The United States Census designates populated regions of the country as 'incorporated places.' An incorporated place in the United States includes cities, towns, villages and municipalities, among other designations. As of 2015, there are over 300 incorporated places in the United States that have a population that exceeds 100,000, which is a pretty sizable increase over the 285 recorded in 2012.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, a total of 10 US cities have a population that has surpassed the 1 million milestone. Of these 10 cities, California and Texas account for 60%, with each being home to three cities each that have a population of over 1 million. Texas also has the distinction of having the largest number of the fastest-growing cities with a total of six out of the top 13. Also, half of the top ten cities with the largest population gains were located in Texas, although the city that gained the most new residents throughout 2013 and 2014 was New York City, which is also the most populous city in the country.

The United States has a population that is spread throughout its largest metropolitan areas, including New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, as well as its suburban areas found in less populated states. After the economic collapse and high unemployment numbers, the population of US cities of all sizes is expected to noticeably bounce back as the economy has become more stabilized. Foreign immigration is also expected to contribute to future growth of cities of all sizes, including the largest cities in the country.

The United States, which is home to a population of over 300 million people, has many large cities with populations in excess of a million. The largest city in the US is New York City, with over 8.5 million residents. Los Angeles and Chicago follow, each with more than 2.5 million residents, and southern US cities Houston and Phoenix round out the top five with populations of almost 2.3 million and 1.6 million, respectively.

Aside from Houston, a number of other cities in Texas are highly populous. Dallas and San Antonio each have populations of more than a million, while Fort Worth, Austin, and El Paso each have well over 500,000 residents. Fort Worth also had the highest growth rate of the cities in Texas at 2.34%.

Irvine, California grew faster than any other US city, at a rate of 3.87%, while St. Louis, Missouri had the lowest growth rate at -1.11%. Tulsa, Oklahoma is the only city to have a growth rate of -0.00%. While the population of the major cities is always growing, a number of cities not associated with any major urban areas have also grown, such as Henderson, Nevada (2.76%), Scottsdale, Arizona (2.75%), and Durham, North Carolina (2.09%).

Population density is a key aspect of analyzing data on cities, and it plays an important part in issues such as transport, infrastructure and living standards for residents. Some people prefer smaller, less crowded cities with open spaces, while others would rather have the hustle and bustle of big city life.

Anchorage, Alaska has by far the lowest population density in the US at 67/km². However, given the climate and location, it's not necessarily an easy city to live in. Other cities with low population densities include Chesapeake, Virginia (274/km²); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (332/km²); and Jacksonville, Florida (462/km²). Not surprisingly, cities with the highest population density include New York City at 11,000/km², San Francisco at 7,242/km², Jersey City at 6,901/km², and Boston at 5,434/km².