Final answer:
A city would generally cover the largest area when compared to a town or a village. Cities are classified as 'urban' by the US Census Bureau and can offer economies of scale due to their size, population, and concentration of goods and services.
Step-by-step explanation:
Typically, within the hierarchy of settlements, a city would cover the largest area compared to a town or a village. Cities are generally larger than towns, which are in turn larger than villages. The US Census Bureau classifies settlements into different categories such as 'rural' and 'urban', with cities usually falling into the urban category. The definition of 'city' can vary and has evolved over time, especially with the introduction of geographic information systems (GIS) that facilitate the measurement of urbanity. For instance, Jacksonville, Florida is known for its large land area, being the largest city by land area in the United States at 874.3 square miles, despite not all of this area being densely populated.
Cities like Jacksonville demonstrate how some incorporated areas can extend significantly beyond their urban core. The US Census historically considered any incorporated area with at least 2,500 people as urban, but this definition has been updated as some large population centers are unincorporated, thus not meeting traditional incorporation criteria. Cities often serve as hubs for economic activity and exhibit economies of scale, providing centralized services and amenities that are not found in smaller towns and villages.
Certain goods and services, like major league sports teams or specialized boutiques, require a large threshold population and are typically only found in large cities. In contrast, merchants in villages and small towns usually offer basic goods and services like gas stations or convenience stores. Over time, competitively located villages may grow into towns or cities based on the attraction of businesses and customers, a process that can be guided by the convenience of their location.