National ranking · Top 100 · data updated August 2026

100 Smallest Cities in America by Population

This list ranks the 100 smallest US incorporated places with at least 1,000 residents, using U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). Population counts come from Census ACS estimates, not land area or municipal boundaries alone, a place can be geographically small yet rank higher if its resident count exceeds the floor.

Compiled by PlainCities

100
Cities ranked: #1
Buffalo Center: 1,000
Population

Data updated August 2026

The headline finding

Buffalo Center, IA tops this list at 1,000 population, making the top 100 requires at least 1,014.

Buffalo Center, IA
#1 · 1,000: 1,014
#100 cutoff: 100
cities in this ranking

Every figure here is read live from the same U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023) data rendered in the table below.

These 100 cities span 33 states. New York has the most entries on this list: 8 (8% of the total). New York state page.

How we calculate the state breakdown

The state count and leader above are a live tally of this list's own 100 rows, grouped by state. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

Buffalo Center, IA

1,000
McBee, SC

1,000
Adwolf, VA

1,001
Ashland, IL

1,001
Blairs, VA

1,001
Garrison, TX

1,001
Harvard, NE

1,001
Lake Colorado, TX

1,001
Palo Seco comunidad, PR

1,001
Richmondville, NY

1,001
Simonton, TX

1,001
Adams Center, NY

1,002

What this shows Buffalo Center, Iowa ranks #1 on population among the cities in this ranking; the full top 100 is listed below.

New York (NY)

8
Pennsylvania (PA)

8
Iowa (IA)

7
Ohio (OH)

7
Texas (TX)

6
Illinois (IL)

5
South Carolina (SC)

4
Nebraska (NE)

3
Puerto Rico (PR)

3
North Carolina (NC)

3

What this shows New York leads with 8 of the 100 spots on this list.

#	City	Population	Population
1	Buffalo CenterIowa	1,000	1,000
2	McBeeSouth Carolina	1,000	1,000
3	AdwolfVirginia	1,001	1,001
4	AshlandIllinois	1,001	1,001
5	BlairsVirginia	1,001	1,001
6	GarrisonTexas	1,001	1,001
7	HarvardNebraska	1,001	1,001
8	Lake ColoradoTexas	1,001	1,001
9	Palo Seco comunidadPuerto Rico	1,001	1,001
10	RichmondvilleNew York	1,001	1,001
11	SimontonTexas	1,001	1,001
12	Adams CenterNew York	1,002	1,002
13	BrayOklahoma	1,002	1,002
14	FultonTexas	1,002	1,002
15	Jackson HeightsNorth Carolina	1,002	1,002
16	Lake VictoriaMichigan	1,002	1,002
17	Liberty CenterOhio	1,002	1,002
18	Santa Clara PuebloNew Mexico	1,002	1,002
19	WoodwardIowa	1,002	1,002
20	YorkvilleOhio	1,002	1,002
21	Bow MarColorado	1,003	1,003
22	MantorvilleMinnesota	1,003	1,003
23	WaddingtonNew York	1,003	1,003
24	Far HillsNew Jersey	1,004	1,004
25	FlushingOhio	1,004	1,004
26	GoldsboroPennsylvania	1,004	1,004
27	GordonPennsylvania	1,004	1,004
28	GoshenKentucky	1,004	1,004
29	HamelIllinois	1,004	1,004
30	Highland HolidayOhio	1,004	1,004
31	MarionSouth Dakota	1,004	1,004
32	Tribes HillNew York	1,004	1,004
33	VardamanMississippi	1,004	1,004
34	VilliscaIowa	1,004	1,004
35	AthensWisconsin	1,005	1,005
36	ChapmanvilleWest Virginia	1,005	1,005
37	ElloreeSouth Carolina	1,005	1,005
38	HartrandtWyoming	1,005	1,005
39	McConnellsburgPennsylvania	1,005	1,005
40	MiddlesexNorth Carolina	1,005	1,005
41	Chain O' LakesWisconsin	1,006	1,006
42	DexterGeorgia	1,006	1,006
43	LuttrellTennessee	1,006	1,006
44	WaverlyIndiana	1,006	1,006
45	WenonaIllinois	1,006	1,006
46	WoodbineGeorgia	1,006	1,006
47	Alcorn State UniversityMississippi	1,007	1,007
48	AtwaterOhio	1,007	1,007
49	EmbreevilleTennessee	1,007	1,007
50	HesperiaMichigan	1,007	1,007
51	RoseboroNorth Carolina	1,007	1,007
52	StromsburgNebraska	1,007	1,007
53	White PlainsKentucky	1,007	1,007
54	YemasseeSouth Carolina	1,007	1,007
55	AvonmorePennsylvania	1,008	1,008
56	Black LickPennsylvania	1,008	1,008
57	ForrestIllinois	1,008	1,008
58	GenoaArkansas	1,008	1,008
59	Hooper BayAlaska	1,008	1,008
60	Indian SpringsTexas	1,008	1,008
61	Kittery PointMaine	1,008	1,008
62	MarvellArkansas	1,008	1,008
63	MillvillePennsylvania	1,008	1,008
64	New PhiladelphiaPennsylvania	1,008	1,008
65	PlumervilleArkansas	1,008	1,008
66	ConvoyOhio	1,009	1,009
67	GreeneRhode Island	1,009	1,009
68	MayfieldNew York	1,009	1,009
69	NinilchikAlaska	1,009	1,009
70	PisgahAlabama	1,009	1,009
71	Ship BottomNew Jersey	1,009	1,009
72	ArapahoeNebraska	1,010	1,010
73	DunnavantAlabama	1,010	1,010
74	FordocheLouisiana	1,010	1,010
75	Las Ochenta comunidadPuerto Rico	1,010	1,010
76	Shady PointOklahoma	1,010	1,010
77	South CorningNew York	1,010	1,010
78	ClarksburgTennessee	1,011	1,011
79	ColmanSouth Dakota	1,011	1,011
80	Fort AshbyWest Virginia	1,011	1,011
81	LynnvilleIndiana	1,011	1,011
82	MarathonNew York	1,011	1,011
83	Mariaville LakeNew York	1,011	1,011
84	Parcelas Viejas Borinquen comunidadPuerto Rico	1,011	1,011
85	SkylineAlabama	1,011	1,011
86	AplingtonIowa	1,012	1,012
87	Chums CornerMichigan	1,012	1,012
88	JanesvilleIowa	1,012	1,012
89	NewhallIowa	1,012	1,012
90	PhilipsburgMontana	1,012	1,012
91	Rapids CityIllinois	1,012	1,012
92	St. LeonIndiana	1,012	1,012
93	BuhlMinnesota	1,013	1,013
94	CalumetPennsylvania	1,013	1,013
95	FlovillaGeorgia	1,013	1,013
96	MidvaleOhio	1,013	1,013
97	OlmitoTexas	1,013	1,013
98	DovesvilleSouth Carolina	1,014	1,014
99	Helena FlatsMontana	1,014	1,014
100	KeosauquaIowa	1,014	1,014

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023 vintage, released December 2024), the underlying dataset behind this ranking spans 28,702 U.S. incorporated places and census-designated places nationally; this page shows the top 100 by population. See our methodology for the full data-collection process.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). Verify directly with the source agency: U.S. Census Bureau, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES.

Questions about the smallest cities in america list

What does this smallest cities in america ranking measure?

It orders cities by population using U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023). It is a single-metric comparison, not an overall score for quality of life or a recommendation about where to live.

Are metropolitan areas included?

The rows are individual cities or Census-defined places covered by the named source, not combined metropolitan areas. The page states any extra coverage or population rule that applies to this specific population ranking.

Can I download and verify the ranking?

Yes. The CSV above contains the same ranked rows shown in the table. The page names the source and vintage, links to the source agency, and explains category-specific caveats before the data.

What to do with the smallest cities in america list

Use this ranking to narrow the field, then dig into the specific places you're considering.

Buffalo Center, IA leads this list at 1,000 -- see its full profile before drawing conclusions from the rank alone. Buffalo Center profile
Put two specific cities side by side across every tracked metric, not just this one ranking. Compare cities
See every ranked city in Iowa together, not just how Buffalo Center compares nationally. Iowa state page

This ranking reflects the single population metric only -- it is not a composite of everything that makes a city a good fit.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Browse all city profiles → | Explore city rankings →

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

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