America’s population has more than doubled since 1950, when about 151.3 million people inhabited the U.S. As of August 2021, the resident population of the 50 states and the District of Columbia was just over 332.6 million, making America the third-most populous nation on Earth after China and India.
Americans have always relocated between cities, but the pace of relocation has slowed. In 2018 and 2019, just 9.8% of residents changed residence, an all-time low. Still, many cities in all parts of the country have grown since 2010, and cities in the South have grown the fastest.
The largest city in North Carolina is Charlotte. The city was home to 857,425 residents in 2019, or 8.35% of the state’s population of 10.3 million people.
Compared to 2015, Charlotte’s population has grown by 8.24%. Back then, 792,137 called the city home. Compared to a decade ago, Charlotte’s population has also grown. In 2010, the city’s residents numbered 705,896, 21.5% less than in 2019.
Charlotte measures about 300 square miles and has a population density of 2,457 residents per square mile.
The second most populous city in North Carolina is Raleigh with a population of 464,485, or 4.52% of all state residents.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still unclear, though there is some evidence suggesting the move away from cities was not as significant as previously thought.
24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the largest city in every state, using figures obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. In all but 11 states, the largest city gained population since 2015. Population changes between 2015 and 2020 vary from a decrease of more than 5% to an increase of over 10%. This is the largest city in every state.
| State | Largest city | 2019 population | Pct. of state pop. living in largest city | 2015-2019 pop. change | 2010-2019 pop. change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Birmingham | 212,297 | 4.4% | 0.04% | -1.89% |
| Alaska | Anchorage | 293,531 | 39.8% | -1.86% | 3.26% |
| Arizona | Phoenix | 1,633,017 | 23.2% | 7.85% | 12.61% |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | 197,958 | 6.6% | 0.52% | 3.80% |
| California | Los Angeles | 3,966,936 | 10.1% | 1.70% | 5.15% |
| Colorado | Denver | 705,576 | 12.6% | 8.61% | 22.05% |
| Connecticut | Bridgeport | 145,639 | 4.1% | -1.15% | 2.15% |
| Delaware | Wilmington | 70,644 | 7.4% | -1.26% | -1.11% |
| Florida | Jacksonville | 890,467 | 4.3% | 5.14% | 9.69% |
| Georgia | Atlanta | 488,800 | 4.7% | 8.89% | 18.22% |
| Hawaii | Urban Honolulu | 348,985 | 24.5% | 0.29% | 5.51% |
| Idaho | Boise City | 226,115 | 13.2% | 5.56% | 9.51% |
| Illinois | Chicago | 2,709,534 | 21.2% | -0.29% | 0.22% |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | 864,447 | 13.0% | 2.73% | 6.75% |
| Iowa | Des Moines | 215,636 | 6.9% | 3.66% | 6.70% |
| Kansas | Wichita | 389,877 | 13.4% | 0.71% | 4.32% |
| Kentucky | Louisville/Jefferson County | 617,790 | 13.9% | 1.49% | 5.25% |
| Louisiana | New Orleans | 390,845 | 8.4% | 3.74% | 32.36% |
| Maine | Portland | 66,595 | 5.0% | 0.16% | 0.69% |
| Maryland | Baltimore | 609,032 | 10.1% | -2.16% | -1.85% |
| Massachusetts | Boston | 684,379 | 10.0% | 5.24% | 13.57% |
| Michigan | Detroit | 674,841 | 6.8% | -2.21% | -11.13% |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis | 420,324 | 7.6% | 5.09% | 10.72% |
| Mississippi | Jackson | 166,383 | 5.6% | -3.94% | -5.19% |
| Missouri | Kansas City | 486,404 | 8.0% | 3.93% | 6.93% |
| Montana | Billings | 109,595 | 10.4% | 1.35% | 7.92% |
| Nebraska | Omaha | 475,862 | 24.9% | 8.14% | 16.82% |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | 634,773 | 21.4% | 4.90% | 9.48% |
| New Hampshire | Manchester | 112,109 | 8.3% | 1.79% | 2.11% |
| New Jersey | Newark | 281,054 | 3.2% | 0.45% | 2.32% |
| New Mexico | Albuquerque | 559,374 | 26.7% | 0.59% | 5.26% |
| New York | New York | 8,419,316 | 43.0% | -0.09% | 4.22% |
| North Carolina | Charlotte | 857,425 | 8.4% | 8.24% | 21.47% |
| North Dakota | Fargo | 121,889 | 16.1% | 7.43% | 18.88% |
| Ohio | Columbus | 878,553 | 7.5% | 6.53% | 14.04% |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | 643,692 | 16.4% | 5.41% | 14.22% |
| Oregon | Portland | 645,291 | 15.6% | 5.40% | 13.87% |
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 1,579,075 | 12.3% | 1.54% | 4.93% |
| Rhode Island | Providence | 179,494 | 17.0% | 0.46% | 0.68% |
| South Carolina | Charleston | 135,257 | 2.7% | 5.92% | 16.25% |
| South Dakota | Sioux Falls | 177,117 | 20.3% | 7.77% | 18.99% |
| Tennessee | Nashville-Davidson | 663,750 | 9.9% | 4.61% | 12.92% |
| Texas | Houston | 2,310,432 | 8.2% | 4.18% | 11.72% |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | 197,756 | 6.4% | 3.71% | 7.19% |
| Vermont | Burlington | 42,545 | 6.8% | -0.06% | 1.45% |
| Virginia | Virginia Beach | 450,201 | 5.3% | 0.43% | 3.26% |
| Washington | Seattle | 724,305 | 9.8% | 10.92% | 21.68% |
| West Virginia | Charleston | 48,006 | 2.6% | -5.06% | -6.66% |
| Wisconsin | Milwaukee | 594,548 | 10.3% | -0.83% | 0.82% |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | 63,607 | 10.9% | 2.27% | 9.79% |
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