The US cities with the most men and the cities with the most women
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The United States is 49.5% male. Florence, Arizona is 68.4% male, and Sun City Center, Florida is 58.2% female.
The census counts people where they usually sleep, including in prisons, military barracks, college dormitories, and nursing homes. In a city of 25,000 to 50,000 people, a single large institution (a women's prison for example) can move the sex ratio by ten points or more. Nearly every city on both ends of this list can be explained that way.
| City | Male | Population | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, AZ | 68.4% | 25,570 | State and federal prisons |
| Fort Hood, TX | 64.3% | 26,814 | Army post |
| Soledad, CA | 63.6% | 26,365 | Two state prisons |
| Jacksonville, NC | 62.0% | 71,279 | Camp Lejeune |
| Palm Springs, CA | 61.4% | 45,070 | Large gay community |
| North Chicago, IL | 60.6% | 30,643 | Naval Station Great Lakes |
| Wasco, CA | 58.1% | 26,558 | State prison |
| Delano, CA | 57.6% | 51,679 | Two state prisons |
| Huntsville, TX | 57.0% | 47,864 | State prison system headquarters |
| Twentynine Palms, CA | 56.5% | 27,355 | Marine Corps base |
| West Hollywood, CA | 56.1% | 34,884 | Large gay community |
| Norco, CA | 56.1% | 25,054 | State prison |
Prisons and bases
Seven of the twelve most male cities contain a state or federal prison, and four contain a military base. Florence, Arizona holds the Arizona State Prison Complex and a federal detention center, and its 68.4% is the most lopsided ratio of any city over 25,000 in the country. Fort Hood, Camp Lejeune, Naval Station Great Lakes, and the Marine base at Twentynine Palms each house thousands of mostly male service members counted as residents.
Palm Springs and West Hollywood are the two cities on the list without an institutional explanation. Both have long-established gay communities, and Palm Springs has the highest male share of any city its size that is not a prison or base town.
Retirement communities and women's colleges
| City | Female | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Sun City Center, FL | 58.2% | 33,548 |
| Owings Mills, MD | 57.7% | 37,245 |
| Northampton, MA | 57.1% | 30,962 |
| Sun City, AZ | 57.0% | 37,486 |
| Wellesley, MA | 56.5% | 30,347 |
| Union City, GA | 56.3% | 27,728 |
| Altamonte Springs, FL | 56.2% | 46,116 |
The female-majority cities are smaller in their skew, topping out around 58%. Sun City Center and Sun City are age-restricted retirement communities, and women outlive men by about five years on average, so any place with a median age near 70 or higher tilts female. Northampton is home to Smith College and Wellesley to Wellesley College, both women's colleges whose students count as residents. Owings Mills, Union City, and Altamonte Springs are suburbs with large shares of single-mother households.
Across the full set of 6,800 cities, the sex ratio sits between 48% and 52% male for the overwhelming majority. The places outside that band are almost all explained by a prison, a base, a college, or a retirement community.
Sources
Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B01001 (sex by age). Cities shown have at least 25,000 residents. The ACS counts people at their usual residence, including group quarters such as prisons, military barracks, and college housing. The institutional explanations are drawn from the facilities located within each city's boundaries.
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Which US city has the most men?
Florence, Arizona, at 68.4% male among cities with at least 25,000 residents. The city holds the Arizona State Prison Complex and a federal detention center, and the census counts inmates as residents. Fort Hood, Texas is next at 64.3%, followed by Soledad, California at 63.6%, also a prison town.
Which US city has the most women?
Sun City Center, Florida, at 58.2% female. It is an age-restricted retirement community, and because women outlive men by about five years, places with a very high median age tilt female. Owings Mills, Maryland is next at 57.7% and Northampton, Massachusetts, home to Smith College, is 57.1%.
Why do prisons and military bases affect a city's sex ratio?
The Census Bureau counts people at their usual residence, which includes prisons, military barracks, and college dormitories. Inmates and service members are overwhelmingly male, so in a city of 25,000 to 50,000 people a single large facility can shift the sex ratio by ten points or more. Seven of the twelve most male cities in the country contain a prison and four contain a military base.
