Largest cities in the United States by population
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Ballotpedia provides in-depth coverage of America's 100 largest cities based on official population figures provided by the United States Census Bureau. This list has been updated following the release of the 2020 census data. As of 2020, 64,537,560 individuals lived in these cities, accounting for 19.47% of the nation's total population.[1]
This page lists America's 100 largest cities by population, as of the 2020 census. It includes information on mayors in the top 100 largest cities, including when they took office, when their current terms expire, and the cities' government types. It also contains population figures for municipalities.
Our coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what local elections we are covering in your area.
America's largest cities
The table below lists these 100 largest cities, their 2020 populations, their current mayors, when mayors took office, when current mayoral terms expire, and whether each city held municipal elections in 2022.
Although a majority of these cities hold nonpartisan elections, the table below states the partisan affiliation of most of their mayors. Ballotpedia determined the partisan affiliation of each mayor in one of three ways: by cross-checking multiple media outlets that identified someone as affiliated with one political party; by verifying that a mayor previously ran in a partisan election for another office; or by contacting the mayors directly.
The table also describes the types of government used by America's largest cities. Each type has a different distribution of power and responsibilities between the mayor and the city council. The types of government are:
- Strong mayor: The city council serves as the city's primary legislative body, and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.
- Council-manager: An elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and to implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.
- City commission: A city council, composed of an elected mayor and a board of elected commissioners, serves as the city's primary legislative and administrative body.
- Hybrid: The city council serves as the city's primary legislative body, and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The mayor, however, appoints a city manager to oversee the city's day-to-day operations and to implement city policies.
Municipal elections across the United States
By state
Alaska
- Anchorage, Alaska - Mayor, service area board of supervisors, superior court, and district court
Arizona
- Chandler, Arizona - City council and fire district
- Gilbert, Arizona - Mayor, city council, and fire district
- Glendale, Arizona - Mayor and city council
- Mesa, Arizona - Mayor and city council
- Phoenix, Arizona - Mayor and city council
- Scottsdale, Arizona - Mayor, city council, and fire district
- Maricopa County, Arizona - Assessor, attorney, county school superintendent, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, county board of supervisors, community college district board, constables, education center board, healthcare district board, technical school board, water conservation district board, justices of the peace, and superior court judges
- Pima County, Arizona - Assessor, attorney, county school superintendent, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, county board of supervisors, community college district board, constables, justices of the peace, and superior court judges
California
- Anaheim, California - City council
- Bakersfield, California - Mayor and city council
- Chula Vista, California - City council
- Fremont, California - Mayor and city council
- Fresno, California - Mayor and city council
- Irvine, California - Mayor and city council
- Long Beach, California - City council
- Los Angeles, California - City council
- Oakland, California - City council
- Riverside, California - Mayor and city council
- Sacramento, California - Mayor and city council
- San Bernardino, California - City council
- San Diego, California - Mayor, city attorney, and city council
- San Francisco, California - Mayor, city attorney, district attorney, sheriff, treasurer, board of supervisors, community college district, transit district, and superior court judges
- San Jose, California - Mayor and city council
- Santa Ana, California - Mayor and city council
- Santa Clarita, California - City council
- Stockton, California - Mayor and city council
- Alameda County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, county board of education, flood district, health care district, park district, sanitary district, transit districts, utility district, water district, and superior court judges
- Fresno County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, county board of education, irrigation district, public utility district, recreation and park district, veterans memorial district, water district, and superior court judges
- Kern County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, community services district, county board of education, water district, and superior court judges
- Los Angeles County, California - District attorney, board of supervisors, community college districts, water districts, and superior court judges
- Orange County, California - Board of supervisors, community college districts, county board of education, geological hazard abatement district, water districts, and superior court judges
- Riverside County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, community services district, county board of education, sanitary district, water district, and superior court judges
- Sacramento County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, county board of education, fire district, flood district, water districts, and superior court judges
- San Bernardino County, California - Board of supervisors, community college districts, county board of education, water districts, and superior court judges
- San Diego County, California - Board of supervisors, community college districts, county board of education, health care districts, irrigation district, and superior court judges
- San Joaquin County, California - Board of supervisors, community college district, county board of education, fire district, irrigation district, water district, and superior court judges
- Santa Clara County, California - Board of supervisors, community college districts, county board of education, geological hazard abatement district, open space authority district, water district, and superior court judges
Hawaii
- Honolulu, Hawaii - Mayor, prosecuting attorney, and city council
Illinois
- Cook County, Illinois - State's attorney, county commissioners, board of review commissioners, water reclamation district, clerk of circuit court, circuit court judges, and subcircuit court judges
Indiana
- Allen County, Indiana - Coroner, surveyor, treasurer, board of commissioners, and county council
Kansas
- Sedgwick County, Kansas - County clerk, district attorney, register of deeds, sheriff, treasurer
Missouri
- Jefferson City, Missouri - City council
- St. Louis, Missouri - Community college board and circuit court judges
- Clay County, Missouri - Assessor, sheriff, county commission, metropolitan community college district, circuit court judges, and associate circuit court judges
- Jackson County, Missouri - Metropolitan community college district
- Platte County, Missouri - Assessor, public administrator, sheriff, treasurer, county commission, circuit court judges, and associate circuit court judges
Nebraska
- Omaha, Nebraska - Public power district
Nevada
- Carson City, Nevada - Mayor and city council
North Carolina
- Raleigh, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Mayor and city council
Ohio
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio - Prosecutor, county council, and common pleas court judges
- Fairfield County, Ohio - Coroner, engineer, prosecutor, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, commissioners, clerk of courts, common pleas court judges
- Franklin County, Ohio - Coroner, engineer, prosecutor, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, county commissioners, clerk of courts, and common pleas court judges
- Lucas County, Ohio - Coroner, engineer, prosecutor, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, commissioners, clerk of courts, common pleas court judges
- Hamilton County, Ohio - Coroner, engineer, prosecutor, recorder, sheriff, treasurer, county commissioners, clerk of courts, and common pleas court judges
Oregon
- Portland, Oregon - Mayor, city auditor (special), and city council
- Salem, Oregon - Mayor and city council
Texas
- Arlington, Texas - City council
- Austin, Texas - Mayor and city council
- Corpus Christi, Texas - Mayor and city council
- El Paso, Texas - Mayor, city council, municipal court judge, and municipal court of appeals judge.
- Garland, Texas - City council
- Irving, Texas - City council
- Laredo, Texas - City council
- Lubbock, Texas - Mayor, city council, and municipal court judge
- Bexar County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, district court judges, and justices of the peace
- Collin County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, and district court judges
- Dallas County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, community college district, district court judges, and criminal district court judges.
- Denton County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, and district court judges
- El Paso County, Texas - County attorney, district attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, criminal court at law judge, criminal district court judges, and district court judges
- Fort Bend County, Texas - Attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, county court at law judge, district court judges, and justices of the peace
- Harris County, Texas - County attorney, district attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, community college district, constables, county department of education, county criminal court at law judges, district court judges, and justices of the peace
- Lubbock County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, water conservation board, water control and improvement district board, and district court judges
- Nueces County, Texas - Attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, community college district, constables, district court judges, and justices of the peace
- Tarrant County, Texas - Sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, criminal court district judges, and district court judges
- Travis County, Texas - County attorney, district attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, community college district, constables, county court at law judges, and district court judges
- Webb County, Texas - County attorney, district attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, community college district, constables, district court judges, and justices of the peace
- Williamson County, Texas - County attorney, district attorney, sheriff, tax assessor-collector, county commission, constables, court at law judge, and district court judges
Vermont
- Montpelier, Vermont - Mayor and city council
Virginia
- Virginia Beach, Virginia - Mayor, city council, and sheriff (special)
Washington
- King County, Washington - King Conservation District and superior court judges
- Spokane County, Washington - County commission and superior court
Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C. - City council
Wisconsin
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Mayor, city attorney, city treasurer, comptroller, and common council
- Dane County, Wisconsin - County clerk, district attorney, register of deeds, treasurer, board of supervisors, and circuit court judges
- Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - County executive, county clerk, comptroller, district attorney, register of deeds, treasurer, county board of supervisors, and circuit court judges
What about Washington, DC?
For the purposes of our coverage, Ballotpedia treats Washington, D.C. as a state rather than as a city. The District of Columbia is the federal city, but not a city within any state. It is established by the Constitution as a separate District, within which was to be the offices of the federal government. Although it has a council that has many of the same powers as that of a city council, it has also been delegated by Congress some powers that would be more typical of a state legislature. Congress also has supreme authority over the district, which means it can review and overturn any acts of the council. Want to learn more about our nation's capital? Click here.
See also
Footnotes
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