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U.S. population rankings

Fifteen separate, source-backed rankings compare states, counties and incorporated places. Select the question you want to answer; each ranking has exact dates, its own findings, a top-place chart and a downloadable filtered table.

Largest populations

Which states, counties and cities have the most residents? These pages rank July 1, 2025 resident totals, explain national shares and distinguish population size from growth.

Most residents added

Where did the greatest numeric increases occur? Compare the number of residents added from July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025. Positive changes enter these rankings; the adjacent percentage shows the scale relative to the starting population.

Fastest percentage population growth

Which places grew fastest relative to their starting size? Compare the same one-year interval with a positive denominator. Default filters require 5,000 starting residents for counties and 10,000 for cities; every page explains how to change the threshold.

Largest numeric population declines

Which places lost the most residents? Rank negative one-year changes by residents lost, then compare their percentage declines and five-year history. A recent loss does not by itself identify migration causes or a long-term trajectory.

Highest population density

Where are the most residents per square mile of land? Density combines July 2025 population and matching 2025 Gazetteer land area. The analyses explain compact municipal boundaries, county equivalents and correct aggregation.

Ranking dates, units and source releases

Population and density use July 1, 2025 observations. Growth and decline compare July 1, 2024 with July 1, 2025 from the same Census PEP Vintage 2025 series. A source publication during 2026 does not turn these into 2026 population observations. The frozen research snapshot is pep-2025-r1.

State rankings contain the 50 states; DC remains a labeled federal district in the geographic directory. Counties include county equivalents. Ordinary city rankings use 19,471 active whole incorporated-place records and exclude eight balance profiles, place parts and consolidated-city aggregates. Each page states the eligible universe and any additional threshold.

Competition ranks use exact unrounded values: ties share a position, and subsequent positions skip the tied ranks. Displayed percentages and densities are rounded only after calculation. A missing or zero denominator is treated according to the metric rules, not silently converted into a valid rate.

From a ranking to reproducible research

Follow a place link for its annual series, source variable, geographic relationships and citation. Export visible rows to preserve your filtered selection, or download the complete level from population datasets. Use research tools to compare a compatible longer interval. The population blog demonstrates why a percentage-growth leader can differ from a numeric-growth leader and why density depends on the boundary.