.townofclarksville.com/town_vs_city.php|archive-date=8 September 2016}}</ref>

====Louisiana====
In [[Louisiana]], a town is defined as being a municipal government having a population of 1,001 to 4,999 inhabitants.<ref name="isd2022" />

====Maryland====

While a town is generally considered a smaller entity than a city, the two terms are legally interchangeable in Maryland.<ref name="isd2022" /> The only exception is the [[independent city]] of [[Baltimore]], which is a special case, as it was created by the [[Constitution of Maryland]].

====Mississippi====
Municipalities in Mississippi are classified according to population size. At time of incorporation, municipalities with populations of more than 2,000 are classified as cities, municipalities containing between 301 and 2000 persons are classified as towns, and municipalities between 100 and 300 persons are classified as villages.<ref name="MississippiLaw">{{cite web| url = https://www.sos.ms.gov/Education-Publications/Documents/BlueBook/10-2014-Municipal-Government.pdf| format = PDF| title = Municipal Government| date = October 2014| publisher = Secretary of State| work = State of Mississippi| access-date = August 10, 2016| page = 381| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170126110031/http://www.sos.ms.gov/Education-Publications/Documents/BlueBook/10-2014-Municipal-Government.pdf| archive-date = January 26, 2017}}</ref> Places may be incorporated to become a city, town, or village through a petition signed by two-thirds of the qualified voters who reside in the proposed municipality.<ref name="MississippiLaw" /> The major function of municipal governments are to provide services for its citizens such as maintaining roads and bridges, providing law, fire protection, and health and sanitation services.<ref name="MississippiLaw" />

====Nevada====

In [[Nevada]], a town has a form of government, but is not considered to be incorporated. It generally provides a limited range of services, such as [[Land-use planning]] and recreation, while leaving most services to the county. Many communities have found this "semi-incorporated" status attractive; the state has only 20 incorporated [[List of cities in Nevada|cities]], and towns as large as [[Paradise, Nevada|Paradise]] (186,020 in 2000 Census), home of the [[Las Vegas Strip]]. Most [[county seat]]s are also towns, not cities.

====New England====
{{Main|New England town}}
[[File:Downtown Ipswich MA.jpg|thumb|A downtown of [[Ipswich, Massachusetts]]]]
In the six [[New England]] states, a [[New England town|town]] is the most prevalent minor civil division, and in most cases, are a more important form of government than the county. In [[Connecticut]], [[Rhode Island]] and seven out of fourteen counties in [[Massachusetts]], in fact, counties only exist as boundaries for state services and chambers of commerce at most, and have no independent legal functions. In [[New Hampshire]], [[Maine]], and [[Vermont]], counties function at a limited scope, and are still not as important in northern New England as they are outside of the northeast. In all six states, towns perform functions that in most states would be county functions. The defining feature of a New England town, as opposed to a city, is that a [[town meeting]] and a [[board of selectmen]] serve as the main form of government for a town, while cities are run by a mayor and a city council.  For example, [[Brookline, Massachusetts]] is a town, even though it is fairly urban, because of its form of government.  In the three southern New England states, the entire land area is divided into towns and cities, while the three northern states have small areas that are unincorporated. In Vermont and New Hampshire, the population of these areas is practically nonexistent, while in Maine, unincorporated areas make up roughly half of the state's area but only one percent of the state's population.

Though the U.S. Census Bureau defines New England towns as "minor civil divisions" for statistical purposes, all New England towns are [[municipal corporations]] equivalent to cities in all legal respects, except for form of government.  For statistical purposes, the Census Bureau uses [[census-designated place]]s for the built-up population centers within towns, though these have no legal or social recognition for residents of those towns.  Similarly, the Census Bureau uses a special designation for [[urban areas]] within New England, the [[New England city and town area]], instead of the [[metropolitan statistical area]] it uses in the rest of the country.

====New Jersey====
{{Main|Town (New Jersey)}}

A ''town'' in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. While ''town'' is often used as a shorthand to refer to a township, the two are not the same. The Town Act of 1895 allowed any municipality or area with a population exceeding 5,000 to become a Town through a petition and referendum process. Under the 1895 Act, a newly incorporated town was divided into at least three wards, with two councilmen per ward serving staggered two-year terms, and one councilman at large, who also served a two-year term. The councilman at large served as chairman of the town council. The Town Act of 1988 completely revised the town form of government and applied to all towns incorporated under the Town Act of 1895 and to those incorporated by a special charter granted by the Legislature prior to 1875.

Under the 1988 Act, the mayor is also the councilman at large, serving a term of two years, unless increased to three years by a petition and referendum process. The council under the Town Act of 1988 consists of eight members serving staggered two-year terms with two elected from each of four wards. One council member from each ward is up for election each year. Towns with different structures predating the 1988 Act may retain those features unless changed by a petition and referendum process. Two new provisions were added in 1991 to the statutes governing towns. First, a petition and referendum process was created whereby the voters can require that the mayor and town council be elected to four-year terms of office. The second new provision defines the election procedure in towns with wards. The mayor in a town chairs the town council and heads the municipal government. The mayor may both vote on legislation before council and veto ordinances. A veto may be overridden by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of the council. The council may enact an ordinance to delegate all or a portion of the executive responsibilities of the town to a municipal administrator. Fifteen New Jersey municipalities currently have a type of town, nine of which operate under the town form of government.

====New York====
{{Main|Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Town}}

In [[Administrative divisions of New York|New York]], a town is a division of the county that possesses home rule powers, but generally with fewer functions than towns in New England. A town provides a closer level of governance than its enclosing county, providing almost all municipal services to unincorporated communities, called [[Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Hamlet|hamlets]], and selected services to incorporated areas, called [[Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Village|villages]]. In New York, a town typically contains a number of such hamlets and villages. However, due to their independent nature, incorporated villages may exist in two towns or even two counties (example: [[Almond (village), New York]]). Everyone in New York who does not live in a city or [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] reservation lives in a town and possibly in one of the town's hamlets or villages. New York City and [[Geneva, New York|Geneva]] are the only two cities that span county boundaries. The only part of Geneva in [[Seneca County, New York|Seneca County]] is water; each of the [[boroughs of New York City]] is a county.

====North Carolina====
In [[North Carolina]], all cities, towns, and villages are incorporated as [[List of municipalities in North Carolina|municipalities]]. According to the North Carolina League of Municipalities,<ref>{{cite web|website = North Carolina League of Municipalities|title = How NC Cities Work|url = https://www.nclm.org/advocacy/how-nc-cities-work |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516211303/http://www.nclm.org/resource-center/Pages/How-Municipalities-Work.aspx |archive-date=16 May 2010 }}</ref> there is no legal distinction among a city, town, or village—it is a matter of preference of the local government.  Some North Carolina cities have populations as small as 1,000 residents, while some towns, such as [[Cary, North Carolina|Cary]], have populations of greater than 100,000.

====Oklahoma====
In [[Oklahoma]], according to the state's municipal code, ''city'' means a municipality which has incorporated as a city in accordance with the laws of the state, whereas ''town'' means a municipality which has incorporated as a town in accordance with the laws of the state, and ''municipality'' means any incorporated city or town.<ref name="OklahomaLaw1">{{cite web|url= https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=75748 |title= 11 O.S. 1-102 (Oklahoma Statutes, Title 11, Cities and Towns; Chapter 1, Oklahoma Municipal Code; Section 1-102, Definitions)|publisher=Oklahoma State Courts Network|access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>  The term ''village'' is not defined or used in the act.<ref name="OklahomaLaw1" />  Any community of people residing in compact form may become incorporated as a town; however, if the resident population is one thousand or more, a town or community of people residing in compact form may become incorporated as a city.<ref name="OklahomaLaw2">{{cite web|url= https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=75750|title= 11 O.S. 2-101 (Oklahoma Statutes, Title 11, Cities and Towns; Chapter 1, Oklahoma Municipal Code; Section 2-101, Incorporation of a Municipality)|publisher=Oklahoma State Courts Network|access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref>

====Pennsylvania====
In [[Pennsylvania]], the incorporated divisions are townships, boroughs, and cities, of which boroughs are equivalent to towns (example: [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]] is a borough). However, one borough is incorporated as a town: [[Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania|Bloomsburg]].

====South Carolina====
At incorporation,  municipalities may choose to be named either "City of" or "Town of", however there is no legal difference between the two.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t05c007.php |title=Code of Laws – Title 5 – Chapter 7 – Municipal Corporations |publisher=Scstatehouse.gov |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref> All municipalities are responsible for providing local service including law enforcement, fire protection, waste and water management, planning and zoning, recreational facilities, and street lighting.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t05c001.php |title=Code of Laws – Title 5 – Chapter 1 – Incorporation |publisher=Scstatehouse.gov |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref> Municipalities may incorporate with one of three forms of government: 141 chose [[Mayor–council government|mayor–council]], 95 chose [[Municipal council|council]], and 33 chose [[Council–manager government|council–manager]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t05c005.php |title=Code of Laws – Title 5 – Chapter 5 – Selection Of Forms Of Municipal Government |publisher=Scstatehouse.gov |access-date=July 25, 2018}}</ref>

====Tennessee====
Some Tennessee municipalities are called "cities" and others are called "towns."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/lg/2000city.htm |title=Tennessee 2000 Population Summary |publisher=Office of Local Government, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury |access-date=October 15, 2007 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080116203543/http://www.comptroller.state.tn.us/lg/2000city.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2008 }}</ref> These terms do not have legal significance in Tennessee<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tennessee.gov/tacir/PDF_FILES/Taxes/State%20Shared%20Taxes04.pdf |title=State Tax Sharing, Fairness, and Local Government Finances in Tennessee |work=Tennessee.gov |publisher=[[Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations]] |date=January 2004 |page=xiv |access-date=November 7, 2008 |quote=There are 348 cities in Tennessee and each is characterized as either a city or a town (in our state, there is no legal distinction between the two).}}</ref> and are not related to population, date of establishment, or type of [[municipal charter]].

====Texas====
In [[Texas]], although some municipalities refer to themselves as "towns" or "villages" (to market themselves as an attractive place to live), these names have no specific designation in Texas law; legally all incorporated places are considered [[List of municipalities in Texas|cities]].

====Utah====
{{see also|List of municipalities in Utah}}
In [[Utah]], the legal use of the terms ''town'' and ''city'' is based on population. A municipality with a population of 1,000 or more is a city, while less than 1,000 is a town. In addition, cities are divided into five separate classes based on the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE10/htm/10_02_030100.htm|title=Utah Code, Title 10, Chapter 2, Section 301|publisher=Utah State Legislature|access-date=11 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808233054/http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE10/htm/10_02_030100.htm|archive-date=8 August 2011}}</ref>

====Virginia====
{{main|Administrative divisions of Virginia#Towns}}
In [[Virginia]], a town is an incorporated municipality similar to a city (though with a smaller required minimum population).  But while cities are by Virginia law independent of counties, towns are contained within counties.<ref>{{cite web  |author=Charles A. Grymes|url=http://virginiaplaces.org/vagupnova/countytowncity.html  |title=County vs. Town vs. City in Virginia  |access-date=31 May 2011  |quote=Cities own and maintain their roads, while Virginia counties (except for Arlington and Henrico) rely upon [[Virginia Department of Transportation|VDOT]] for road maintenance. Cities get a fixed allocation of state funding for building and maintaining those roads, while counties must compete with each other and other VDOT priorities for a substantial portion of their road budget. Cities have been granted more authorities, such as the right of city councils to issue bonds to build roads without a voter referendum (counties must get voter approval in a referendum before issuing road bonds). In Virginia, towns have distinct boundaries, established by the [[Virginia General Assembly|General Assembly]] or by courts guided by laws passed by the legislature. Towns are not independent from counties; residents of towns are still residents of the county in which the town is located. For example, residents of the four towns of [[Haymarket, Virginia|Haymarket]], [[Quantico, Virginia|Quantico]], [[Dumfries, Virginia|Dumfries]], and [[Occoquan, Virginia|Occoquan]] are also residents of [[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince William County]]. They pay both town and county property taxes, and town residents get to vote for a town council/mayor.  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620092601/http://virginiaplaces.org/vagupnova/countytowncity.html  |archive-date=20 June 2010  }}</ref>

====Washington====
{{Further|City government in Washington (state)}}
A town in the state of [[Washington (state)|Washington]] is a municipality that has a population of less than 1,500 at incorporation, however an existing town can reorganize as a code city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/governance/locgov31.aspx |title=Classification of Washington Cities |publisher=Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington |access-date=14 December 2012 |archive-date=20 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130620001644/http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/governance/locgov31.aspx }}</ref> Town government authority is limited relative to [[city (Washington)|cities]], the other main classification of municipalities in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/management/forms/townandcodecity.aspx |title=A Comparison of the Powers of a Town and a Noncharter Code City |publisher=Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington |access-date=14 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725204227/http://www.mrsc.org/Subjects/Management/forms/townandcodecity.aspx |archive-date=25 July 2008 }}</ref> {{As of|2012|post=,}} most municipalities in Washington are cities (see: [[List of towns in Washington]]).

====Wisconsin====
{{main|Administrative divisions of Wisconsin}}
{{See also|List of towns in Wisconsin}}
[[Wisconsin]] has towns which are areas outside of incorporated cities and villages. These towns retain the name of the civil township from which they evolved and are often the same name as a neighboring city. Some towns, especially those in urban areas, have services similar to those of incorporated cities, such as police departments. These towns will, from time to time, incorporate into cities, such as [[Fox Crossing, Wisconsin|Fox Crossing]] in 2016 from the former town of [[Menasha (town), Wisconsin|Menasha]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.town-menasha.com/town-of-menasha-incorporation-update/ |title=Incorporation Information - Town of Menasha Town of Menasha |access-date=4 March 2017 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211054509/http://www.town-menasha.com/town-of-menasha-incorporation-update/ |archive-date=11 February 2017 }}</ref> Often this is to avoid annexation into neighboring cities and villages.

====Wyoming====
A [[Wyoming]] statute indicates towns are incorporated municipalities with populations of less than 4,000. Municipalities of 4,000 or more residents are considered "first-class cities".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title15.docx|title=Title 15 - Cities and Towns; Chapter 1 - General Provisions; Article 1 - Powers and Miscellaneous Matters; 15-1-101. Definitions|publisher=State of Wyoming|access-date=26 August 2019|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102125427/https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title15.docx}}</ref>