diff --git a/classifier/WhosOnFirstClassifier.js b/classifier/WhosOnFirstClassifier.js
index 35c6f1ad..14f4c1aa 100644
--- a/classifier/WhosOnFirstClassifier.js
+++ b/classifier/WhosOnFirstClassifier.js
@@ -9,23 +9,24 @@ const whosonfirst = require('../resources/whosonfirst/whosonfirst')
 // databases sourced from the WhosOnFirst project
 // see: https://whosonfirst.org
 
+// note: these should be defined from most granular to least granular
 const placetypes = {
-  // 'country': {
-  //   files: ['wof:country.txt', 'wof:shortcode.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
-  //   classifications: [AreaClassification, CountryClassification]
-  // },
-  // 'dependency': {
-  //   files: ['wof:shortcode.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
-  //   classifications: [AreaClassification, DependencyClassification]
-  // },
-  'region': {
-    files: ['abrv:eng_x_preferred.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
-    classifications: [AreaClassification, RegionClassification]
-  },
   'locality': {
     files: ['name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
     classifications: [AreaClassification, LocalityClassification]
+  },
+  'region': {
+    files: ['abrv:eng_x_preferred.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
+    classifications: [AreaClassification, RegionClassification]
   }
+  // 'dependency': {
+  //   files: ['wof:shortcode.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
+  //   classifications: [AreaClassification, DependencyClassification]
+  // },
+  // 'country': {
+  //   files: ['wof:country.txt', 'wof:shortcode.txt', 'name:eng_x_preferred.txt'],
+  //   classifications: [AreaClassification, CountryClassification]
+  // },
 }
 
 class WhosOnFirstClassifier extends PhraseClassifier {
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ class WhosOnFirstClassifier extends PhraseClassifier {
         whosonfirst.load(this.tokens[placetype], [placetype], file)
       })
 
-      // blacklist
+      // general blacklist
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('north')
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('south')
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('east')
@@ -62,6 +63,19 @@ class WhosOnFirstClassifier extends PhraseClassifier {
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('town')
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('city')
       this.tokens[placetype].delete('grand')
+
+      // placetype specific modifications
+      if (placetype === 'locality') {
+        // these are the only two decent values in
+        // file: locality/abrv:eng_x_preferred.txt
+        this.tokens.locality.add('nyc')
+        this.tokens.locality.add('sf')
+
+        // remove problematic locality names
+        this.tokens.locality.delete('texas')
+        this.tokens.locality.delete('california')
+        this.tokens.locality.delete('italy')
+      }
     })
   }
 
diff --git a/test/addressit.usa.test.js b/test/addressit.usa.test.js
index 5a76c1c9..0865069f 100644
--- a/test/addressit.usa.test.js
+++ b/test/addressit.usa.test.js
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
   assert('123 Main St, New York, NY 10010', [
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
+      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ],
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
+      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ]
   ])
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
   assert('123 Main St New York, NY 10010', [
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
+      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ],
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
+      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ]
   ])
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
   assert('123 Main St New York NY 10010', [
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
+      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ],
     [
       { housenumber: '123' }, { street: 'Main St' },
-      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' },
+      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' },
       { postcode: '10010' }
     ]
   ])
@@ -88,11 +88,11 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
   assert('425 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011', [
     [
       { housenumber: '425' }, { street: 'W 23rd St' },
-      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' }, { postcode: '10011' }
+      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' }, { postcode: '10011' }
     ],
     [
       { housenumber: '425' }, { street: 'W 23rd St' },
-      { locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' }, { postcode: '10011' }
+      { region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' }, { postcode: '10011' }
     ]
   ])
 
@@ -115,23 +115,22 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
   assert('Dallas', [[{ locality: 'Dallas' }]])
 
   assert('California', [
-    [{ region: 'California' }],
-    [{ locality: 'California' }]
+    [{ region: 'California' }]
   ])
 
   assert('New York', [
-    [{ region: 'New York' }],
-    [{ locality: 'New York' }]
+    [{ locality: 'New York' }],
+    [{ region: 'New York' }]
   ])
 
   assert('New York, NY', [
-    [{ region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' }],
-    [{ locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' }]
+    [{ locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'NY' }],
+    [{ region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'NY' }]
   ])
 
   assert('New York, New York', [
-    [{ region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'New York' }],
-    [{ locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'New York' }]
+    [{ locality: 'New York' }, { region: 'New York' }],
+    [{ region: 'New York' }, { locality: 'New York' }]
   ])
 
   // assert('northern mariana islands', [])
diff --git a/test/functional.test.js b/test/functional.test.js
index 89ddb876..ac42df9a 100644
--- a/test/functional.test.js
+++ b/test/functional.test.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const testcase = (test, common) => {
 
   // street with directional, ordinal & admin info
   assert('West 26th Street, New York, NYC, 10010', [
-    [{ street: 'West 26th Street' }, { region: 'New York' }, { postcode: '10010' }]
+    [{ street: 'West 26th Street' }, { locality: 'New York' }, { postcode: '10010' }]
   ])
 }