Curious to know which cities in the United States have the most people? There are certainly a great number of places teeming with people, but the top five have reached that point for a reason. Though the cities that appear may not come as a surprise, the sheer volume of people living there just might. Here are the five biggest cities in the US as of 2017.
1. New York City, NY
Population: Around 8,550,450 people (in 2016 it was only 8,174,959 people). It is believed NYC will reach a population of over 9 million by the year 2040. An eye-popping 20.2 million people live in the NY-NJ-PA metropolitan area.
Nicknames: The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, The Capital of the World, The Empire City.
The fact that NYC is number 1 is no surprise, right? New York City is actually so large in size that it is twice as large as Los Angeles, CA (and LA, as you will soon see, is ginormous). Millions, if not billions, of people live, work, and travel to NYC and its various boroughs throughout the year.
Not only is the city a global power in its own right, it holds several components of international historical benefit, finances, as well as educational fronts in media, fashion, and technology. Now, for the shocker. The median listing price for a home in NYC is US$849.000.
More: 8 Facts about Times Square That Will Blow Your Mind
2. Los Angeles, CA
Population: Around 3,971,883. What interesting is that the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area has an actual population of 12.8 million, which, again, puts it right behind New York City as the second largest metropolitan area in the country.
Nicknames: City of Angels, La La Land, Tinseltown, The Creative Capital of the World, and The Big Orange.
Though LA is often compared to NYC, the two are quite different in a number of ways. I mean, NYC is not home to Hollywood, after all. First, Los Angeles has much better weather than the entire state of New York.
Plus, you will find a number of celebrities, artists, and generally liberal, free-spirits who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Los Angeles is an international hub that attracts people from all over the world to cooperate in creative pursuits. Since the city is a sprawl, you can expect to find districts with unique characteristics.
3. Chicago, IL
Population: Around 2,720,546
Nickname: The Windy City
What makes Chicago a cool place to live is not solely based on the wind. You have the beautiful Great Lakes nearby, one of the busiest airports in the entire world reachable by train, and an expansive, multi-faceted company of people brought together from all over the world.
In fact, the Windy City’s downtown area is one of the fastest growing in the nation, having grown from 2000 to 2010 by 48,000 people. Of course, that is certainly go up by now. Also, for jazz and comedy lovers, Chicago’s theater district is where you can find some of the best performances and stand-ups.
More: My Chicago Experience: Where to Go and What to Explore
4. Houston, TX
Population: 2,296,224. The populations is rapidly gaining on Chicago, actually, and may even surpass it in the next few years.
Nicknames: The Big Heart, H Town, Bayou City, and Space City.
Houston is a great place if you like heat, cowboy boots, and crazy Texans. Just kidding. The city is actually brimming with possibilities and has witness stable economic growth since 2008. The economy is diverse, and owning a home is not out of the question for middle-class families (unlike NYC or LA).
If you want an international experience, Houston is probably one of the best places for it, because there are over 90 languages spoken among the nearly 2.3 million residents. Yeehaw.
5. Philadelphia, PA
Population: 1,567,442
Nickname: The City of Brotherly Love
Brimming with historical landmarks and a culture all of its own, Philadelphia is a name that everyone around the world knows to some extent. Whatever your impression of it may be, Philadelphia has a vast collection of trendy restaurants, art galleries, top notch medical facilities, excellent higher-level education institutions, and an international population that has influenced the city’s growth.
Several large companies that are available all throughout America also call Philadelphia their main headquarters, like CIGNA, Comcast, and more.
Each of these five cities have a large amount of people living in close quarters, but there is also the large suburban sprawl branching away from modern urban regions of skyscrapers and metro train stations. Whether you live in one of these cities or someday hope to visit, be ready from an incredible spread of buildings, people, and opportunities.
