Population of 100 Largest U.S. Cities, 1850-2004

Source: Bureau of the Census, U.S. Dept. of Commerce; ranked by estimated 2004 population

Rank City 2004 2000 1990 1980 1970 1950 1900 1850
Rank City 2004 2000 1990 1980 1970 1950 1900 1850
1. New York, NY 8,104,079 8,008,654 7,322,564 7,071,639 7,895,563 7,891,957 3,437,202 696,115
2. Los Angeles, CA 3,845,541 3,694,742 3,485,398 2,968,528 2,811,801 1,970,358 102,479 1,610
3. Chicago, IL 2,862,244 2,896,047 2,783,726 3,005,072 3,369,357 3,620,962 1,698,575 29,963
4. Houston, TX 2,012,626 1,953,633 1,630,553 1,595,138 1,233,535 596,163 44,633 2,396
5. Philadelphia, PA 1,470,151 1,517,550 1,585,577 1,688,210 1,949,996 2,071,605 1,293,697 121,376
6. Phoenix, AZ 1,418,041 1,321,190 983,403 789,704 584,303 106,818 5,544 ...
7. San Diego, CA 1,263,756 1,223,429 1,110,549 875,538 697,471 334,387 17,700 ...
8. San Antonio, TX 1,236,249 1,151,305 935,933 785,940 654,153 408,442 53,321 3,488
9. Dallas, TX 1,210,393 1,188,589 1,006,877 904,599 844,401 434,462 42,638 ...
10. San Jose, CA 904,522 895,193 782,248 629,400 459,913 95,280 21,500 ...
11. Detroit, MI 900,198 951,270 1,027,974 1,203,368 1,514,063 1,849,568 285,704 21,019
12. Indianapolis, IN1 784,242 781,864 741,952 700,807 736,856 427,173 169,164 8,091
13. Jacksonville, FL1 777,704 735,617 635,230 540,920 504,265 204,517 28,429 1,045
14. San Francisco, CA 744,230 776,733 723,959 678,974 715,674 775,357 342,782 34,776
15. Columbus, OH 730,008 711,265 632,910 565,021 540,025 375,901 125,560 17,882
16. Austin, TX 681,804 656,562 465,622 345,890 253,539 132,459 22,258 629
17. Memphis, TN 671,929 650,100 610,337 646,174 623,988 396,000 102,320 8,841
18. Baltimore, MD 636,251 651,154 736,014 786,741 905,787 949,708 508,957 169,054
19. Fort Worth, TX 603,337 541,099 447,619 385,164 393,455 278,778 26,688 ...
20. Charlotte, NC 594,359 557,834 395,934 315,474 241,420 134,042 18,091 1,065
21. El Paso, TX 592,099 563,657 515,342 425,259 322,261 130,485 15,906 ...
22. Milwaukee, WI 583,624 596,974 628,088 636,297 717,372 637,392 285,315 20,061
23. Seattle, WA 571,480 563,376 516,259 493,846 530,831 467,591 80,671 ...
24. Boston, MA 569,165 589,141 574,283 562,994 641,071 801,444 560,892 136,881
25. Denver, CO 556,835 553,693 467,610 492,686 514,678 415,786 133,859 ...
26. Louisville, KY1 556,332 256,207 269,063 298,694 361,706 369,129 204,731 43,194
27. Washington, DC 553,523 572,059 606,900 638,432 756,668 802,178 278,718 40,001
28. Nashville, TN1 546,719 545,535 510,784 455,651 426,029 174,307 80,865 10,165
29. Las Vegas, NV 534,847 479,639 258,295 164,674 125,787 24,624 ... ...
30. Portland, OR 533,492 529,184 437,319 368,148 379,967 373,628 90,426 ...
31. Oklahoma City, OK 528,042 506,129 444,719 404,014 368,164 243,504 10,037 ...
32. Tucson, AZ 512,023 487,341 405,390 330,537 262,933 45,454 7,531 ...
33. Albuquerque, NM 484,246 448,948 384,736 332,920 244,501 96,815 6,238 ...
34. Long Beach, CA 476,564 461,522 429,433 361,498 358,879 250,767 2,252 ...
35. New Orleans, LA 462,269 484,674 496,938 557,927 593,471 570,445 287,104 116,375
36. Cleveland, OH 458,684 477,472 505,616 573,822 750,879 914,808 381,768 17,034
37. Fresno, CA 457,719 428,873 354,202 217,491 165,655 91,669 12,470 ...
38. Sacramento, CA 454,330 407,018 369,365 275,741 257,105 137,572 29,282 6,820
39. Kansas City, MO 444,387 441,545 435,146 448,028 507,330 456,622 163,752 ...
40. Virginia Beach, VA 440,098 425,257 393,069 262,199 172,106 5,390 ... ...
41. Mesa, AZ 437,454 397,776 288,091 152,404 63,049 16,790 722 ...
42. Atlanta, GA 419,122 416,441 394,017 425,022 495,039 331,314 89,872 2,572
43. Omaha, NE 409,416 391,019 335,795 313,939 346,929 251,117 102,555 ...
44. Oakland, CA 397,976 399,484 372,242 339,337 361,561 384,575 66,960 ...
45. Tulsa, OK 383,764 393,120 367,302 360,919 330,350 182,740 1,390 ...
46. Miami, FL 379,724 362,437 358,548 346,681 334,859 249,276 1,681 ...
47. Honolulu, HI2 377,260 371,657 365,272 365,048 324,871 248,034 39,306 ...
48. Minneapolis, MN 373,943 382,747 368,383 370,951 434,400 521,718 202,718 ...
49. Colorado Springs, CO 369,363 360,988 281,140 215,105 135,517 45,472 21,085 ...
50. Arlington, TX 359,467 332,969 261,721 160,113 90,229 7,692 1,079 ...
51. Wichita, KS 353,823 351,150 304,011 279,838 276,554 168,279 24,671 ...
52. St. Louis, MO 343,279 348,189 396,685 452,801 622,236 856,796 575,238 77,860
53. Santa Ana, CA 342,715 337,977 293,742 204,023 155,710 45,533 4,933 ...
54. Anaheim, CA 333,776 328,071 266,406 219,494 166,408 14,556 1,456 ...
55. Raleigh, NC 326,653 282,956 207,951 150,255 122,830 65,679 13,643 4,518
56. Pittsburgh, PA 322,450 334,563 369,879 423,959 520,089 676,806 321,616 46,601
57. Tampa, FL 321,772 303,463 280,015 271,577 277,714 124,681 15,839 ...
58. Cincinnati, OH 314,154 331,285 364,040 385,409 453,514 503,998 325,902 115,435
59. Toledo, OH 304,973 313,782 332,943 354,635 383,062 303,616 131,822 3,829
60. Aurora, CO 291,843 275,923 222,103 158,588 74,974 11,421 202 ...
61. Riverside, CA 288,384 255,175 226,505 170,591 140,089 46,764 7,973 ...
62. Bakersfield, CA 283,936 243,082 174,820 105,611 69,515 34,784 4,836 ...
63. Buffalo, NY 282,864 292,648 328,123 357,870 462,768 580,132 352,387 42,261
64. Corpus Christi, TX 281,196 277,496 257,453 232,134 204,525 108,287 4,703 ...
65. Newark, NJ 280,451 272,537 275,221 329,248 381,930 438,776 246,070 38,894
66. Stockton, CA 279,888 243,771 210,943 148,283 109,963 70,853 17,506 ...
67. St. Paul, MN 276,963 286,840 272,235 270,230 309,866 311,349 163,065 1,112
68. Anchorage, AK 272,687 260,283 226,338 174,431 48,081 11,254 ... ...
69. Lexington, KY 266,358 260,512 225,366 204,165 108,137 55,534 26,369 8,159
70. St. Petersburg, FL 249,090 248,408 238,629 238,647 216,159 96,738 1,575 ...
71. Plano, TX 245,411 222,008 128,713 72,331 17,872 2,126 1,304 ...
72. Jersey City, NJ 239,079 240,055 228,537 223,532 260,350 299,017 206,433 6,856
73. Norfolk, VA 237,835 234,403 261,229 266,979 307,951 213,513 46,624 14,326
74. Lincoln, NE 236,146 225,638 191,972 171,932 149,518 98,884 40,169 ...
75. Glendale, AZ 235,591 218,831 148,134 96,988 36,228 8,179 ... ...
76. Birmingham, AL 233,149 242,790 265,968 284,413 300,910 326,037 38,415 ...
77. Greensboro, NC 231,543 224,047 183,521 155,642 144,076 74,389 10,035 ...
78. Henderson, NV 224,829 175,406 64,942 23,376 16,400 5,717 ... ...
79. Hialeah, FL 224,522 226,419 188,004 145,254 102,452 19,676 ... ...
80. Baton Rouge, LA 224,097 228,520 219,531 220,394 165,921 125,629 11,269 3,905
81. Chandler, AZ 223,991 176,643 89,862 29,673 13,763 3,799 ... ...
82. Scottsdale, AZ 221,792 202,596 130,069 88,364 67,823 2,032 ... ...
83. Madison, WI 220,332 208,903 191,262 170,616 171,809 96,056 19,164 1,525
84. Fort Wayne, IN 219,351 220,483 173,072 172,391 178,269 133,607 45,115 4,282
85. Garland, TX 217,176 215,794 180,650 138,857 81,437 10,571 819 ...
86. Chesapeake, VA 214,725 199,184 151,976 114,486 89,580 ... ... ...
87. Rochester, NY 212,481 219,773 231,636 241,741 295,011 332,488 162,608 36,403
88. Akron, OH 212,179 217,070 223,019 237,177 275,425 274,605 42,728 3,266
89. Lubbock, TX 207,852 199,572 186,206 174,361 149,101 71,747 ... ...
90. Modesto, CA 206,769 188,864 164,730 106,963 61,712 17,389 2,0243 ...
91. Orlando, FL 205,648 190,914 164,693 128,394 99,006 52,367 2,481 ...
92. Chula Vista, CA 204,879 173,553 135,163 83,927 67,901 31,339 ... ...
93. Laredo, TX 203,212 177,322 122,899 91,449 69,024 51,910 13,429 ...
94. Fremont, CA 202,373 203,413 173,339 131,945 100,869 ... ... ...
95. Durham, NC 201,726 187,316 136,611 100,831 95,438 71,311 6,679 ...
96. Glendale, CA 201,326 194,973 180,038 139,060 133,000 96,000 ... ...
97. Montgomery, AL 200,983 201,607 187,106 177,857 133,386 106,525 30,346 8,728
98. Shreveport, LA 198,675 200,172 198,525 206,989 182,064 127,206 16,013 1,728
99. San Bernardino, CA 198,406 185,240 170,036 118,794 106,869 63,058 6,150 NA4
100. Reno, NV 197,963 180,901 134,230 100,756 72,863 32,497 4,500 --

(1) Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, FL; Louisville, KY; and Nashville, TN, are parts of consolidated city-county governments. Populations of other incorporated places in the county have been excluded from the population totals shown here. For years that predate the establishment of a consolidated city-county government, city population is shown.

(2) Locations in Hawaii are called "census designated places (CDPs)." Although these areas are not incorporated, they are recognized for census purposes as large urban places. Honolulu CDP is coextensive with Honolulu Judicial District within the city and county of Honolulu.

(3) Estimated.

(4) The earliest census figure for San Bernardino is 940, in 1860.

Of the 70 largest cities in 2004, New Orleans, LA, ranked as the place where U.S.-born residents were most likely to also be natives of their state--88% were. Of all states, Louisiana and New York had the highest percentage of U.S.-born residents still living in the state where they were born--82%. The states with the lowest percentage of U.S-born residents who were also state natives were Arizona and Nevada, each with only 28%.