Sumer was, at the time, one of the biggest cities and cultural hubs in the world. There would have been merchants from foreign countries selling exotic goods, massive temples and palaces, fancy houses, large crowds, etc. In a small community, there would have been poorer (not destitute, just not wealthy) farmers who would work the land together. There would be lower populations, smaller houses, etc. Kind of similar to the difference between a modern neighborhood of farmers and a city like Chicago or NYC.
