Largest Cities in the US 2004

[urbanguy]

Here are the largest cities in the US in 2004 according to the US Census.

1 New York city: 8,104,079

2 Los Angeles city: 3,845,541

3 Chicago city: 2,862,244

4 Houston city: 2,012,626

5 Philadelphia city: 1,470,151

6 Phoenix city: 1,418,041

7 San Diego city: 1,263,756

8 San Antonio city: 1,236,249

9 Dallas city: 1,210,393

10 San Jose city: 904,522

========================

11 Detroit city: 900,198

12 Indianapolis city (balance): 784,242

13 Jacksonville city: 777,704

14 San Francisco city: 744,230

15 Columbus city: 730,008

16 Austin city: 681,804

17 Memphis city: 671,929

18 Baltimore city: 636,251

19 Fort Worth city: 603,337

20 Charlotte city: 594,359

21 El Paso city: 592,099

22 Milwaukee city: 583,624

23 Seattle city: 571,480

24 Boston city: 569,165

25 Denver city: 556,835

26 Louisville-Jefferson County city: 556,332

27 Washington city: 553,523

28 Nashville-Davidson (balance): 546,719

29 Las Vegas city: 534,847

30 Portland city: 533,492

31 Oklahoma City city: 528,042

32 Tucson city: 512,023

33 Albuquerque city: 484,246

34 Long Beach city: 476,564

35 New Orleans city: 462,269

36 Cleveland city: 458,684

37 Fresno city: 457,719

38 Sacramento city: 454,330

39 Kansas City city: 444,387

40 Virginia Beach city: 440,098

41 Mesa city: 437,454

42 Atlanta city: 419,122

43 Omaha city: 409,416

44 Oakland city: 397,976

45 Tulsa city: 383,764

46 Miami city: 379,724

47 Honolulu CDP: 377,260

48 Minneapolis city: 373,943

49 Colorado Springs city: 369,363

50 Arlington city: 359,467

51 Wichita city: 353,823

52 St. Louis city: 343,279

53 Santa Ana city: 342,715

54 Anaheim city: 333,776

55 Raleigh city: 326,653

56 Pittsburgh city: 322,450

57 Tampa city: 321,772

58 Cincinnati city: 314,154

59 Toledo city: 304,973

60 Aurora city: 291,843

61 Riverside city: 288,384

62 Bakersfield city: 283,936

63 Buffalo city: 282,864

64 Corpus Christi city: 281,196

65 Newark city: 280,451

66 Stockton city: 279,888

67 St. Paul city: 276,963

68 Anchorage municipality: 272,687

69 Lexington-Fayette: 266,358

70 St. Petersburg city: 249,090

71 Plano city: 245,411

72 Jersey City city: 239,079

73 Norfolk city: 237,835

74 Lincoln city: 236,146

75 Glendale city: 235,591

76 Birmingham city: 233,149

77 Greensboro city: 231,543

78 Henderson city: 224,829

79 Hialeah city: 224,522

80 Baton Rouge city: 224,097

81 Chandler city: 223,991

82 Scottsdale city: 221,792

83 Madison city: 220,332

84 Fort Wayne city: 219,351

85 Garland city: 217,176

86 Chesapeake city: 214,725

87 Rochester city: 212,481

88 Akron city: 212,179

89 Lubbock city: 207,852

90 Modesto city: 206,769

91 Orlando city: 205,648

92 Chula Vista city: 204,879

93 Laredo city: 203,212

94 Fremont city: 202,373

95 Durham city: 201,726

96 Glendale city: 201,326

97 Montgomery city: 200,983

98 Shreveport city: 198,675

99 San Bernardino city: 198,406

100 Reno city: 197,963

[NorthStar]

These annual Census estimates are pretty much worthless. Other than keeping count of destroyed residences, the Bureau doesn't do much to actually keep an accurate, annual population count. Minneapolis - St. Paul is proof because during the 90s, the Census estimated that both cities were losing population annually. When the official numbers were released, it turned out that the Bureau was off by over 15,000 for each city! Why can't they do their job? Does it have to do with the fact that they don't count immigrants? Does it have to do with the fact that they don't take into account all new residential units? Whatever the case, these estimates are total b.s. so, wait for the official numbers to be released.

[Recchia]

Yeah Northstar, the numbers are pretty innaccurate in some cases. In the 90's they had Providence, RI down from 160,000 to 150,000, when really by 2000 it was up to 173,000.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

I was born in Fort Worth, TX and absolutely adore the city, but no way in HELL did it go from mid-30s on the ranking to number 19 since the '00 census!!! WTH? Where are these numbers coming from? Also, as fast as Detroit is shrinking---it isn't shrinking THAT FAST. A lot of estimates said that it would fall off the top-10 list by 2010-2015, NOT 2005.

J/w, but where the heck is Henderson? Colorado?

[ironchapman]

J/w, but where the heck is Henderson? Colorado?

There's a Henderson outside of Las Vegas.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

81 Chandler city: 223,991

?????

[ironchapman]

There's a Chandler, Arizona.

[cheeriokid61]

This is fun to look at, but it can give you a wrong impression of the city. The MSAs define the size of a city much more accurately. For example:

15 Columbus city

46 Miami city

52 St. Louis city

56 Pittsburg city

91 Orlando city

You see, sometimes, the city limits are very small, making the population very small, even if the city's population is huge.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Exactly, cheerio. Perhaps the classic example is

13 Jacksonville city: 777,704

I mean.. please. Any statistic that gives the impression that Jacksonville is more of a city than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington, Portland, ANYPLACE is almost inexcusably flawed.

[sleepy]

Exactly, cheerio. Perhaps the classic example is

13 Jacksonville city: 777,704

I mean.. please. Any statistic that gives the impression that Jacksonville is more of a city than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington, Portland, ANYPLACE is almost inexcusably flawed.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's not the statistic that gives the impression. It's the people who read it who make that impression.

The census just reports the number of people who live inside the corporate boundaries of a given city. If 777,704 people live inside the city limits of Jacksonville, the census reports that. What should the census do? Have an asterisk by the city saying that it's not really as urban as San Francisco? That's not the census's business or concern.

The census doesn't editorialize or comment on the virtues of annexation or county-city consolidation.

[Recchia]

It's not the statistic that gives the impression.  It's the people who read it who make that impression.

The census just reports the number of people who live inside the corporate boundaries of a given city.  If 777,704 people live inside the city limits of Jacksonville, the census reports that.  What should the census do?  Have an asterisk by the city saying that it's not really as urban as San Francisco?  That's not the census's business or concern.

The census doesn't editorialize or comment on the virtues of annexation or county-city consolidation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True. A lot of people are ignorant to this fact though, and don't realize that much of "city" growth today is due to annexation and consolidation, not densification within the original city limits.

[bobliocatt]

These annual Census estimates are pretty much worthless.  Other than keeping count of destroyed residences, the Bureau doesn't do much to actually keep an accurate, annual population count.  Minneapolis - St. Paul is proof because during the 90s, the Census estimated that both cities were losing population annually.  When the official numbers were released, it turned out that the Bureau was off by over 15,000 for each city!  Why can't they do their job?  Does it have to do with the fact that they don't count immigrants?  Does it have to do with the fact that they don't take into account all new residential units?  Whatever the case, these estimates are total b.s. so, wait for the official numbers to be released.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Census was thousands of citizens off for just about every city during the 90's, even the booming Sunbelt cities. I wouldn't get too concerned over it, as some of you all are because they're only estimates.

[jazzman]

This is fun to look at, but it can give you a wrong impression of the city. The MSAs define the size of a city much more accurately.

You see, sometimes, the city limits are very small, making the population very small, even if the city's population is huge.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Another good example of this is Las Vegas.

Las Vegas metro.... 1,783,625..... 2003 estimate

Las Vegas city............534,837 (heck, the Strip isn't even in the city, it's on unincorporated land governed by the county

Does anyone know of a list of largest metro areas? I've been looking for one (to no avail) That would be more informative. What are the MSAs

B)

[dixiecupdrinking]

It's not the statistic that gives the impression.  It's the people who read it who make that impression.

The census just reports the number of people who live inside the corporate boundaries of a given city.  If 777,704 people live inside the city limits of Jacksonville, the census reports that.  What should the census do?  Have an asterisk by the city saying that it's not really as urban as San Francisco?  That's not the census's business or concern.

The census doesn't editorialize or comment on the virtues of annexation or county-city consolidation.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, you're right, obviously. I guess what I should have said is that such a statistic is inexorably flawed as a measure of anything practically meaningful regarding the nature of a city. It would be ridiculous to hold a vendetta against a raw number.

[Pennguy09]

jazzman- I think the top 5 metro areas are in order (and I'm guestimating pop.)

New York City- 20 mill

Los Angeles - 16 mill.

Chicago - 9 million

Philadelphia - 6 million

Boston (?) - 5 and 1/2 million

[Spartan]

You guys are forgetting one of the most obvious:

42 Atlanta city: 419,122

Atlanta Metro: 4 million

City populations don't mean that much anyway. UA and MSA populations are the only statistic worth analyzing.

[pepperjack]

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/lofivers...php/t10509.html

found, oddly enough on this site</a>

RANK MSA 2004

1 New York-Newark-Edison, NY-NJ-PA 18709802

2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 12925330

3 Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI 9391515

4 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5800614

5 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5700256

6 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL 5361723

7 Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX 5180443

8 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5139549

9 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 4708297

10 Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI 4493165

11 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 4424649

12 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 4153870

13 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 3793081

14 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 3715360

15 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3166828

16 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 3116206

17 San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 2931714

18 St. Louis, MO-IL 2764054

19 Baltimore-Towson, MD 2639213

20 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 2587967

21 Pittsburgh, PA 2401575

22 Denver-Aurora, CO 2287245

23 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 2137073

24 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA 2064336

25 Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN 2058221

and:

Consolidated Rankings

RANK CMSA 2004

1 New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA 21858830

2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA 17516110

3 Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI 9608458

4 Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV 7986615

5 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA 7159693

6 Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5951797

7 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX 5899336

8 Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-NH 5809111

9 Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI 5428855

10 Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX 5280752

11 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA 5034362

12 Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia, WA 3763569

13 Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud, MN-WI 3437464

14 Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH 2942303

15 St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL 2824778

16 Denver-Aurora-Boulder, CO 2566162

17 Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA 2494949

18 Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Truckee, CA-NV 2159756

19 Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN 2100501

20 Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, NC-SC 2067810

21 Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS 1992836

22 Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN 1939349

23 Orlando-The Villages, FL 1922412

24 Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe, OH 1920601

25 Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI 1709926

[jazzman]

I found a list at nationmaster.com of metro populations.

Figures are based on rough estimates for the year 2005, and rounded to the nearest 10,000.

Of the top 100 largest metro areas in the world, 15 are in the USA:

NY.......................22,310,000

LA.......................17,540,000

Chicago.................9,420,000

Washington DC.....8,040,000 (includes Baltimore)

San Francisco........7,530,000

Philadelphia...........6,250,000

Boston..................5,910,000

Dallas...................5,900,000

Detroit..................5,890,000 (includes Windsor, Ontario)

Houston................5,190,000

Atlanta..................4,720,000

San Diego.............4,690,000

Miami................. ..4,290,000

Phoenix........... .....3,790,000

Seattle............. ....3,770,000

[jazzman]

An interesting side note:

If it Camp Pendleton didn

[RiversideGator]

Exactly, cheerio. Perhaps the classic example is

13 Jacksonville city: 777,704

I mean.. please. Any statistic that gives the impression that Jacksonville is more of a city than San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Washington, Portland, ANYPLACE is almost inexcusably flawed.

Jacksonville has a bigger CITY population than all of those. We do not have as big a METRO area population though obviously. And, we dont have as many amenities as these cities either (although Portland isnt that much bigger than Jax). As Sleepy stated, these are just city populations, not MSA populations. Relax.

[unusualfire]

An interesting side note:

If it Camp Pendleton didn

[jazzman]

Not true. Why else would Boston and Providance not be one metro area? it's because it doesn't meet the 25% commuter threshhold yet.

So in order for San Diego to be a concider a part of LA's CSA 25% of the 1,400,000 or 560,000 must travel into the LA CSA for work. And that folks is simply not happening.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm simply saying that if camp pendleton wasn't there, that area would fill in with cities and suburban areas which would connect SD with OC which is part of LA metro.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

To give reference to what is considered a "metro area", it's any contiguous area of urban development with 1,000+ residents per/sq/mi and associated suburban areas with 500+ persons per/sq/mi (which is where a rule similar to the one that unusualfire mentioned comes into play). Of course there are many definitions for metro areas, and CMA's, CMSA's etc. etc., so this is just one variation. Using the definition I just provided, one could consider the megalopolis from Virginia through Boston Metro one giant Metropolitan area with about 45 million residents. Perhaps I don't think my definition is often used, but it's what got Suffolk, VA dropped from Hampton Roads for a while so that's why I know about it

[Spartan]

Don't forget that CMA and CMSAs are not in use any more.