Every U.S. City, by the Numbers
One profile for each of 28,702 cities and towns across 52 states & territories — population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools, drawn straight from Census, FBI, NOAA and NCES.
Half of America's 28,702 “cities” have fewer than 1,257 residents — the famous metros are statistical outliers, and every one of them has a profile here.
- Cities profiled
- 28,702
- States & territories
- 52
- Federal sources
- 8 agencies
- Median city size
- 1,257 people
What does city data reveal that a population headline misses?
Four findings from across the full federal record — each one a starting point you can drill into.
1,257
is the median city's population — half of the 28,702 places profiled are smaller, so the metros you know are outliers
13,148
building permits issued by Fort Worth, TX in 2024 — the most of any US city, out of 879,610 nationwide
2.6×
gap in median rent between the priciest large city ($2,433, Urban Honolulu) and the most affordable ($924, Jackson)
170
cities are so affluent their median household income hits the Census $250,000 reporting ceiling — income data tops out before they do
U.S. city coverage by state
PlainCities tracks 28,702 cities across 52 states & territories. Cell color encodes the number of cities profiled per state (Census ACS 2023 5-year geography).
Major US Cities
City Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlainCities?
PlainCities is a free city intelligence hub that brings together data from multiple federal sources — including the Census Bureau, FBI, NOAA, and NCES — into comprehensive city profiles for every US city.
Where does the data come from?
Demographics and economics from Census ACS 5-Year 2023, crime data from FBI UCR, climate normals from NOAA 1991-2020, and school counts from NCES. All data is publicly available and presented as-is.
Is this free to use?
Yes. All data and tools are completely free to use. No accounts, no paywalls.
City Guides
Data-driven analysis and practical frameworks for choosing where to live, work, and retire.
Best Cities for Families
Safety, schools, affordability, and economic stability analyzed across four data dimensions.
Safest Cities in America
Understanding FBI crime data — what it tells you, what it misses, and how to compare responsibly.
How to Read Census Data
ACS estimates, margins of error, and practical rules for interpreting city statistics.
Live Data Products
DB-driven views of US city building permit, school access, crime, and affordability data. Every number refreshes from the source database. See all live data.
Browse all US cities
Per-city profiles with population, building permits, schools, crime, affordability, and infrastructure indicators — live from the database.
Live dataBrowse cities by state
State-level overviews showing all cities, top building permit issuers, school access, affordability, and crime trends — live aggregations.
Live dataRankings by category
Live rankings: construction activity (building permits), school access, crime safety, affordability index, and growth trends — sortable, filterable.