County-equivalent

A county-equivalent in the United States is a type of area that is not inside any county. The county-equivalents are defined by the federal government. They are used for administrative and statistical reasons.
As of the 2000 census there were 3,141 county-equivalents in the United States. The number went down to 3,140 in 2001. That is because the city of Clifton Forge, Virginia changed from being a city to being a town.
Types of county-equivalents.
There are three types of county-equivalents.
First type.
The first type of county-equivalent is an area of a state which is similar to a county.
Examples of this type:
Second type.
The second type of county-equivalent is a city that is not inside any county.
Examples of this type:
Third type.
The third type of county-equivalent is an area that doesn't have any county-level government and the United States Census Bureau decides to treat it as a county-equivalent.
Example of this type: