

To my knowledge, US states may use different terms for municipalities, collections of homesteads, etc. as they wish because of the 10th amendment in the US Constitution, i.e. it’s not explicitly given to the fed government to prescribe the hierarchy. But I’m no expert on this subject, so I could be mistaken.
Your post reminded me this short article, on maintaining wonder and awe through awareness. Its less about the comparison, and more about the appreciation.