# US Dopers: Do you know what county you live in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963 "2011-08-16T22:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/21 "2011-08-16T23:11:43Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’m making assumptions about what a county does here, but perhaps if you were a renter (so paid no rates/property taxes), never bothered voting, never used local services such as the library etc, then you might not know, or care, what county you lived in. And the services provided at the county level vary widely across the US. Some people get nearly all government services provided by the county government. Some people get absolutely none. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/22 "2011-08-16T23:15:03Z")
silenus must live in San Bernardino County, California. Not only is San Bernardino County the largest county by area in the United States, it’s also bigger than some STATES. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/23 "2011-08-16T23:24:19Z")
Vermillion County, Indiana. I can’t imagine anyone _not_ knowing the county they live in. Heck, or even the counties that _border_ their county! ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/24 "2011-08-16T23:32:42Z")
Of the 251 counties in my state, I’m only familiar with or have knowingly traveled through about half. Wow, I thought I could do better than that. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/25 "2011-08-16T23:38:19Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I live in the second largest county (by population) in the US. 😉 I live in the most ethnically varied county in the US. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/26 "2011-08-16T23:48:49Z")
Yes. How could anyone not know? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/27 "2011-08-16T23:50:47Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > silenus must live in San Bernardino County, California. > > Not only is San Bernardino County the largest county by area in the United States, it’s also bigger than some STATES. > ~VOW Yep. But honestly, most of the county is wasteland full of nothing but snakes, insects and worthless claims. The rest is desert. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/28 "2011-08-17T00:07:34Z")
I can believe people don’t know what county they live in. Where I work you have to live in certain counties to be eligible for membership. We get so many blank stares when we ask it’s almost funny. Allen County, Indiana, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/29 "2011-08-17T00:09:27Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I live in the largest county (by area) in the US. Same. Don’t forget coyotes. [Larger than any of the nine smallest states, and the combined area of the four smallest states](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_County,_California) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/30 "2011-08-17T00:13:15Z")
Well, duh, of course. That’s like asking if you know what city you live in. Allegheny county, PA. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/31 "2011-08-17T00:14:15Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I live in the second largest county (by population) in the US. 😉 You and me both, **WhyNot**. I think you’re not nearly as close to the edge of it as I am, though. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/32 "2011-08-17T00:14:46Z")
When I was collecting signatures on petitions for our recent recall elections here in WI, one of the things the form asked for, along with the mailing address, was the municipality where you vote. For example, my mailing address is City of W\_\_\_\_\_\_, but I actually live outside the city limits and vote in the Township of D\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. I was amazed at how many people did not know where they vote. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/33 "2011-08-17T00:16:41Z")
I live in Palm Beach County, FL. Here, a lot of services and programs are organized by county. In RI, where I grew up, I’m not sure anything is structured by county, so I wouldn’t be surprised if far fewer people know which county they live in. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/34 "2011-08-17T00:17:46Z")
I recall meeting people in New England who didn’t know their county–[“town”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England_town) was much more important there. (In New England, you are _always_ in a “town,” even in the countryside. There’s no such thing as unincorporated county land.) ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/35 "2011-08-17T01:17:21Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > What is the significance of your county? What services does it provide that would make you aware of its existence? Are there county elections? Do you quote the county name in your address? > > I’m making assumptions about what a county does here, but perhaps if you were a renter (so paid no rates/property taxes), never bothered voting, never used local services such as the library etc, then you might not know, or care, what county you lived in. Besides what **WhyNot** said, if you own a vehicle, usually, you go to your county’s DMV for tags and sometimes emissions and/or safety inspection. If you run afoul of the law, you will initially wind up in the county jail and a hearing in front of a county judge, who may sentence you to more time in said jail. Should you be indignent or uninsured and in need of an emergency room, you will likely go to a county hospital for anything that isn’t immediately life threatening. If you want agriculture or soil information, your county ag agent is the one to call. That is if s/he isn’t too busy this time of year organizing things at the county fair. 🙂 So, yes, even if you don’t vote or directly pay property tax, generally you will have some interaction with those in county government or services. BTW, Wilson County, Tennessee ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/36 "2011-08-17T01:21:20Z")
Yep. How would I know if there were a tornado coming if I didn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/37 "2011-08-17T01:22:00Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > This is a joke, right? > > How the hell could someone NOT know their county?!?! Ditto. And if I forget the tax assessor is always really nice about reminding me once a year. I didn’t realize there are as many independent cities as there are. [Per wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Virginia)Virginia alone has 39. I live in the City of Montgomery in the County of Montgomery in Alabama. Some trivia that you will never need: they are named for two completely unrelated people: the city was named for General Richard Montgomery (Anglo-Irish officer who served in the Continental Army and died at the Battle of Quebec) and the county is named for Lemuel Montgomery, a militia officer killed at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (roughly 40 crow-fly miles from Montgomery). I’ve mentioned before that in Georgia, where there’s a county for every 18 people, there are many cities and counties that have the same name but rarely is the city in or anywhere near that county. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/38 "2011-08-17T01:26:34Z")
> [@missred](#): > > So, yes, even if you don’t vote or directly pay property tax, generally you will have some interaction with those in county government or services. Of course it depends on the state. Connecticut, for instance, eliminated county governments in 1960 and eliminated county sheriffs in 2000, so there is no interaction at the county level. ---
**Author:** ![SparkleLilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SparkleLilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparkleLilly)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/39 "2011-08-17T01:30:36Z")
Yes, but I prefer not to disclose. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/40 "2011-08-17T01:33:18Z")
I live in Cumberland County, PA. We get stuff like library services from the county, as well as the courts, constabulary, sheriff, and a few other legal-related services. We don’t get much else. Public safety (not including the sheriff’s office, which has more to do with managing the county prison than actual law enforcement), education, and the like are managed at the municipal level. Pennsylvania’s county and local government systems are pretty archaic, so we have, ah, different ways of doing things that aren’t like most of the country. That said, Pennsylvania has different classes of counties depending on the population. This has more to do with the organization of county government than anything else, so it has very little relevance to the lives of actual citizens. Like I said, it’s archaic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963.md?page=3)