If you are an economic developer, a county name may mean everything – it’s the place you represent, maybe even the name of your organization. That said, over one-half of county names are not unique.
Be proud, but be practical. When you create marketing collateral maps, don’t leave out the cities (and don’t put in all the cities).
Maybe you leave them off for the sake of regional unity. It’s true if you include one or two and not all of them someone’s feelings might get hurt.
It’s also true that most people who aren’t local are more likely to orient themselves using cities as points of reference.
If you are in a rural area, it gives a sense of a center of gravity.
If you are in a dense metropolitan area, it gives a better sense of separate identity under the umbrella of the “big city” brand than a county name.