Each city and town is structured according to the rules and regulation it established and may have amended over the years. Some communities may have a board of selectmen and women and might have a town manager. And, while most cities have mayors and city councilors, not all do. Generally speaking, no state office directly oversees local offices and departments. There are 39 cities, 312 towns in 14 counties.
Geographic center of Massachusetts is the Town of Rutland in Worcester County.
Oldest town: Plymouth incorporated 1620
Oldest city: Boston incorporated 1822
Newest town: East Brookfield incorporated 1920
Newest city: GARDNER incorporated 1923
Smallest by population: Town of Gosnold, 75 / City of North Adams, 13,708
Smallest by square miles: Town of Nahant, 1.04 / City of Chelsea, 1.86
Largest by population: Town of Framingham, 68,318 / City of Boston, 617,594