Share of population living in cities in United States of America
United States of America: Share of population living in cities was 34.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of population living in cities in United States of America, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, share of population living in cities in United States of America stood at 34.4%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
The figure is up 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in cities in United States of America peaked at 34.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 1950.
That places United States of America 123rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of population living in cities in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.9% | — |
| 1955 | 18.4% | +2.9% |
| 1960 | 19.5% | +5.7% |
| 1965 | 20.2% | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 20.7% | +2.7% |
| 1975 | 20.7% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 20.6% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 21.5% | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 22.7% | +5.3% |
| 1995 | 24.1% | +6.5% |
| 2000 | 26.3% | +9.0% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 29.2% | +7.1% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | +8.5% |
| 2020 | 34.4% | +8.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 18.2% | 17.9% | 18.4% | 2 |
| 1960s | 19.8% | 19.5% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 20.7% | 20.7% | 20.7% | 2 |
| 1980s | 21.1% | 20.6% | 21.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 23.4% | 22.7% | 24.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.8% | 26.3% | 27.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 30.5% | 29.2% | 31.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 34.4% | 34.4% | 34.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More population data for United States of America
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.8 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 375,392 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 46.05 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 19.91 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population living in cities in United States of America?
- Share of population living in cities in United States of America was 34.4% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in cities recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 34.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of population living in cities recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 1950.
- How does United States of America rank for share of population living in cities?
- United States of America ranks 123rd out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population living in cities rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated share of the population living in cities. Cities are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.