Urban Population and Web Sites
All population figures are for the area within the city limits only.
Links to web sites on the city's history

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Table 1: Twenty-Five Largest American Urban Places of 2000
Population in Thousands (rounded to nearest thousand)
Peak Population Marked in Red

Rank	City	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000
1	New York	3437	4767	5620	6930	7455	7892	7782	7895	7072	7323	8008
2	Los Angeles	102	319	577	1238	1504	1970	2479	2816	2967	3485	3695
3	Chicago	1699	2185	2702	3376	3397	3621	3550	3367	3005	2784	2896
4	Houston	45	79	138	292	385	596	938	1233	1595	1631	1954
5	Philadelphia	1294	1549	1824	1951	1931	2072	2003	1949	1688	1586	1516
6	Phoenix	6	11	29	48	65	107	439	582	790	983	1321
7	San Diego	18	40	74	148	203	334	573	697	876	1111	1223
8	Dallas	43	92	159	260	295	434	680	844	904	1007	1189
9	San Antonio	53	97	161	232	254	408	588	654	786	936	1145
10	Detroit	286	466	994	1567	1623	1850	1670	1511	1203	1028	951
11	San Jose	22	29	40	58	68	95	204	446	629	782	895
12	Indianapolis	169	234	314	364	387	427	476	745	701	731	782
13	San Francisco	343	417	507	634	635	775	740	716	679	724	777
14	Jacksonville	28	58	92	130	173	205	201	529	541	635	736
15	Columbus	126	182	237	291	306	376	471	540	565	633	711
16	Austin	22	30	35	53	88	132	187	252	345	466	657
17	Baltimore	509	558	734	805	859	950	939	906	787	736	651
18	Memphis	102	131	162	253	293	396	498	624	646	610	650
19	Milwaukee	285	374	457	578	587	637	741	717	636	628	597
20	Boston	561	671	748	781	771	801	697	641	563	574	589
21	Washington	279	331	438	487	663	802	764	757	638	607	572
22	El Paso	16	39	78	102	97	130	277	322	425	515	564
23	Seattle	81	237	315	366	368	468	557	531	494	516	563
24	Nashville	81	110	118	154	167	174	171	448	456	488	546
25	Charlotte	18	34	46	83	101	134	202	241	314	396	541
.	.	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000

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Table 2: Twenty-Five Largest American Urban Places of 1950
Population in Thousands (rounded to nearest thousand)
Peak Population Marked in Red

Rank	City	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000
1	New York	3437	4767	5620	6930	7455	7892	7782	7895	7072	7323	8008
2	Chicago	1699	2185	2702	3376	3397	3621	3550	3367	3005	2784	2896
3	Philadelphia	1294	1549	1824	1951	1931	2072	2003	1949	1688	1586	1518
4	Los Angeles	102	319	577	1238	1504	1970	2479	2816	2967	3485	3695
5	Detroit	286	466	994	1567	1623	1850	1670	1511	1203	1028	951
6	Baltimore	509	558	734	805	859	950	939	906	787	736	651
7	Cleveland	382	561	797	900	878	915	876	751	574	506	478
8	St. Louis	575	687	773	822	816	857	750	622	453	397	348
9	Washington	279	331	438	487	663	802	764	757	638	607	572
10	Boston	561	671	748	781	771	801	697	641	563	574	589
11	San Francisco	343	417	507	634	635	775	740	716	679	724	777
12	Pittsburgh	452	534	558	670	672	677	604	520	424	370	335
13	Milwaukee	285	374	457	578	587	637	741	717	636	628	597
14	Houston	45	79	138	292	385	596	938	1233	1595	1631	1954
15	Buffalo	352	424	507	573	576	580	533	463	358	328	293
16	New Orleans	287	339	387	459	495	570	628	593	558	497	485
17	Minneapolis	203	301	381	464	492	522	483	434	371	368	383
18	Cincinnati	326	364	401	451	456	504	503	454	385	364	331
19	Seattle	81	237	325	366	368	468	557	531	494	516	563
20	Kansas City	164	248	324	400	399	457	476	507	448	435	442
21	Newark	246	347	415	442	430	439	405	382	329	275	274
22	Dallas	43	92	159	260	295	434	680	844	904	1007	1189
23	Indianapolis	169	234	314	364	387	427	476	745	701	731	782
24	Denver	134	213	256	288	322	416	494	515	492	468	555
25	San Antonio	53	97	161	232	254	408	588	654	786	936	1145
.	.	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000

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Table 3: Twenty-Five Largest American Urban Places of 1900
Population in Thousands (rounded to nearest thousand)
Peak Population Marked in Red

Rank	City	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950
1	New York	516	805	942	1165	1411	3437	4767	5620	6930	7455	7892
2	Chicago	30	109	299	503	1100	1699	2185	2702	3376	3397	3621
3	Philadelphia	121	566	674	847	1047	1294	1549	1824	1951	1931	2072
4	St. Louis	78	161	311	351	452	575	687	773	822	816	857
5	Boston	137	178	251	363	448	561	671	748	781	771	801
6	Baltimore	169	212	267	332	434	509	558	734	805	859	950
7	Cleveland	17	43	93	160	261	382	561	797	900	878	915
8	Buffalo	42	81	118	155	256	352	424	507	573	576	580
9	San Francisco	35	57	149	234	299	343	417	507	634	635	775
10	Cincinnati	115	161	216	255	297	326	364	401	451	456	504
11	Pittsburgh	47	78	139	235	344	452	534	558	670	672	677
12	New Orleans	116	169	191	216	242	287	339	387	459	495	570
13	Detroit	21	46	80	116	206	286	466	994	1567	1623	1850
14	Milwaukee	20	45	71	116	204	285	374	457	578	587	637
15	Washington	40	61	109	178	230	279	331	438	487	663	802
16	Newark	39	72	105	137	182	246	347	415	442	430	439
17	Jersey City	7	29	83	121	163	206	268	298	317	301	299
18	Louisville	43	68	101	124	161	205	224	235	308	319	369
19	Minneapolis	*	3	13	47	165	203	301	381	464	492	522
20	Providence	42	51	69	105	132	176	224	238	253	253	249
21	Indianapolis	8	19	48	75	105	169	234	314	364	387	427
22	Kansas City	*	4	32	56	133	164	248	324	400	399	457
23	St. Paul	1	10	20	41	133	163	215	235	272	288	311
24	Rochester	36	48	62	89	134	163	218	296	328	325	332
25	Denver	*	*	5	36	107	134	213	256	288	322	416
.	.	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950

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Table 4:  Ten Largest American Urban Centers of 1850
Populations in thousands

Rank	City	1800	1810	1820	1830	1840	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900
1	New York	61	96	124	203	313	516	805	942	1165	1411	3437
2	Baltimore	27	47	63	81	102	169	212	267	332	434	509
3	Boston	25	34	43	61	93	137	178	251	363	448	561
4	Philadelphia	41	54	64	80	94	121	566	674	847	1047	1294
5	New Orleans	*	17	27	46	102	116	169	191	216	242	287
6	Cincinnati	1	3	10	25	46	115	161	216	255	297	326
7	Brooklyn	2	4	7	15	36	97	267	420	599	839	NYC
8	St. Louis	1	1	5	6	14	78	161	311	351	452	575
9	Albany	5	11	13	24	34	51	62	69	91	95	94
10	Pittsburgh	2	5	7	13	21	47	78	139	235	344	452

Note: This chart does not include Spring Garden, Pennsylvania, which was the ninth largest American city in 1850 but was annexed by Philadelphia in 1854.

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Table 5:  Five Largest American Urban Centers of 1800
Populations in thousands

Rank	City	1790	1800	1810	1820	1830	1840	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890
1	New York	33	61	96	124	203	313	516	814	942	1165	1411
2	Philadelphia	29	41	54	64	80	94	121	566	674	847	1047
3	Baltimore	14	27	47	63	81	102	169	212	267	332	434
4	Boston	18	25	34	43	61	93	137	178	251	363	448
5	Charleston	16	19	25	27	30	29	43	41	49	50	55

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Table 6: African-Americans as a Percent of City Population
Cities Ranked by Size of Black Population in 1990

City	1910	1920	1930	1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990
New York	1.9	2.9	3.5	3.8	9.8	14.7	21.2	25.2	28.7
Chicago	2	4.2	7	8.3	14.1	23.6	32.7	39.8	39.1
Detroit	1.2	4.2	7.8	9.3	16.4	29.2	43.7	63.1	75.7
Philadelphia	5.5	7.4	11.4	13.1	18.3	26.7	33.6	37.8	39.9

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More Urban Population Statistics