Top 10 Most Populated Cities in the USA (2023: Economic growth of a city is proportional to its population size. The United States is one of the largest countries in the world by landmass and has mega cities that are densely populated owing to their booming economic growth. Undisputedly, New York City prides itself as the largest city in the USA by population. According to World Population Review, we have listed the most populated cities in the United States in 2023.
Top 10 Most Populated Cities in the USA (2023)
- New York City, NY (Population: 8,992,908)
- Los Angeles, CA (Population: 4,085,014)
- Chicago, IL (Population: 2,670,406)
- Houston, TX (Population: 2,378,146)
- Phoenix, AZ (Population: 1,743,469)
- Philadelphia, PA (Population: 1,603,797)
- San Antonio, TX (Population: 1,579,504)
- San Diego, CA (Population: 1,469,490)
- Dallas, TX (Population: 1,400,337)
- San Jose, CA (Population: 1,036,242)
1. New York City, NY
Population: 8,992,908
New York City tops the list of the most populated cities in the USA with a population of nearly nine million people. It is rated an alpha world city for its global influences in media, politics, education, entertainment and fashion and it is is one of the world’s major centers of commerce and finance.
Nicknamed the Big Apple, the New York City has more people than the whole of Chile or the Netherlands. NY is situated mainly on islands, linked by bridges, and consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island (formerly Richmond.
New York state’s economy is the third-largest in the U.S., behind that of California and Texas. The New York City has the largest economy in the New York State.
2. Los Angeles CA
Population: 4,085,014
With a population of about 4.1 million people, Los Angeles is the second largest city in the USA by population. It is also the seat of the most populous county in the U.S., Los Angeles County.
Most of the economic activities in the state of California is concentrated in Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in the Americas. Los Angeles is also a city for sound education. It is home to some of the best institutions in the USA, notably California Institute of Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of Southern California.
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3. Chicago, IL
Population: 2,670,406
Chicago comes third on our list of the top 10 most populated cities in the USA. According to our source, Chicago has a population of over 2.7million people. It is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the third most populous in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. In addition, Chicago has the seat of Cook County (the second-most populous U.S. county), and the city is the center of the Chicago metropolitan area, one of the largest in the world.
Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is routinely ranked among the world’s top 10 busiest airports.
The economy of Chicago is diverse and no single industry employs more than 14% of the workforce. It is home to several Fortune 500 companies, including Archer-Daniels-Midland, Conagra Brands, Exelon, JLL, Kraft Heinz, McDonald’s, Mondelez International, Motorola Solutions, Sears, and United Airlines Holdings.
4. Houston, TX
Population: 2,378,146
Nicknamed The Big Heart, Houston the most populous city in Texas and the fourth most populous city in the United States after New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. It is the most populous city in Southern United States and the sixth most populous city in North America.
Houston is the ninth-most expansive city in the United States. It has the most ethically diverse city in Texas, and is often considered as the most racially and ethically diverse city in the USA.
Houston has become a global city, with strengths in culture, medicine, and research. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits, which attract more than seven million visitors a year to the Museum District.
The economy of Houston is based primarily on the energy industry, particularly oil. However, health care, biomedical research, and aerospace also constitute large sectors. The Houston metropolitan area comprises the largest concentration of petrochemical manufacturing in the world, including for synthetic rubber, insecticides, and fertilizers.
5. Phoenix, AZ
Population: 1,743,469
Phoenix is fifth of the largest city in the US and the largest city in Arizona by population. It the only U.S. state capital with a population of more than one million residents. Phoenix was settled in 1867 as an agricultural community near the confluence of the Salt and Gila Rivers and was incorporated as a city in 1881, and became the capital of Arizona territory in 1889. It is the cultural center of the state of Arizona.
Phoenix’s economy were initially anchored by cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper, commonly referred to as the five Cs. Today, Phoenix is home to four Fortune 500 companies: electronics corporation Avnet, mining company Freeport-McMoRan, retailer PetSmart, and waste hauler Republic Services. The top five contributors to the economy of Phoenix are real estate ($41.96b), Finance and insurance ($19.71b), manufacturing ($19.91b), Retail trade ($18.64b), and health care ($19.78b).
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6. Philadelphia, PA
Population: 1,603,797
With a population of about 1.6 million people, Philadelphia is the sixth most populated city in the US. It is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Historically, Philadelphia served as the capital of the United States until 1800.
Philadelphia plays a prominent role in the history of the US. It is a national cultural center and is known for its arts, culture, cuisine, and colonial and Revolution-era history. What’s more? The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community.
It known for its extensive for its role in the life sciences, business and industry, art, literature, and music. It is one of the nation’s leading centers for higher education and academic research. As of 2021, the Philadelphia metropolitan area was the state’s largest and nation’s ninth-largest metropolitan economy with a gross metropolitan product of US$479 billion.
7. San Antonio, TX
Population: 1,579,504
City of San Antonio is the seventh most populous in the United States, the second largest in the Southern United States, and the second most populous city in Texas with 1,579,504 residents, according to our source.
Founded in 1718, the city became the first chartered civil settlement in what is now present-day Texas in 1731. San Antonio serves as the seat of Bexar County. Notable attractions in the city include River Walk, the Tower of the Americas, SeaWorld San Antonio, the Alamo Bowl, and Marriage Island.
Being the USA’s seventh-largest city by population, San Antonio is thriving economy anchored on the 21st century industries such as bioscience and healthcare, aerospace, IT and cybersecurity and green technologies.
8. San Diego, CA
Population: 1,469,490
San Diego is the eighth most populous city in the United States and the seat of San Diego County. The city is known for its mild year-round Mediterranean climate, natural deep-water harbor, extensive beaches and parks. San Diego is the second largest city in the state of California after Los Angeles.
San Diego’s main economic engines are military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, research, and manufacturing.
The primary border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, is the busiest international land border crossing in the world outside of Asia (fourth-busiest overall). San Diego International Airport is the busiest single-runway airport in the world.
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9. Dallas, TX
Population: 1,400,337
Dallas is a modern metropolis in north Texas and a commercial and cultural hub of the region. With a population of 1.4 million people, Dallas is the third most populous city in Texas, and the ninth most populous city in the US.
It is located in the North Texas region and is the main core of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea.
The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Dallas has a diverse economy driven by defense, financial services, information technology, telecommunications, and transportation.
10. San Jose, CA
Population: 1,036,242
Completing our list of the top 10 most populated cities in the USA is San Jose with a population of over 1 million people. It is a major city in California, and the largest city in Northern California by both population and area. San Jose is the county seat of Santa Clara County and the main component of the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city is notable for its innovation, cultural diversity, affluence, and sunny and mild Mediterranean climate. It is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley, a booming tech industry. In addition, major global tech companies including Cisco Systems, eBay, Adobe Inc., PayPal, Broadcom, Samsung, Acer, and Zoom maintain their headquarters in San Jose. It is a global center for high tech and internet industries.
