Cities in the United States
The U.S. has roughly 19,500 incorporated places, ranging from New York City's 8.8 million residents to villages with fewer than a hundred. Below: how cities are classified and a look at the largest ones.
Incorporated Places vs. Census-Designated Places
An incorporated place — a city, town, village, or borough — has its own local government with taxing and zoning authority. A census-designated place (CDP) is an unincorporated community the Census Bureau tracks for statistical purposes but which has no city government of its own.
City naming conventions vary by region: "town" and "city" carry legal distinctions in New England that don't exist in most of the West, where a settlement is usually just incorporated as a "city" regardless of size.
The Five Largest US Cities
New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix are the five most populous US cities as of the 2020 Census — together home to more than 20 million people, roughly 6% of the entire US population.
Cities in the United States — Quick Facts
- Most Populous City
- New York City (8,804,190)
- Largest City by Area
- Sitka, AK (2,870 sq mi)
- Total Incorporated Places
- ~19,500
- Most Populous State Capital
- Phoenix, AZ
- Least Populous State Capital
- Montpelier, VT
- Newest Major City (2020 Census)
- San Jose overtakes Detroit-era ranks (population shifts)