Why can’t municipalities that aren’t cities count?

[roadman65]

I've been hearing so much about New York and it's way to subdivide counties with municipalities of different names on this forum, it makes me want to start this thread.

Why in New York is only the municipality with the actual title of "City"  considered in common lists of cities? Yes in New York State, there is a difference in definition of a Town verses a City.  I get that part, but what I don't get is the fact that most people who look for population statistics I don't think care what the title of a place is.

So why not say that Buffalo is not second to New York City and consider that Nassau County Town that out populates it as second largest city? So it don't have the title, still a municipality is a municipality.


NJ is no different either. Woodbridge Township is third most populous incorporated community in the state, but because it's not incorporated as a city, the honor goes to Paterson instead which by NJ definition is a city.


What is the difference other than government structure that cities and towns can be looked at by nature instead of name title?

[NWI_Irish96]

So, the Census Bureau recognizes two different categories of municipalities: minor civil divisions (MCDs) and incorporated places. Because towns in New York function more like an MCD than an incorporated place, they're put into that category.

It's admittedly a gray area, but take Nassau County Town for example. While administratively it's a single incorporated place, it clearly appears to be a collection of several towns/villages.

[SectorZ]

Come on, the town of Hempstead NY with 768,103 people makes perfect sense.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Like NY and NJ, Pennsylvania has an alalgam of municipalities: cities, boroughs, first-class townships, and second-class townships of varying sizes. Some townships are bigger than cities, boroughs, etc.

[hotdogPi]

The ridiculous part of Census data is New England, where it recognizes cities and villages, but not towns. That is not how New England works.

Another question: Why didn't the Census recognize the Philippines when we owned it? We recognized our other territories, such as Alaska and Hawaii before they became states, and Puerto Rico.

[roadman65]

Like NY and NJ, Pennsylvania has an alalgam of municipalities: cities, boroughs, first-class townships, and second-class townships of varying sizes. Some townships are bigger than cities, boroughs, etc.

So true. I live in Clark and Woodbridge  in NJ and saw how our state was a mess with different names for a nature in municipal government.  Then you have three exceptions which are South Orange, Ridgefied Park, and Loch Arbour that all are incorporated as Villages.  Then who knows what Orange, NJ  is as it's got two titles both a city and township.