Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Based on the 2000 U.S. Census, the 25 most populous incorporated places:
| Rank | City | State | Population (2000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | NY | 8,008,278 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | CA | 3,694,820 |
| 3 | Chicago | IL | 2,896,016 |
| 4 | Houston | TX | 1,953,631 |
| 5 | Philadelphia | PA | 1,517,550 |
| 6 | Phoenix | AZ | 1,321,045 |
| 7 | San Diego | CA | 1,223,400 |
| 8 | Dallas | TX | 1,188,580 |
| 9 | San Antonio | TX | 1,144,646 |
| 10 | Detroit | MI | 951,270 |
| 11 | San Jose | CA | 894,943 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | IN | 781,870 |
| 13 | San Francisco | CA | 776,733 |
| 14 | Jacksonville | FL | 735,617 |
| 15 | Columbus | OH | 711,470 |
| 16 | Washington, D.C. | DC | 572,059 |
| 17 | Memphis | TN | 650,100 |
| 18 | Baltimore | MD | 651,154 |
| 19 | Boston | MA | 589,141 |
| 20 | Milwaukee | WI | 596,974 |
| 21 | El Paso | TX | 563,662 |
| 22 | Fort Worth | TX | 563,558 |
| 23 | Nashville | TN | 569,891 |
| 24 | Seattle | WA | 563,374 |
| 25 | Denver | CO | 554,636 |
Notes: 2000 Census data. Rankings shift significantly by 2010/2020 (e.g., Phoenix, San Antonio, Fort Worth rise; Detroit, Baltimore, Milwaukee fall). City proper populations only—metro areas differ.