I called the place near me a city until a friend went into hysterical laughter and set me straight.The "city" we are supposed to live in is half an hour away. Much closer to Gretna. Population 1,237. The bank closes for hour and a half lunch!

Also, population density makes a big difference. A larger town near hear has 1,000 people, but it's large in area enough that traffic is when the deer take longer than usual to cross the road.