Census: The 10 most populous US cities are led by NYC, Los Angeles, and Chicago; Phoenix leapfrogs Philadelphia to claim the No. 5 spot

brooklyn — A row of brownstones in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Busà Photography/Getty Images

New York remained the most populous city in the United States with 8.8 million residents, according to newly-released Census figures.
Phoenix, located in the fast-growing Sun Belt, is now the fifth largest city in the country.
The top 10 cities all experienced population growth over the past decade.
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1. New York

The skyline of Lower Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.
Tita

New York City is by far the most populous city in the United States, with more than 8.8 million residents across the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

Its population increased by 7.7 percent from 2010, when the census recorded a population of roughly 8.2 million residents.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, many residents left New York for locales with less density and more affordable housing, but the out migration wasn't enough to dent the city's strong growth over the past decade.

2. Los Angeles

The downtown Los Angeles skyline.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Los Angeles remained the second most populous city in the United States, with nearly 3.9 million residents, up from 3.79 million residents in 2000.

The city's population grew by 2.8 percent between 2010 and 2020.

With over 10 million residents, Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles and municipalities such as Santa Monica, Burbank, and Long Beach, is the most populous county in the country.

3. Chicago

A view of the Chicago skyline.
Shutterstock

Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States and the economic engine of the Midwest, now boasts a population of nearly 2.75 million residents, up from the roughly 2.7 million recorded in the 2010 Census.

Between 2010 and 2020, the city grew by 1.9 percent, reversing a 6.9 percent population decline from 2000 to 2010.

4. Houston

Houston is the largest city in Texas, with more than 2.3 million residents, according to the 2020 Census, adding a little over 200,000 residents from the last census count.

In 2010, there were nearly 2.1 million residents recorded living in this dynamic Sun Belt city.

5. Phoenix

phoenix arizona quarantine air pollution — Downtown Phoenix.
Ross D. Franklin/AP

Arizona has emerged as one of the most politically-competitive states in the county, and much of the reason has to do with the explosive growth in Phoenix and its anchor, Maricopa County.

Phoenix serves as both the state capital and the seat of Maricopa, which contains roughly 61 percent of the state's population.

During the last decade, Phoenix moved past Philadelphia to become the fifth-most populous city in the United States, with over 1.6 million residents, according to Census figures.

6. Philadelphia

liberty bell — The Liberty Bell is an enduring symbol of American independence.
Matt Rourke/AP

Philadelphia is one of the most historic cities in the United States, with a key geographic location between Boston and Washington, DC.

The City of Brotherly Love may have lost its No. 5 spot to Phoenix, but it was no slouch in the growth department, boasting a population slightly above 1.6 million and a growth rate of 5.1 percent between 2010 and 2020.

7. San Antonio

San Antonio experienced robust growth in the past decade, growing from 1.32 million residents in 2010 to 1.43 million by the end of the decade, an 8.1 percent increase.

8. San Diego

San Diego boasts some of the most beautiful weather in the entire country, and in the last decade, the coastal city continued to grow — from 1.3 million in 2010 to nearly 1.4 million in 2020.

9. Dallas