Most ghost towns can be categorized into six basic classes based on what remains at the site:

• Class A: barren site
• Class B: rubble and/or roofless building ruins
• Class C: standing abandoned buildings (with roofs), no population, except maybe a caretaker.
• Class D: semi/near ghost towns. A small resident population, many abandoned buildings.
• Class E: busy historic community, yet still much smaller than in its boom years.
• Class F: the town joined or was absorbed by a neighboring thriving city.
• Class G: Not a stand-alone class, but an addition to any of the above. This class usually designates a restored town, state park, or indicates some other “additional” status.