Settlement classification in Mexico

Mexico's states classify their settlements in a variety of fashions:

Aguascalientes

Under Article 106 of the Municipal Law of the State of Aguascalientes,[1] the state defines its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): Census population in excess of 15,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): Census population of over 1,000.
• Poblado (village): Census population of between 500 and 1,000.
• Ranchería (hamlet): All other settlements.

See also: Category:Cities, towns and villages in Aguascalientes.

Baja California

See also: Category:Populated places in Baja California.

Baja California Sur

According to Article 10 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Baja California Sur,[2] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): A settlement with more than 12,000 inhabitants, or a municipal seat irrespective of population.
• Villa (village): More than 5,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (town): More than 2,000 inhabitants.
• Congregación (congregation): More than 200 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Fewer than 200 inhabitants.

See also: Category: Cities, towns and villages in Baja California Sur.

Campeche

According to Article 12 of the Organic Municipalities Law of the State of Campeche,[3] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): A settlement with at least 5,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): At least 2,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): At least 1,000 inhabitants.
• Congregación (congregation): Fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, but with facilities for a rural school and municipal offices.

See also: Category: Cities, towns and villages in Campeche.

Chiapas

According to the Law on the Political and Administrative Classification of Population Centres in the State of Chiapas,[4] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudades (cities): At least 10,000 inhabitants, and adequate urban infrastructure.
• Villas (towns): At least 5,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblos (villages): At least 2,500 inhabitants
• Rancherías, colonias, parajes, cantones and riberas (hamlets and neighbourhoods): At least 300 inhabitants.

To serve as a municipal seat, a settlement must be either a city or town. The granting of all settlement statuses is a function of the State Congress.

See also: Category:Cities, towns and villages in Chiapas

Chihuahua

According to Article 13 bis of the Municipal Code of the State of Chihuahua,[5] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): More than 8000 inhabitants.
• Poblado (town): More than 2500 inhabitants.
• Comunidad (community): More than 500 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): More than 100 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities, towns and villages in Chihuahua

Coahuila

According to Article 22 of the Municipal Code for the State of Coahuila de Zaragoza,[6] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): More than 20,000 inhabitants, or a municipal seat irrespective of size.
• Villa (town): More than 7,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): More than 2,500 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): More than 1,000 inhabitants.
• Caserío (rural hamlet): Up to 1,000 inhabitants, in rural areas.

See also: Category:Cities, towns and villages in Coahuila

Colima

According to Article 13 of the Organic Law of Free Municipalities of the State of Colima,[7] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): Census population in excess of 10,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (town): Census population in excess of 2,000 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (village): All other settlements.

See also: Category:Cities, towns and villages in Colima.

Durango

According to Article 6 of the Organic Law of the Free Municipality of the State of Durango,[8] the state categorises its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): At least 6,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): At least 4,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): At least 1,000 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Durango.

Guanajuato

According to Article 23 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Guanajuato,[9] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): At least 20,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): At least 7,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): At least 2,500 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): At least 500 inhabitants.
• Caserío (rural hamlet): Less than 500 inhabitants, in rural areas.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Guanajuato

Guerrero

Hidalgo

According to Article 20 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Hidalgo,[10] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): More than 25,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): More than 10,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): More than 5,000 inhabitants.
• Comunidad (community) or congregación (congregation): More than 500 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Fewer than 500 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Hidalgo.

Jalisco

According to Chapter II of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Jalisco,[11] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): At least 50,000 inhabitants.
• Delegación municipal (municipal borough): At least 2,500 inhabitants.
• Poblado (town): All others.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Jalisco

Estado de México

According to Article 9 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Mexico,[12] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): More than 15,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): Between 5,000 and 15,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): Between 1,000 and 5,000 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Between 500 and 1,000 inhabitants.
• Caserío (small hamlet): Fewer than 500 inhabitants.

Elevating a settlement to a city status is a function of the State Congress. The lower statuses can be granted by municipal authorities.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in the State of Mexico.

Michoacán

Morelos

According to Article 23 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Morelos,[13] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): More than 25,000 inhabitants, and appropriate urban infrastructure.
• Villa (town): More than 15,000 inhabitants, and appropriate urban infrastructure.
• Pueblo (village): More than 7,000 inhabitants, and appropriate urban infrastructure.
• Ranchería (hamlet): More than 3,000 inhabitants, and appropriate urban infrastructure.
• Congregación (congregation): Fewer than 3,000 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Morelos

Nayarit

Under the Law of Political Categories for Settlements in the State of Nayarit,[14] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): At least 3,000 inhabitants, of whom 75% are active in commerce, industry, or professions or trades.
• Villa (town): At least 1,500 inhabitants, of whom 50% are active in commerce, industry, or professions or trades.
• Pueblo (village): At least 700 inhabitants, of whom at least 10% are active in commerce, industry, or professions or trades.
• Congregación (congregation): At least 300 inhabitants
• Ranchería (hamlet): At least 90 inhabitants.
• Hacienda (estate): Number irrelevant, homes tied to an estate.
• Rancho (homestead): All others.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Nayarit

Nuevo León

Oaxaca

According to the Municipal Law of the State of Oaxaca,[15] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): at least 20,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): at least 18,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): at least 15,000 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): at least 10,000 inhabitants.
• Congregación (small hamlet): a permanent rural or ejidal settlement of at least 5,000 people engaged in agriculture.
• Nucleo rural (rural community): at least 500 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Oaxaca

Puebla

According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Puebla,[16] the state classifies its settlements in terms of their populations and their provision of certain basic public services (schools, clinics, abbatoirs, graveyards, etc.):

• Ciudad (city): Census population of at least 20,000.
• Villa (town): Census population of at least 10,000.
• Pueblo (village): Census population of at least 2,500.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Census population of at least 500, and at least 5 km from the nearest city, town or village.
• Comunidad (community): Up to 500 inhabitants, and at least 5 km from the nearest larger settlement.
• Barrio (neighbourhood): Collection of houses structured as blocks (manzanas) that may be part of a town, village, hamlet, or community.
• Sección (section): Collection of blocks, neighbourhoods, colonias, communities, or hamlets that individually or collectively total more than 1,000 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Puebla

Querétaro

According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Querétaro,[17] the state classifies its settlements in terms of their populations and their provision of certain basic public services (schools, clinics, abbatoirs, graveyards, etc.):

• Ciudad (city): Census population of at least 30,000, or a municipal seat irrespective of size.
• Villa (town): Census population of at least 7,000.
• Pueblo (village): Census population of at least 2,000.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Census population of at least 500.
• Caserío (rural community): Rural settlement of up to 500 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Querétaro

Quintana Roo

According to the Organic Municipal Law of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo,[18] the state classifies its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): more than 10,000 inhabitants, or a municipal seat irrespective of size.
• Villa (town): more than 5,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): more than 2,000 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): more than 500 inhabitants.
• Congregación (small hamlet): fewer than 500 inhabitants

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Quintana Roo

San Luis Potosí

Sinaloa

Sonora

Tabasco

Tamaulipas

Tlaxcala

According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Tlaxcala,[19] the state classifies its settlements in terms of their population and their provision of certain basic public services:

• Ciudad (city): At least 20,000 inhabitants.
• Villa (town): At least 10,000 inhabitants.
• Pueblo (village): At least 1,000 inhabitants.
• Colonia (neighbourhood): At least 300 inhabitants.
• Ranchería (hamlet): Fewer than 300 inhabitants.

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Tlaxcala

Veracruz

According to Article 11 of the Organic Law of the Free Municipality of the State of Veracruz,[20] the state categorises its settlements as follows:

• Ciudad (city): 30000+ inhabitants
• Villa (town): 10000+
• Pueblo (village): 5000+
• Ranchería (large hamlet): 500-2000
• Caserío (small hamlet): up to 500

See also: Category:Cities and towns in Veracruz

Yucatán

Zacatecas