Settlement classification in Mexico explained
Mexico's states classify their settlements in a variety of fashions:
Under Article 106 of the Municipal Law of the State of Aguascalientes,http://www.e-mexico.gob.mx/work/EMM10/EMM_aguascalientes/lom.pdf 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.
According to Article 10 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Baja California Sur,http://intranet.diputados.gob.mx/bibliot/infolegi/consedos/LEY_ORG/leybcs.htm 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 (town): More than 5,000 inhabitants.
- Pueblo (village): More than 2,000 inhabitants.
- Congregación (congregation): More than 200 inhabitants.
- Ranchería (hamlet): Fewer than 200 inhabitants.
According to Article 12 of the Organic Municipalities Law of the State of Campeche,http://www.ordenjuridico.gob.mx/Estatal/CAMPECHE/Municipios/APGLey2.pdf 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.
Chiapas
According to the Law on the Political and Administrative Classification of Population Centres in the State of Chiapas,https://web.archive.org/web/20070613095028/http://congresochiapas.gob.mx/internet/leyes/l_categorizacion.txt 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.
According to Article 13 bis of the Municipal Code of the State of Chihuahua,http://www.delicias.gob.mx/Transparencia/leyesyreglamentos/CODIGO_MUNICIPAL_PARA_EL_ESTADO_DE_CHIHUAHUA.pdf 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.
According to Article 22 of the Municipal Code for the State of Coahuila de Zaragoza,http://www.sfcoahuila.gob.mx/compendio%20fiscal%202004/principal_codigo_municipal.htm 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.
According to Article 13 of the Organic Law of Free Municipalities of the State of Colima,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031114859/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica 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.
According to Article 6 of the Organic Law of the Free Municipality of the State of Durango,http://www.municipio.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_del_Municipio_Libre_del_Edo_Dgo 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.
According to Article 23 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Guanajuato,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031123229/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_Municipal_para_el_Estado_de_Guan 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.
According to Article 1 of the Law number 59, territorial division of the state,http://i.administracion2014-2015.guerrero.gob.mx/uploads/2006/02/L59ODTE.pdf the state classifies its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): At least 5,000 inhabitants.
- Pueblo (village): between 500 and 4,999 inhabitants.
- Cuadrilla (hamlet): between 100 and 499 inhabitants.
- Ranchería (rural hamlet): between 50 and 99 inhabitants.
According to Article 20 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Hidalgo,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031105039/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_Municipal_del_Estado_de_Hidalgo 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.
According to Chapter II of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Jalisco,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031113403/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_del_Poder_Legislativo_del_Estado 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.
According to Article 9 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Mexico,https://web.archive.org/web/20081020051044/http://www.cddiputados.gob.mx/POLEMEX/leyes/Ley39.html 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.
According to Article 1 of the Organic Law of the Territorial Division of Michoacán,http://leyes.michoacan.gob.mx/destino/O279fue.pdf the state classifies its settlements as follows:
- Distrito (district): Number of inhabitants not specified.
- Municipalidad (municipality): Number of inhabitants not specified.
- Tenencia (tenure or holding): Number of inhabitants not specified.
- Otras (others): Hacienda, Rancho, Ranchería, and Colonia.
Morelos
According to Article 23 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Morelos,http://www.inafed.gob.mx/work/resources/LocalContent/2409/1/leyorg.html 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.
Under the Law of Political Categories for Settlements in the State of Nayarit,https://web.archive.org/web/20080413163840/http://www.tsjnay.gob.mx/Leyes/ley_de_categorias_politicas_para.htm 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.
According to the Municipal Law of the State of Oaxaca,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031121701/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_ley_org_oax 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.
According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Puebla,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031115734/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_lom_puebla the state classifies its settlements in terms of their populations and their provision of certain basic public services (schools, clinics, abattoirs, 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.
According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Querétaro,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031100740/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_del_Estado_de_Queretaro the state classifies its settlements in terms of their populations and their provision of certain basic public services (schools, clinics, abattoirs, 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.
According to the Organic Municipal Law of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo,https://web.archive.org/web/20071111123004/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_Municipal_del_Estado_Libre_y_Sob 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
According to article 9 of the Organic Municipal Law of the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí,https://web.archive.org/web/20140424204951/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_Organica_del_Municipio_Libre_SLP the state classifies its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): more than 20,000 inhabitants, wherein certain medical and police services are available and infrastructure is in place.
- Villa (town): more than 6,500 inhabitants, wherein certain medical and police services are available and infrastructure is in place.
- Pueblo (village): more than 1,000 inhabitants, with certain basic services.
- Ranchería (hamlet): fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.
According to article 12 of the Organic Municipal Law of the Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa,https://web.archive.org/web/20140424211313/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb/ELOCAL/ELOC_Ley_del_Gobierno_Municipal_del_Estado_de_Sina the state classifies its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): more than 25,000 inhabitants, or a municipal seat regardless of population.
- Villa (town): more than 5,000 inhabitants, or a sindicate seat regardless of population.
- Pueblo (village): more than 2,000 inhabitants, or a comissarate seat regardless of population.
- Rancho (hamlet): fewer than 2,000 inhabitants.
According to article 9 of the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Tabasco,http://www.ordenjuridico.gob.mx/Estatal/TABASCO/Municipios/1L.pdf the state classifies its settlements in terms of their population and their provision of certain basic public services:
- Ciudad (city): At least 7,500 inhabitants.
- Villa (town): At least 5,000 inhabitants.
- Pueblo (village): At least 2,500 inhabitants.
- Ranchería (hamlet): At least 1,000 inhabitants.
According to Article 13 of the Municipal Code for the State of Tamaulipas,http://www.ordenjuridico.gob.mx/Publicaciones/CDLeyes/pdf/Tamaulipas.pdf the state classifies its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): At least 25,000 inhabitants.
- Villa (town): At least 5,000 inhabitants.
- Congregación o Poblado (village): At least 1,000 inhabitants.
- Ranchería (large hamlet): up to 1,000 inhabitants.
According to the Organic Municipal Law of the State of Tlaxcala,https://web.archive.org/web/20071031103146/http://www.e-local.gob.mx/wb2/ELOCAL/ELOC_lomtlax 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.
According to Article 11 of the Organic Law of the Free Municipality of the State of Veracruz,https://web.archive.org/web/20080227144631/http://www.xalapa.gob.mx/gobierno/reglamentos/ley_organica.pdf 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
According to Article 12 of the Government Law of the Municipality of the State of Yucatán,http://www.congresoyucatan.gob.mx/recursos/marco_legal/marco_legal_5.pdf the state categorises its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): 15,000+ inhabitants
- Villa (town): 8,000+
- Pueblo (village): 3,000+
- Comisaría (commissariat): 500+
- Subcomisaría (sub-commissariat): up to 500
According to Article 25 of the Organic Law of the Municipality of the State of Zacatecas,http://capitaldezacatecas.gob.mx/gobierno/marco-juridico/ley-organica-del-municipio/ the state categorises its settlements as follows:
- Ciudad (city): 15,000+ inhabitants
- Pueblo (town): 2,500+
- Localidad rural (rural community): up to 500
See also
