Biggest Cities in US: Top 10 by Population and Area
Anyone who has ever tried to name the biggest cities in the US quickly runs into a puzzle: the answer depends on whether you count the city limits or the entire metro region. New York City is the undisputed king by population within its borders, but switch to metropolitan areas and the list shifts — Sun Belt giants like Houston and Phoenix surge while older Rust Belt cities slip.
Largest city by population: New York City, NY (8.6 million) ·
Largest city by area: Sitka, AK (2,870 sq mi) ·
Most populous metro area: New York-Newark-Jersey City (19.9 million) ·
Fastest-growing large city (2020–2025): Fort Worth, TX (+12.2%)
Quick snapshot
- New York City is the most populous U.S. city at 8,584,629 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, population estimates)
- Sitka, Alaska is the largest by area at 2,870 square miles (U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts)
- New York metro area is the largest at 19.9 million (U.S. Census Bureau, metro estimates)
- Exact growth rates for 2025 are still provisional from the Census Bureau
- City boundaries change occasionally, affecting area rankings
- Population estimates for small cities may have larger margins of error than for large cities
- Sun Belt cities have been adding population faster than any other region since 2020
- Rust Belt cities like Detroit and Baltimore are seeing net outflows
- The 2030 census will likely show more Sun Belt cities cracking the top 10
- Fastest-growing metros may shift from Texas to the Southeast
The latest Census Bureau estimates confirm that population growth is concentrating in the South and West, with Texas cities leading the surge among large urban areas.
Five facts, one pattern: the city-proper ranking is dominated by historic coastal hubs, but the metro ranking tells a story of Sun Belt ascendance.
| Rank | City proper | Population (2025) | Metro area | Metro population (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City, NY | 8,584,629 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 19,940,274 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | 3,869,089 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 13,000,000 (est.) |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | 2,731,585 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 9,408,576 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | 2,397,315 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | 7,796,182 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | 1,665,481 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 5,000,000 (est.) |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | 1,574,281 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | approx. 6.2 million |
| 7 | San Antonio, TX | 1,548,422 | San Antonio-New Braunfels | — |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | 1,406,106 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | — |
| 9 | Dallas, TX | 1,329,491 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 8,344,032 |
| 10 | Fort Worth, TX | 1,028,117 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 8,344,032 |
What are the 10 largest cities in the United States?
Top 10 US cities by population (city proper)
- New York City, NY: 8,584,629 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 estimates)
- Los Angeles, CA: 3,869,089
- Chicago, IL: 2,731,585
- Houston, TX: 2,397,315
- Phoenix, AZ: 1,665,481
- Philadelphia, PA: 1,574,281
- San Antonio, TX: 1,548,422
- San Diego, CA: 1,406,106
- Dallas, TX: 1,329,491
- Fort Worth, TX: 1,028,117
How the 2020 census changed the ranking
The 2020 census confirmed that New York remains the largest, but Phoenix overtook Philadelphia to enter the top five. The latest estimates show Fort Worth breaking into the top ten for the first time, surpassing cities like San Jose and Jacksonville.
The pattern: Texas now has four cities in the top ten — a shift that reflects the broader Sun Belt migration.
Texas cities are not just growing; they are leapfrogging older hubs. For a buyer looking at relocation, the city-proper ranking underestimates the momentum of the Dallas-Fort Worth corridor.
The implication: the city-proper ranking tells only part of the story, and the full picture requires looking at regional growth patterns.
What is the largest U.S. city by area?
Sitka, Alaska leads by land area
- Sitka, AK: 2,870 sq mi (U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts)
- Juneau, AK: 2,717 sq mi
- Wrangell, AK: 2,542 sq mi
- Anchorage, AK: 1,706 sq mi
- Jacksonville, FL: 747 sq mi
Alaska dominates because its city boundaries often encompass vast wilderness. Outside Alaska, Jacksonville is the largest city proper in the contiguous US.
The catch: area rankings are misleading for population density — Sitka has fewer than 10,000 residents spread over 2,870 square miles.
What are the 10 largest metropolitan cities in the United States?
Difference between city proper and MSA
The Census Bureau defines a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as a core urban area plus adjacent counties with high social and economic integration. This means the metro population is often two to three times the city proper count.
Top 10 US metro areas by population
- New York-Newark-Jersey City: 19,940,274 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 estimates)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: approx. 13.0 million
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: 9,408,576
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington: 8,344,032
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands: 7,796,182
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria: approx. 6.3 million
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington: approx. 6.2 million
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach: approx. 6.1 million
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta: approx. 6.0 million
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton: approx. 4.9 million
Why this matters: the metro list includes Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston in the top five, while the city-proper list has them at #4 and #9. The Sun Belt’s economic pull becomes visible only when you look at the region, not the city limits.
Chicago’s city proper is #3, but its metro is #3 as well — stable. Houston’s city proper is #4, but its metro is #5, and it’s growing fast. The city-proper ranking understates the true size of fast-growing Sun Belt metros.
The pattern: stable legacy metros hold their rank, but fast-growing Sun Belt metros are closing the gap.
What are the top 5 growing cities in America?
Fastest-growing cities by percentage (2020–2025)
- Fort Worth, TX: +12.2% (World Population Review, estimate based on Census data)
- Phoenix, AZ: +11.7%
- Austin, TX: +10.9%
- San Antonio, TX: +9.3%
- Raleigh, NC: +8.9%
Sun Belt growth drivers
Lower taxes, warmer climate, and job growth in tech, healthcare, and logistics are pulling people to Texas, Arizona, and the Carolinas. The Census Bureau’s 2024 metro estimates show that the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metros each added over 100,000 residents in a single year.
The pattern: all five fastest-growing large cities are in the Sun Belt, and none are in the Northeast or Midwest.
Which US city is shrinking the fastest?
Cities with the largest population decline (2020–2025)
- Jackson, MS: -5.2% (estimated)
- Detroit, MI: -3.1%
- Baltimore, MD: -2.8%
- St. Louis, MO: -2.5%
- Buffalo, NY: -1.9%
Causes of Rust Belt shrinkage
Deindustrialization, aging infrastructure, and outmigration to warmer regions have hollowed out many older industrial cities. Jackson, Mississippi faces additional challenges from water system crises and chronic underinvestment.
The trade-off: while Sun Belt cities strain under rapid growth (housing shortages, traffic), shrinking cities struggle with tax base erosion and vacant properties.
For investors and policymakers, the divergence between growing and shrinking cities means that infrastructure spending and housing policy need to be tailored to local trends — one-size-fits
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