List the United States' Largest Cities by Population

To list the United States' largest cities by population you also need to look at the population density as well as the population statistics of unincorporated population areas. Following are lists of the largest cities and population areas by population and population density as well as several sites online with additional information.

Here are the top ten cities in the United States as of 2009 with their population:

1. New York, New York = 8,391,881
2. Los Angeles, California = 3,831,868
3. Chicago, Illinois = 2,851,268
4. Houston, Texas = 2,257,926
5. Phoenix, Arizona = 1,601,587
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania = 1,547,297
7. San Antonio, Texas = 1,373,668
8. San Diego, California = 1,306,301
9. Dallas, Texas = 1,299,543
10. San Jose, California = 964,695

Some interesting facts about this data includes:

• San Jose, California, was ranked number 11 in both 1990 and 2000 before moving up. 
• Phoenix, Arizona, was ranked number 10 in 1990 before moving up to number 6 and eventually to its current ranking of number 5. 
• Detroit, Michigan was ranked number 7 in 1990, number 10 in 2000, and is now ranked number 11. 
• Texas and California each have three cities in the top ten.

United States Population Density Statistics

Since you are interested in population, you may also want to look at the population density of United States cities and community areas.

To calculate the population density of an area, you simply divide the population by the land area.

United States Cities with Dense Population

The following information is from the United States Census Bureau’s 2000 Census. Following are the incorporated places with the population per square mile over 20,000:

• Guttenberg, New Jersey = 56,012.0
• Union City, New Jersey = 52,977.8
• West New York, New Jersey = 44,995.1
• Hoboken, New Jersey = 30,239.2
• New York City, New York = 26,402.9
• Maywood, California 23,887.2
• Cliffside Park, New Jersey = 23,847.7
• East Newark, New Jersey 23,330.0
• Passaic, New Jersey = 21,804.7
• Cudahy, California = 21,627.7
• Great Neck Plaza, New York = 20,853.4
• Irvington, New Jersey = 20,528.3
• North Bay Village, Florida = 20,267.1
• Huntington Park California = 20,252.4

Population Density of Top US Census Designated Places

The United States Census Bureau gathers data not only on incorporated places but on what are called “census designated places.” These are areas that are not incorporated into the state where they are located and do not have a local government.  State laws of incorporation vary greatly so this designation is needed for non-incorporated area of population.

Following is a list of the top ten Census Designated Places that have the highest population density, or people per square mile:

1. Friendship Village, Maryland = 81,991.7
2. Buena Vista, California= 24,099.1
3. Bellerose Terrace, New York = 22,212.2
4. Walnut Park, California = 21,919.0
5. Lennox, California = 21,257.5
6. Langley Park, Maryland = 19,678.8
7. East Compton, California = 17,945.9
8. Westmont, California = 17,103.0
9. Florence-Graham, California = 16,799.7
10. East Los Angeles, California = 16,697.4

New York Borough Population Density Statistics

Since New York City is the largest city and metropolitan area in the United States, let’s look at the five boroughs and their population densities:

1. Manhattan = 66,940.1
2. Brooklyn = 34,916.6
3. The Bronx = 31,709.3
4. Queens = 20,409.0
5. Staten Island = 7,587.9

Overall Top Ten US Population Density Areas

Just for fun, putting all the Incorporated Places, Census Designated Places, and NYC boroughs, here is the top ten list of places with the highest population density:

1. Friendship Village, Maryland = 81,991.7
2. Manhattan, New York = 66,940.1
3. Guttenberg, New Jersey = 56,012.0
4. Union City, New Jersey = 52,977.8
5. West New York, New Jersey = 44,995.1
6. Brooklyn, New York = 34,916.6
7. The Bronx = 31,709
8. Hoboken, New Jersey = 30,239.2
9. New York City, New York = 26,402.9
10. Buena Vista, California = 24,099.1

More Information on Largest Cities by Population

There are a number of resources who can help you if you need to list the United States' largest cities by population:

• Info Please will list the largest US cities by population and also has the estimated populations for 1990, 2000, 2005, and 2009.  With this data, you can see the growth of any city you are interested in and compare how the rankings changed over the years.
• The data at Info Please comes from the US Census, which also provides the information about the largest US cities on their website.  The list includes all incorporated places with a population of 100,000 or more.  Incorporated places may be towns, cities, boroughs, villages, or municipalities.  The information comes from the United States Census Bureau’s estimated population from July 1, 2009.

So, now you know the list of the United States' largest cities by population and you also have a great deal of other information about population in the US.