50 largest cities in the United States by population 2022
A long two years...
(USA TODAY Network)
One of the more interesting data points this year is the United States’ population breakdown by city. The last census came in 2020, which is now better known as the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic Era, one that placed a herculean squeeze on the entire population.
The hardships and aftermath—unemployment followed by inflation, the overall cost of living, and political turmoil—had many heading out of America’s cities in search of more affordable options that offered a perceived better quality of life.
Or, so some seem to have thought.
The 2022 numbers tell a different tale. Only four cities in the top 50 most-populated experienced a decrease in the past two years. And while some of the increases of the other 46 weren’t massive spikes, it still shows where most Americans are calling home these days.
Take a look…
50. Arlington, Texas
(Photo by Darren Carroll/Getty Images)
2022 population: 400,032 (.73% increase)
49. Wichita, Kansas
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 400,564 (.38% increase)
48. Bakersfield, California
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
2022 population: 414,649 (1.37% increase)
47. Tulsa, Oklahoma
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 417,298 (.51% increase)
46. Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 439,430 (1.09% increase)
45. Oakland, Californiia
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 450,630 (1.12% increase)
44. Miami, Florida
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 450,797 (.96% increase)
43. Virginia Beach, Virginia
(Andy Lyons /Allsport)
2022 population: 463,766 (.46% increase)
42. Long Beach, California
(PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
2022 population: 467,638 (.10% increase)
41. Raleigh, North Carolina
(James Guillory-USPRESSWIRE)
2022 population: 480,419 (1.34% increase)
40. Colorado Springs, Colorado
(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
2022 population: 491,467 (1.29% increase)
39. Omaha, Nebraska
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 501,469 (1.56% increase)
38. Atlanta, Georgia
(Photo by Davis Turner/Getty Images)
2022 population: 514,457 (1.55% increase)
37. Mesa, Arizona
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 517,302 (1.28% increase)
36. Kansas City, Missouri
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
2022 population: 517,750 (.94% increase)
35. Sacramento, California
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images for IRONMAN)
2022 population: 536,635 (1.10% increase)
34. Tucson, Arizona
(Brian Bahr /Allsport)
2022 population: 547,131 (.41% increase)
33. Fresno, California
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 551,595 (.87% increase)
32. Albuquerque, New Mexico
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 568,301 (.33% increase)
31. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(Photo by Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
2022 population: 573,700 (.31% decrease)
30. Baltimore, Maryland
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
2022 population: 578,658 (.60% decrease)
29. Detroit, Michigan
(USA TOADY Network)
2022 population: 624,177 (1.18% decrease)
28. Memphis, Tennessee
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 630,348 (.22% decrease)
27. Louisville, Kentucky
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 630,782 (.35% increase)
26. Las Vegas, Nevada
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 653,533 (.90% increase)
25. Portland, Oregon
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 666,249 (1.04% increase)
24. El Paso, Texas
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 684,753 (.43% increase)
23. Boston, Massachusetts
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 687,257 (.85% increase)
22. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 701,266 (1.46% increase)
21. Nashville, Tennessee
(Alan Poizner-The Tennessean)
2022 population: 707,091 (1.26% increase)
20. Washington, D.C.
(Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)
2022 population: 707,109 (1.26% increase)
19. Denver, Colorado
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
2022 population: 738,594 (1.59% increase)
18. Seattle, Washington
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 762,687 (1.71% increase)
17. San Francisco, California
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 887,711 (.78% increase)
16. Indianapolis, Indiana
(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 901,082 (.75% increase)
15. Charlotte, North Carolina
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 903,211 (1.61% increase)
14. Columbus, Ohio
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 929,492 (1.29% increase)
13. Fort Worth, Texas
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 954,457 (1.90% increase)
12. Jacksonville, Florida
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 975,177 (1.33% increase)
11. Austin, Texas
(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 996,147 (1.75% increase)
10. San Jose, California
(John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 1,026,700 (.66% increase)
9. Dallas, Texas
(Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 1,325,691 (.81% increase)
8. San Diego, California
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 1,402,838 (.57% increase)
7. San Antonio, Texas
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 1,456,069 (.74% increase)
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 1,619,355 (.48% increase)
5. Phoenix, Arizona
(USA TODAY Network)
2022 population: 1,640,641 (1.00% increase)
4. Houston, Texas
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 2,345,606 (.88% increase)
3. Chicago, Illinois
(Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 2,756,546 (.18% iincrease)
2. Los Angeles, California
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 3,919,973 (.27% increase)
1. New York City, New York
(Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports)
2022 population: 8,930,002 (.71% increase)
