10 Largest US Cities by Decade

1950

1. New York (NY) – population: 7,891,957
2. Chicago (IL) – population: 3,620,962
3. Philadelphia (PA) – population: 2,071,605
4. Los Angeles (CA) – population: 1,970,358
5. Detroit (MI) – population: 1,849,568
6. Baltimore (MD) – population: 949,708
7. Cleveland (OH) – population: 914,808
8. St. Louis (MO) – population: 856,796
9. Washington (DC) – population: 802,178
10. Boston (MA) – population: 801,444

Excluding New York and Los Angeles, the population has pretty much peaked in every single city on the list, this census. From 1950, onward, people have started moving to the suburbs which has clearly impacted most cities’ population. However, metropolitan city areas have continued to grow or decline altogether.

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