RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 500 SHOWN OF 918
Largest by population, US metro areas · 1990
The most populous US metro areas as of the 1990 population estimates. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads at 16,818,080. 918 metro areas qualify in total. California carries 4 of the top 25 entries.
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RANKPLACESTATETOTAL POPULATIONVS –
USUnited States248,709,873–
UPDATED 2026-07-15 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS
Frequently asked
Which metro area has the highest total population?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ranks #1 with 16,818,080 (1990 Decennial Census).
What are the top 5 metro areas by total population?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
How many metro areas are in this ranking?
918 metro areas qualify after filtering for population minimums and data availability. The ranking covers 1990 Decennial Census data.
How is total population measured?
Total resident population. Source: US Census Bureau, 1990 Decennial Census.