List of most populous cities in the United States by decade explained

This list tracks and ranks the population of the top 10 largest cities and other urban places in the United States by decade, as reported by each decennial United States census, starting with the 1790 Census. For 1790 through 1990, tables are taken from the U.S Census Bureau's "Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." For year 2000 rankings, data from the Census Bureau's tally of "Cities with 100,000 or More Population Ranked by Selected Subject" is used. The 2010 rankings are based on the 2010 census results.

The Census Bureau's definition of an "urban place" has included a variety of designations, including city, town, township, village, borough, and municipality. The top 10 urban areas in 1790 consisted of various places designated as cities, towns and townships. The top 10 urban areas in 2010 are all separate incorporated places.

This list generally refers only to the population of individual urban places within their defined limits at the time of the indicated census. Some of these places have since been annexed or merged into other cities. Other places may have expanded their borders due to such annexation or consolidation. For example, after the 1898 consolidation of New York City, the Census Bureau has defined all the boroughs within its city limits as one "urban place". Similarly, Philadelphia's population has included the census counts within both the former urban areas of Northern Liberties, Pennsylvania and Southwark, Pennsylvania ever since Philadelphia's 1854 consolidation.

1790

When the United States declared independence in 1776, Philadelphia was its most populous city. By the time the first U.S. census count was completed in 1790, New York City had already grown to be 14% more populous than Philadelphia (though Philadelphia still had the larger metropolitan population in 1790). Note that, in 1790, New York City consisted of the entire island of Manhattan and that Philadelphia only included the most central neighborhoods of the city.

Rank	City	Population
1		33,131 (includes rural areas of Manhattan)	New York has ranked as the city with the highest population in every census count.
2		28,522 (excludes urban neighborhoods outside city proper)	Prior to 1854, the City of Philadelphia only governed the oldest parts of the city, now referred to as Center City.
3		18,320	Listed as a town in the 1790 census; now a city since 1822 and is the capital of Massachusetts since 1632.
4		16,359
5		13,503	Existed as a town during the time; now an independent city.
6	Northern Liberties District	9,913	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
7		7,921	Listed as a town in the 1790 census; now a city.
8		6,716	Listed as a town in the 1790 census; now a city. Only appearance in the top 10.
9		6,380	Listed as a town in the 1790 census; now a city.
10		5,661	Still a town. Only appearance in the top 10.
10		5,661	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.

The total population of these 11 cities was 152,087.

1800

Rankings based on population data from the second United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	60,514
2	41,220	(Present-day Center City.)
3	26,514
4	24,937	Listed as a town and still the capital of Massachusetts, would become a city in 1822.
5	18,824
6	10,718	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
7	9,621	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
8	9,457	Listed as a town. Today, Salem is a city.
9	7,614	Listed as a town. Last appearance in the top 10.
10	6,926	Only appearance in the top 10, and only appearance of a city in Virginia in the top 10. Listed as a borough. Now an independent city.

The total population of these 10 cities was 216,346.

1810

Rankings based on population data from the third United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	96,373
2	53,722	(Present-day Center City.)
3	46,555
4	33,787
5	24,711
6	19,874	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
7	17,242	First entry in the top 10 list not located in one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
8	13,707	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
9	12,613	Listed as a town.
10	10,762	First appearance in the top 10, and first city in Upstate New York to make the top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 329,346.

1820

Rankings based on population data drawn the fourth United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	123,706	First city in the US to surpass 100,000.
2	63,802	(Present-day Center City.)
3	62,738
4	43,298
5	27,176	Booming trade post, bought through the Louisiana Purchase.
6	24,780
7	19,678	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
8	14,713	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
9	13,247	First appearance of the new capital in the top 10. Would disappear from the list by next census and not reappear on top 10 until 1950.
10	12,731	Last appearance in the top 10. Listed as a town.

The total population of these 10 cities was 405,869. Last time Massachusetts has two cities in the top ten.

1830

Rankings based on population data from the fifth United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	202,300	First city in the US to surpass 200,000.
2	80,800	Baltimore is the second city to rank number two.
3	80,462	(Present-day Center City.)
4	61,392
5	46,082
6	30,289
7	28,872	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854.
8	24,831	Listed as a town. First Midwestern city in top 10.
9	24,209
10	20,581	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854. Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 599,927.

1840

Rankings based on data drawn from the sixth United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	312,710	First city in the US to surpass 300,000.
2	102,313	Second city in the US, after New York, to surpass 100,000.
3	102,193	New Orleans' rapid growth shows the increasing importance of Mississippi River trade before the advent of the railroad.
4	93,665	(Present-day Center City.)
5	93,383
6	46,338	Listed as a town.
7	36,233	At this time, Brooklyn was a city.
8	34,474	A neighborhood of Philadelphia annexed in 1854. Last appearance in top 10.
9	33,721
10	29,261	Last appearance in top 10. First ever population drop for Charleston.

The total population of these 10 cities was 884,291.

1850

By 1850, the United States was in the midst of the First Industrial Revolution. Rankings based on population data compiled in the seventh United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	515,547	First city in the US to surpass 400,000 and 500,000.
2	169,054
3	136,881
4	121,376	(Present-day Center City.)
5	116,375
6	115,435
7	96,838
8	77,860	First Top 10 appearance of any city west of the Mississippi River.
9	58,894	Now a neighborhood of Philadelphia. Only appearance in the top 10. Last census where Spring Garden was an independent city.
10	50,763	Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 1,459,023.

1860

Rankings based on data drawn from the eighth United States Census, the last national decennial census conducted before the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. This is the first census where the Northeast does not hold a supermajority of the top ten largest cities.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	813,669	First city in the US to surpass 600,000, 700,000, and 800,000.
2	565,529	The large jump in population between the seventh and eighth censuses is due to the 1854 Act of Consolidation, which greatly expanded the City of Philadelphia to be coterminous with Philadelphia County, and abolished all other local governments in the county. The "Philadelphia" prior to 1854 is present-day Center City.
3	266,661
4	212,418
5	177,840
6	168,675
7	161,044
8	160,773
9	112,172	First appearance in top 10. In the previous census, it was the 24th largest American city with a population of 29,963. At one point, Chicago would be the world's fastest growing city.
10	81,129	First appearance in top 10. Would not re-appear until 1900.

The total population of these 10 cities was 2,719,910.

1870

This was the ninth United States Census. This is the first census where the Northeast does not hold a simple majority of the top ten largest cities (briefly returns to 6 in the 1910 census). This is also the first census in which every city in the top 10 has a population of over 100,000.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	942,292	First city in the US to surpass 900,000. Included present-day Manhattan only.
2	674,022
3	396,099
4	310,864	The 1870 St. Louis Census total may have been slightly boosted by fraud.
5	298,977	Census was taken one year before the Great Chicago Fire, which burned down a large portion of the city.
6	267,354
7	250,526
8	216,239
9	191,418
10	149,473	First West Coast city in top 10. Its population boom began after 1848 with the Gold Rush and continued with silver discoveries such as the Comstock Lode in 1859. The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.

The total population of these 10 cities was 3,697,264.

1880

This was the tenth United States Census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	1,206,299	First city in the US to reach 1 million+ population milestone. Municipal boundaries encompassed present-day Manhattan and the West Bronx only.
2	847,170
3	566,663
4	503,185	The Great Chicago Fire destroyed approximately one-third of the city in 1871, yet the city still experienced extreme growth by this census count.
5	362,839
6	350,518	The city of St. Louis seceded from St. Louis County in 1876. The population of St. Louis City and St. Louis County during the Census was ~386,000.^[1]
7	332,313
8	255,139
9	233,959
10	216,090	Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 4,874,175.

1890

The 1890 Census was the Eleventh. Four Midwest cities occupied the top ten spots, with two cities from Ohio in the top ten for the first time.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	1,515,301	This is the last census before New York was consolidated into its present-day Five Boroughs municipal arrangement (therefore the figure is that of New York County, which at the time consisted of Manhattan Island and the western part of what later would become The Bronx).
2	1,109,850	Third city in the US to reach 1 million. Chicago overtakes Philadelphia as the nation's second most populous city shortly after they both pass the 1 million mark.
3	1,046,964	Second city in the US to reach 1 million.
4	806,343	This is the last census where the City of Brooklyn is counted as an independent city. Brooklyn would be politically absorbed into New York City in 1898 and have its population counted as a component of the latter city's figure from the Twelfth census onward.
5	451,770
6	448,477
7	434,439
8	298,997
9	296,908
10	261,353	First appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 6,660,402.

1900

The 1900 Census was the Twelfth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	3,437,202	First city in the US to surpass 3 million residents. This is the first census after the creation of the Five Boroughs.
2	1,698,575
3	1,293,697
4	575,238
5	560,892
6	508,957
7	391,768
8	352,387	First appearance since 1860.
9	342,782	Last appearance in top 10. Last census before earthquake and fire.
10	325,902	Last appearance in the top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 9,487,400.

1910

The 1910 Census was the Thirteenth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	4,766,883	First and only city in the US to surpass 4 million residents. Manhattan reached its historical high of over 2.3 million while Brooklyn had 1,634,351. However, the other three less populated boroughs began to grow rapidly as a result of then-recent transportation improvements, including the expansion of the NYC subway system into the city's formerly rural hinterland and the opening of new East River and Harlem River crossings, which provided a demographic escape valve for Manhattan and Brooklyn's densely populated tenement districts.
2	2,185,283	Second city in the U.S. to reach 2 million.
3	1,549,008
4	687,029
5	670,585
6	560,663
7	558,485
8	533,905	First appearance in top 10.
9	465,766	First appearance in top 10.
10	423,715	Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 12,401,322.

1920

The 1920 Census was the Fourteenth. Only time three Midwestern cities occupy the top five.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	5,620,048	First and only city in the US to surpass 5 million residents. Brooklyn passes 2 million with 2,018,356 of this total.
2	2,701,705
3	1,823,779
4	993,069	The rise of the automobile industry in the Detroit area propelled its growth substantially between 1910 and 1920, doubling its population in only 10 years.
5	796,841	Only census where Cleveland makes the top 5.
6	772,897
7	748,060
8	733,826
9	588,343
10	576,673	First appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 15,355,250.

1930

The 1930 Census was the Fifteenth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	6,930,446	First and only city in the US to surpass 6 million residents. Brooklyn accounts for 2,560,401 of the total.
2	3,376,438	Second city in the U.S. to surpass 3 million.
3	1,950,961
4	1,568,662	Fourth city in the U.S. to surpass 1 million.
5	1,238,048	Fifth city in the U.S. (and first in California) to surpass 1 million. First West Coast city to make the top 5.
6	900,429
7	821,960
8	804,874
9	781,188
10	669,817

The total population of these 10 cities was 19,042,823.

1940

Four of the ten cities here would have their first ever population drop in 1940. Though slight, they would presage a precipitous decline that started in 1950. The 1940 census was the sixteenth. This is also the first census in which the total population of the 10 largest cities combined increased by less than 10% from the last census, 10 years ago (<1% per year).

	Population	Notes
1	7,454,995	First and only city in the US to surpass 7 million residents.
2	3,396,808
3	1,931,334	First ever population drop for Philadelphia.
4	1,623,452
5	1,504,277
6	878,336	First ever population drop for Cleveland.
7	859,100
8	816,048	First ever population drop for St. Louis.
9	770,816	First ever population drop for Boston.
10	671,659	Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 19,909,825.

1950

1950 was a watershed year for many cities in the United States. Many cities in the country peaked in population, but started a slow decline caused by suburbanization associated with pollution, congestion, and increased crime rates in inner cities, while the improved infrastructure of the Eisenhower Interstate System more easily facilitated car commutes and white flight of the white middle class. The G.I. Bill made available low interest loans for returning World War II veterans seeking more commodious housing in the suburbs. Of the eighteen most populous cities in the 1950 census, fifteen have declined in population as of the 2020 census, with the exceptions of New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Although populations within city limits dropped in many American cities, the metropolitan populations of most cities continued to increase greatly. The 1950 census was the seventeenth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	7,891,957	Brooklyn accounts for 2,738,175 of this total and Queens 1,550,849.
2	3,620,962	Population peaked this census.
3	2,071,605	Population peaked this census. Third city in the U.S. to surpass 2 million.
4	1,970,358	Los Angeles is one of the few cities to have nearly continuous growth since 1950.
5	1,849,568	Population peaked this census. To date, Detroit is the only city in the United States to have a population grow beyond 1 million and then fall below that figure.
6	949,708	Population peaked this census.
7	914,808	Population peaked this census.
8	856,796	Population peaked this census.
9	802,178	Population peaked this census. Re-appearance in the top 10 (last in 1820).
10	801,444	Population peaked this census. Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 21,809,384.

1960

The 1960 Census was the Eighteenth. This was the first census (see also 1980) to show a decline in the combined total population of top ten cities, with 826,495 (3.8%) fewer people than the 1950 Census' top ten cities.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	7,781,984	First ever population drop for New York City.
2	3,550,404	First ever population drop for Chicago.
3	2,479,015	Los Angeles overtakes Philadelphia to become the nation's third-largest city. Fourth city in the U.S. (and first in California) to surpass 2 million.
4	2,002,512	After 60 years as the nation's third-largest city, Philadelphia drops to the fourth spot on the list.
5	1,670,144	First ever population drop for Detroit.
6	939,024	First ever population drop for Baltimore.
7	938,219	First appearance for a Texan city in the top 10.
8	876,050
9	783,956	First ever population drop for Washington.
10	750,026	Last appearance in the top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 20,982,889.

1970

The 1970 Census was the Nineteenth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	7,894,862
2	3,366,957
3	2,816,061
4	1,948,609
5	1,511,482
6	1,232,802	Sixth city in the U.S. (and first in the South, or in Texas) to surpass 1 million.
7	905,759
8	844,401	First appearance in the top 10.
9	756,510	Last appearance in the top 10.
10	750,903	Last appearance in the top 10. Cleveland is notably less dense in this census than in 1920.

The total population of these 10 cities was 22,028,346.

1980

By 1980, the population trends of urban decline and suburbanization that started in the 1950s were at their peak. This was the second census (see also 1960) to show a decline in the combined total population of the top ten cities, with 1,142,003 (5.2%) fewer people than the 1970 Census' top ten cities, mostly due to the large drop in population of New York City. This is the first census in which half of the top ten cities are in the Sun Belt, specifically the West South Central and South Western area of the country. The 1980 census was the twentieth.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	7,071,639	New York City experienced the largest total population drop by a city up to this point in American history, recording 820,000 fewer people in 1980 than ten years before. The city government was crippled by severe financial strains and near bankruptcy as a result of its declining tax base during the 1970s, until being bailed out by the federal government later that decade.
2	3,005,072
3	2,966,850
4	1,688,210
5	1,595,138	Houston becomes the first (and to date, the only) Texas city to reach the top 5.
6	1,203,339
7	904,078
8	875,538	First appearance in the top 10.
9	789,704	First appearance in the top 10. First (and to date, the only) city in the Mountain West to reach the top 10.
10	786,775	Last appearance in the top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 20,886,343.

1990

The 1990 Census was the Twenty-first. Continued trends of western cities' growth and Northeastern cities' contraction now place a majority of the top ten cities in the western portion of the Sun Belt, a regional concentration not seen since Northeastern cities dominated the top of the first seven censuses.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	7,322,564	New York City gained population during the 1980s after heavy losses in the 1970s.
2	3,485,398	Los Angeles becomes the nation's second largest city. Third U.S. city (and first on the American West Coast, or in California) to surpass 3 million.
3	2,783,726	After nearly 100 years as the nation's second largest city, Chicago is surpassed by Los Angeles and becomes the third largest city.
4	1,630,553	Houston overtakes Philadelphia to become the nation's fourth largest city.
5	1,585,577
6	1,110,549	Seventh city in the U.S. (and second in California) to surpass 1 million.
7	1,027,974	Last census to have a population of over 1 million.
8	1,006,877	Eighth city in the U.S. (and second in the South, or in Texas) to surpass 1 million.
9	992,551
10	935,933	First appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 21,872,554.

2000

The 2000 Census was the 22nd in U.S. history.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	8,008,278	First and only city in the US to surpass 8 million residents.
2	3,694,820
3	2,896,016	Chicago experienced population gain during the 1990s.
4	1,953,631
5	1,517,550
6	1,321,045	Ninth city in the U.S. (and first and only in the Mountain West) to surpass 1 million, as well as the only Arizona city and only state capital to do so too.
7	1,223,400
8	1,188,580
9	1,144,646	10th city in the U.S. (and third in the South, or in Texas) to surpass 1 million.
10	951,270	First (and to date, the only) city ever to drop back under 1 million. Last appearance in top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 23,899,236.

2010

Seven of the country's ten largest cities in 2010 were located in the Sun Belt region of the south and west, all of which have far lower population density than their earlier top-ranking counterparts. A different ranking is evident when considering U.S. metro area populations which count both city and suburban populations. The 2010 census was the twenty-third.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	8,175,133
2	3,792,621
3	2,695,598
4	2,099,451	Fifth city in the U.S. (and first in the South, or in Texas) to surpass 2 million.
5	1,526,006	First population gain since 1950.
6	1,445,632	Phoenix briefly experienced population decline during the recession but rebounded slowly.
7	1,327,407	San Antonio overtakes Dallas as Texas' second-largest city.
8	1,307,402
9	1,197,816
10	945,942	First appearance in the top 10.

The total population of these 10 cities was 24,513,008.

2020

2020 is the first census in which all ten of the largest cities have populations of over one million. It is also the first census since 1940 in which no cities entered or left the top ten, and the first census since 1950 in which all ten cities gained population. This was the twenty-fourth census.

Rank	Population	Notes
1	8,804,190
2	3,898,747
3	2,746,388
4	2,304,580
5	1,608,139	Phoenix overtakes Philadelphia to become the first city in the Mountain West to reach the top 5.
6	1,603,797	For the first time, Philadelphia drops out of the top 5.
7	1,434,625
8	1,386,932
9	1,304,379
10	1,013,240	11th city in the U.S. (and third in California) to surpass 1 million.

The total population of these 10 cities was 26,105,017.

Totals

Year	Total population	Change
1790	152,087	NA
1800	216,346	42.25%
1810	329,346	52.23%
1820	405,869	23.23%
1830	599,927	47.81%
1840	884,291	47.40%
1850	1,459,023	64.99%
1860	2,719,910	86.42%
1870	3,697,264	35.93%
1880	4,874,175	31.83%
1890	6,660,402	36.65%
1900	9,487,400	42.44%
1910	12,401,322	30.71%
1920	15,355,250	23.82%
1930	19,042,823	24.02%
1940	19,909,825	4.55%
1950	21,809,384	9.54%
1960	20,982,889	-3.79%
1970	22,028,346	4.98%
1980	20,886,343	-5.18%
1990	21,872,554	4.72%
2000	23,899,236	9.27%
2010	24,513,008	2.57%
2020	26,105,017	6.49%

References

Notes

Sources

External links

United States, 1780-1789 - discusses population size from 1780 to 1789

Notes and References

Web site: 2012-05-21. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places In The United States: 1790 to 1990. 2017-01-09. Census.gov.