If the names in a tax list or pre-1850 US census record are in rough alphabetical order (usually by just the first letter of the last name), proximity of names does not necessarily indicate near geographic neighbors. A list that is not in alphabetical order likely is organized geography. 
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Yes. That’s a huge frustration for me, re. the 1885, 1887, and 1889 Censuses here in WA Territory. I have my great-grandmother and her 7 children all listed among those whose surnames start with W, but no indication of what street they lived on, or who their neighbors were. These censuses don’t even state what city the people lived in – simply Pierce County. Part of that time, my people were in Steilacoom, and then moved to the city of Tacoma. I’ll probably never know when they moved.