Spinning off this idea from the other town/city population thread.
It'd be fun to list out various markers in your state, metro area, or county to see relative scale, like so:
Washington (using 2019 Census estimates)
Largest city: Seattle (753,675)
Second largest city: Spokane (222,081)
Fifth largest city: Bellevue (148,164)
Tenth largest city: Federal Way (96,289)
Smallest city: Kahlotus (193)
Median city population: 7,331 (out of 213 cities)
Average city population: 23,231 (out of 213 cities)
Seattle metro area (2019)
Largest city: Seattle (753,675)
Second largest city: Bellevue (148,164)
Fifth largest city: Everett (111,475)
Tenth largest city: Redmond (71,929)
Smallest city: Roy (822)
Snohomish County, WA (2019)
Largest city: Everett (111,475)
Second largest city: Marysville (70,298)
Fifth largest city: Lake Stevens (33,911)
Tenth largest city: Monroe (19,776)
Smallest city: Woodway (1,391)
Colorado (using 2014 Census estimates because that's what was on Wikipedia and I'm lazy)
Largest city: Denver (663,862)
Second largest city: Colorado Springs (445,830)
Fifth largest city: Lakewood (149,643)
Tenth largest city: Centennial (107,201)
Smallest city: Lakeside (8)
Median city population: 1,172 (out of 271 cities)
Average city population: 14,600 (out of 271 cities)
Denver metro area (2014)
Largest city: Denver (663,862)
Second largest city: Aurora (353,108)
Fifth largest city: Arvada (113,574)
Tenth largest city: Commerce City (51,762)
Smallest city: Lakeside (8)
Arapahoe County, CO (2014)
Largest city: Aurora (353,108)
Second largest city: Centennial (107,201)
Fifth largest city: Greenwood Village (15,385)
Tenth largest city: Foxfield (792)
Smallest city: Bennett (399)
Chris
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Massachusetts:
Largest city: Boston (617,660)
Second largest city: Worcester (181,045)
Fifth largest city: Cambridge (105,162)
Tenth largest city: Fall River (88,857)
Smallest city: Palmer (12,140)
Smallest municipality: Gosnold (75)
Texas: (2019 estimates)
Largest city: Houston (2,320,268)
2nd largest city: San Antonio (1,532,233)
5th largest city: Fort Worth (895,008)
10th largest city: Laredo (261,639)
20th largest city: Killeen (149,103)
50th largest city: Baytown (77,024)
100th largest city: Fort Hood (29,589)
Smallest CDP: Guerra (6)
Houston Metro Area:
Largest city: Houston (2,320,268)
2nd largest city: Pasadena (154,193)
5th largest city (CDP in this case): The Woodlands (116,278)
10th largest city: Missouri City (75,457)
20th largest city: Lake Jackson (27,220)
Smallest city: Quintana (56)
Ohio (2019 figures (https://www.ohio-demographics.com/cities_by_population)):
Largest city: Columbus (878k)
2nd largest city: Cleveland (385k)
5th largest city: Akron (198k)
10th largest city: Lorain (63k)
Smallest city: Rendville (10)
Median city population: too lazy to find
Mean city population: too lazy to find
Cincinnati Metro Area:
Largest city: Cincinnati (301k)
2nd largest city: Hamilton (62k)
5th largest city: Covington (40k)
10th largest city: Lebanon (20k)
Indiana:
Largest City: Indianapolis (874k)
2nd Largest: Fort Wayne (265k)
5th Largest: Carmel (97.4k)
10th Largest: Lafayette (72.5k)
20th Largest: West Lafayette (48.5k)
Smallest (619th): Mount Carmel (10)
Indianapolis Metro:
1: Indianapolis (874k)
2: Carmel (97.4k)
3: Fishers (90.3k)
4: Noblesville (63.0k)
5: Greenwood (57.7k)
6: Lawrence (48.7k)
7: Westfield (39.6k)
8: Zionsville (27.4k)
Virginia:
1.Virginia Beach
2.Norfolk
3.Chesapeake
4.Arlington
5.Richmond
6.Newport News
7.Alexandria
8.Hampton
9.Roanoke
10.Portsmouth
Smallest city: Norton
Frederick County Virginia
1. Winchester (Even though it is an independent city)
2. Stephen's City
3. Shawnee Land
4. Middletown
New York (statewide, 2019 estimates)
Largest City: New York (8,336,817)
2nd Largest City: Buffalo (256,480)
5th Largest City: Syracuse (142,874)
10th Largest City: Utica (60,320)
20th Largest City: Jamestown (29,504)
50th Largest City: Ogdensburg (10,635)
Smallest City: Sherrill (3,000)
Smallest Town: Red House (35)
This second part works a little differently in New York (and elsewhere in the Northeast) because most of our suburbs aren't cities. Case in point, Rochester is the only "city" in its metro area with over 20,000 residents. So I'm defaulting to towns instead of cities. I'm also not listing out the metro and county separately, since almost all of Rochester's urbanized area lies within Monroe County (northwestern Ontario County being the notable exception).
Monroe County, NY (2019 estimates)
Largest City: Rochester (206,848)
Largest Town: Greece (95,499)
2nd Largest Town: Irondequoit (50,055)
5th Largest Town: Henrietta (43,426)
10th Largest Town: Gates (28,251)
Smallest Town: Rush (3,478)
It should be noted that the 2020 census results in New York differed from expectations, showing more growth than expected, so take all these estimates, many of which show declines from 2010, with at least a few grains of salt.
Utah, using 2017 numbers because that's what Wikipedia has in the easy table:
Largest city: Salt Lake City (194,188 - this is now finally over 200k in more recent estimates)
2nd largest city: West Valley City (135,546)
5th largest city: Orem (97,839)
10th largest city: South Jordan (65,523)
20th largest city: Roy (38,013)
50th largest city: West Haven (12,109)
Smallest city: Eureka (471)
Smallest municipality of any kind: Scofield (15)
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 04, 2021, 06:51:59 PM
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Care to fill in the blanks?
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 04, 2021, 09:48:13 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 04, 2021, 06:51:59 PM
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Care to fill in the blanks?
My best guess is that
Wichita is bigger than St Louis is what goes in the blank. Kansas City > Wichita > St Louis
Quote from: I-55 on May 04, 2021, 09:52:01 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 04, 2021, 09:48:13 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 04, 2021, 06:51:59 PM
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Care to fill in the blanks?
My best guess is that Wichita is bigger than St Louis is what goes in the blank. Kansas City > Wichita > St Louis
I couldn't believe it until I looked it up... St. Louis City is tiny!
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on May 04, 2021, 09:54:30 PM
Quote from: I-55 on May 04, 2021, 09:52:01 PM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 04, 2021, 09:48:13 PM
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 04, 2021, 06:51:59 PM
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Care to fill in the blanks?
My best guess is that Wichita is bigger than St Louis is what goes in the blank. Kansas City > Wichita > St Louis
I couldn't believe it until I looked it up... St. Louis City is tiny!
You probably would be shocked by Buffalo as well. Rust Belt cities generally don't annex their suburbs, so the cities continue to shrink while the suburbs thrive, or at least survive.
Quote from: webny99 on May 04, 2021, 09:57:46 PM
You probably would be shocked by Buffalo as well. Rust Belt cities generally don't annex their suburbs, so the cities continue to shrink while the suburbs thrive, or at least survive.
This here is exactly why Columbus is the largest city in Ohio rather than Cleveland or Cincinnati; both of which have marginally larger metros.
Quote from: triplemultiplex on May 04, 2021, 10:33:28 PM
Quote from: webny99 on May 04, 2021, 09:57:46 PM
You probably would be shocked by Buffalo as well. Rust Belt cities generally don't annex their suburbs, so the cities continue to shrink while the suburbs thrive, or at least survive.
This here is exactly why Columbus is the largest city in Ohio rather than Cleveland or Cincinnati; both of which have marginally larger metros.
Columbus's metro may pass Cincy's metro in population by 2030's census. They're 100k behind, but growing almost 3x faster. They're already ahead of Cleveland's metro, which is losing people.
Quote from: stridentweasel on May 04, 2021, 06:51:59 PM
The largest city in my state is bigger than what a lot of people mistakenly think is the largest city in the next state to the east.
Nicely played, sir!
Chicago Metro (2019 estimates):
Largest city: Chicago 2,693,976
2nd largest: Aurora 197,757
5th largest: Elgin 110,849
10th largest: Gary 74,879
Lake County, IN:
Largest city: Hammond 75,522
2nd largest: Gary 74,879
5th largest: Schererville 28,527
10th largest: St. John 18,796
Twin Cities
Minneapolis (400,000)
St. Paul (290,000)
Bloomington (85,000)
Brooklyn Park (83,000)
Plymouth (80,000)
Statewide
Minneapolis
St. Paul
Rochester (115,000)
Bloomington/Duluth (85,000)
Hennepin County
Minneapolis
Bloomington
Brooklyn Park
Plymouth
Maple Grove (75,000)
Norfolk County:
Largest city: Quincy (91,484)
2nd largest city: Brookline (58,371)
5th largest city: Randolph (31,867)
10th largest city: Stoughton (26,893)
Smallest city: Avon (4,341)
Fun idea.
Oregon (using 2018 estimates)
Largest city: Portland (653,115)
Second largest city: Salem (173,442)
Fifth largest city: Hillsboro (108,389)
Tenth largest city: Corvallis (58,641)
Smallest city: Greenhorn (2)
MISSISSIPPI
Jackson (153,701)
Gulfport (72,926)
Southaven (54,648)
Biloxi (49,449)
Hattiesburg (48,730)
10th largest: Clinton (28,100)
Hinds County:
Jackson (153,701)
Clinton (28,100)
Byram (12,666)
Raymond (1966)
Terry (1304)
Five smallest (MS):
Sartartia (41)
Learned (56)
Doddsville (69)
Gattman (77)
Sylvarena (87)
Quote from: SkyPesos on May 04, 2021, 08:02:12 PM
Ohio (2019 figures (https://www.ohio-demographics.com/cities_by_population)):
Largest city: Columbus (878k)
2nd largest city: Cleveland (385k)
5th largest city: Akron (198k)
10th largest city: Lorain (63k)
Smallest city: Rendville (10)
Median city population: too lazy to find
Mean city population: too lazy to find
I just realized that I could copy the entire chart into Excel to find the median, so here it is:
Median city population: 1602 (out of 1041 cities)
Mean city population: 7911 (out of 1041 cities)