Ten U.S. Cities Now Have 1 Million or More Residents

Ten cities have passed the million population mark according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 municipal population estimates. With San Jose entering these ranks, California now has three cities with a million or more residents (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose), tying Texas (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas).

Among the ten largest cities, population growth trends vary widely. Chicago gained a mere 82 new residents between 2013 and 2014 according to the estimates, while New York gained 52,700, the largest growth among the cities. Between 2013 and 2014, New York City’s population growth was more than the total population growth for the state of New York, meaning that there were net losses in other regions of the state. Only 10 states had larger population increases between 2013 and 2014 than New York City.

Although Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest municipality, is growing rapidly, it is unlikely to pass the million milestone soon. Its population sat at just under 810,000 in 2014. Charlotte was the 17^th largest municipality in the United States in 2014.

Quick Highlights from North Carolina

North Carolina had 553 municipalities in 2014. Like the nation, most municipalities in North Carolina are small: 40% have fewer than 1,000 residents; only 1.6% of the state’s municipalities have 100,000 or more residents.

• The smallest municipality, Fontana Dam Town in Graham County, has only 7 people. It is one of 34 municipalities nationwide with fewer than 10 residents.

• Rocky Mount City lost an estimated 377 residents between 2013 and 2014, the largest loss among the state’s municipalities. Since 2010, Rocky Mount has lost nearly 1,400 residents, 2.4% of its overall population.

• 35% of the state’s municipalities lost population between 2013 and 2014. In total, 40% have lost population since the 2010 Census.

• Four municipalities—Holly Ridge Town (Onslow), Rolesville Town (Wake), St. James Town (Brunswick), and Waxhaw Town (Union) – grew by more than 10% between 2013 and 2014. Rolesville was the fastest growing municipality in the state, gaining an estimated 1,122 new residents between 2013 and 2014, an increase of 24% over the year.

• Among the state’s nine municipalities with 100,000 or more residents, Cary had the fastest growth rate between 2013 and 2014 (2.7%) followed by Durham (2.6%), Charlotte (2%), and Raleigh (1.9%). Compared to cities with 100,000 or more residents nationwide, Cary had the 14^th fastest growth rate.

Read more:

• Incorporated Municipalities: 5 Demographic Takeaways (note: this uses OSBM population estimates, not Census Bureau estimates, so numbers will differ)
• What you need to know about the 2014 population estimates (county data)