Census tracts get all the glory. As do block groups, ZIP codes, counties, and states. But what if I told you, there’s an amazing geography you’ve probably never used?
Enter county subdivisions. They are smaller than counties (duh), and larger than most census tracts and ZIP codes. They’re better known as townships, towns, cities, districts, boroughs, barrios, villages, plantations (not those plantations—they’re in Maine ), municipalities, subdistricts, reservations, counties (which are not the same as counties), grants, purchases, locations, gores (!?), and islands. These are all minor civil divisions (MCDs), meaning they’re legal – not just statistical – entities.
Some states don’t have minor civil divisions, so the Census just draws up their own subdivisions, calling them Census county divisions (CCDs) and Census subareas. Some states with minor civil divisions have areas with no legally established MCD; the Census defines those as unorganized territories (UTs). These are all purely statistical entities, with no local legal recognition.
I grew up in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania. It has its own police department and school district, and is governed by a Board of Commissioners. All the street signs are blue and gold (go Panthers!). If I wanted statistical information about it, looking at Montgomery County as a whole wouldn’t be too useful, since it’s much bigger and geographically diverse. I could look at the smaller census tracts that are inside of Cheltenham, but that would only tell you about its different parts. For a look at the township, the whole township, and nothing but the township, county subdivisions would be the way to go.
Everything else you could possibly want to know about county subdivisions is here: https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/gtc/gtc_cousub.html .
So why are these geographies so “secret”?
County subdivisions (or “cousubs,” as we like to call them) are a pretty great geography type that’s easy to overlook. Next time you want data for a township (or the like), check them out.