> The census designation of rural is very stringent and you basically need more cows than people to meet it.

Not true. The census actually doesn't really bother to define rural other than "not urban". So then it comes down to what the urban definition is. The urban definition is:

> To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,000 housing units or have a population of at least 5,000.

https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/g...

> most do not live in any sort of "city" in the colonial sense

What do you mean about "the colonial sense"?

> it may be called one on paper

Its called a city on paper because it is a city.

> The average and median american lives in some kind of suburb

Suburbs, which usually exist in cities, yes. That's how we've built our cities here in the US, as sprawling suburbs.

> But at the end of the day it is somewhere that's not walkable/bike-able without being at a severe time disadvantage to car/bus transport in the typical

I mean I agree with that, hence my first comment being "I do agree most students in the US arrive by bus or car". Is being walkable a requirement for a city to be a city?