I need a list of all (or as many as possible) of the cities in the
United States.  I would like the list to include the city name, the
state, and the population.  I would like this list sorted by most
populated city first, then the 2nd most populated and so on until the
last name on the list is the smallest population city in the USA.

Hello Kevinflorid,

At the following URL, you will find an Excel file with a list of over
19,000 U.S. cities. This listing includes City name, State and
population; this list is sorted by most populated city first.

Download here: cities.xls
http://s56.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0DCS8HAQMTLGH2L4VY2JUR3Q3N
This file, which is available for you to save and download, will
remain on the server for a limited period, so please download it as
soon as possible.


I also prepared this listing as a txt format.

Download here: Cities1.txt
http://s55.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=18KDFWX3GRHOK1ER45E734OVUL


Source of information
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Population Estimates Program 
http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/

Subcounty Population Dataset
http://www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html


Search criteria:
U.S. cities + population Census Bureau 

I hope the information provided is helpful!

Best regards,
Bobbie7

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Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 21 Mar 2006 19:59 PST

The Census dataset used to create your listing is: 
"All States, incorporated places only" 
http://www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html

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Request for Answer Clarification by kevinflorida-ga on 11 Apr 2006 13:55 PDT

Hi Bobbie,

Sorry for the delay, I was out of town.  I didn't get a chance to
download the files that you setup for me.  Please set them up again. 
And also please let me know how to pay you.  I can't seem to find
'where' in this Google Answers thing that I select to choose your
answer and pay you.  Thanks.

-Kevin

---

Clarification of Answer by bobbie7-ga on 11 Apr 2006 14:40 PDT

Hello again Kevinflorid,

Here are the files.

cities.xls
http://s39.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1ARNIOKY7TIZG04I4QK6XLMLVS

Cities1.txt
http://s40.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2PUI7NW597OJX2G688WQZ65FKU


The Census dataset used to create your listing is: 
"All States, incorporated places only" 
http://www.census.gov/popest/datasets.html


Don?t worry, as soon as I post my answer I am paid automatically by
the Answers system.

Best regards,
Bobbie7

Per the CIA World Factbook the United States has a population of:
295,734,134 (July 2005 est.)
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html

Your list sums to a total population of 182,048,887.

Where are the remaining 113,685,247 people (38.4% of the population)?

amoobangkok-ga, the remaining people are (obviously) not in the
"incorporated places" in the list.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incorporated_place
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unincorporated
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census-designated_place

Also the data of the Census is a few years older than the World
Factbook estimate (so you should allow for any population growth).

The question asked for cities.  Many people do not live in "cities",
which would explain where the 38.4% went.

At least some of the Census Bureau's MCD's ("minor civil divisions")
include incorporated areas and should probably be included. For
instance, Fairfield, CT, has a population of "more than 58,400
residents"
http://www.fairfieldct.org/profile.htm

However, this town is not included in the Census Bureau's list of all
incorporated places, but is in the list of minor civil divisions.

These "minor civil divisions" are in separate lists than the Census
Bureau's "All Incorporated Places: 2000 - 2004," but at least some
MCD's are incorporated towns.

"However, note that the Census Bureau considers Towns in New England
states and New York as well as Townships in some other states as MCDs,
even though they are incorporated municipalities in those states."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census-designated_place (one of
indistinguishable-ga's references)

In this regard, the Census Bureau's list of "All Incorporated Places"
for Connecticut contains only 30 entities. Other Connecticut
incorporated areas can be found in the list of Connecticut "minor
civil divisions."

The situation is complicated by the inclusion of some entities in both
the list of "All Incorporated Places" and in the list of "minor civil
divisions," e.g., Bridgeport, CT (in "Incorporated Places" as
"Bridgeport city" and in "minor civil divisions" as "Bridgeport town."

The Census Bureau's list of "All Incorporated Places" and Bobbie7's
list derived from it/them contains entities listed as "city," "town,"
"borough," and "village." (Bobbie's combined list includes four
entities with a population of 1 and one entity with a population of
0.) Nothing like complications!

I didn't search closely, but I'll bet you a beer that there are no
towns in New York on Bobbie's list.

Interesting! The file contains plenty of "city"(s) and "village"(s)
for New York, but no "town"(s). The Census Bureau must have its own
way of keeping track of things.

Indeed.  That's what all that Minor Civil Division talk is about. 
N.Y. is a bit wierd.  Cities, towns, and villages (even counties) are
all "municipal corporations".  The entire land area of the state is
either a city or a town (or Indian reservation).  Villages are
contained within (or across several) towns.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_subdivisions_of_New_York_State

I was unable to download the databases from the links above, but found
a commercial list of government municipalities at
http://uscities.trumpetmarketing.net.