Special Report

The Most Populated Zip Codes in America

Andrei Stanescu / Getty Images
Samuel Stebbins
Published:
Last Updated:

The United States is home to nearly 327.2 million people, more than any other country in the Western Hemisphere and the third most worldwide, trailing only China and India. Despite a massive population, the United States is not especially crowded. Spanning over 3.7 million square miles, the U.S. has one of the lowest population densities in the world.

Americans are not spread out evenly across the country, however, and many of us have less elbow room than one might think. According to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, rural areas cover over 97% of the nation’s land area but are home to only 19% of the population. This means that the rest of the population, over 80%, lives in just 3% of the landmass.

24/7 Tempo reviewed population data in nearly 33,000 U.S. ZIP codes to identify the most populated ZIP codes in America. Every ZIP code on this list is part of a major metropolitan area. Over half are located in New York or Los Angeles, the only two American cities to rank among the world’s 33 megacities. 

While a crowded urban area may not be for everyone, the appeal of living in a city is undeniable. Cities offer easy access to jobs, entertainment, and culture not found in other settings. Some of these ZIP codes are particularly attractive places to live, as they lie within the best city to live in their respective state.

Rank ZIP code Population Pop. density (per sq. mile) Metro area
1 77449 119,204 3,161 Houston, Texas
2 11368 114,647 41,767 New York, New York
3 60629 114,129 16,747 Chicago, Illinois
4 79936 111,918 4,155 El Paso, TX, Texas
5 90011 108,051 24,240 Los Angeles, California
6 11385 106,598 27,288 New York, New York
7 90650 106,404 10,759 Los Angeles, California
8 77494 105,854 1,509 Houston, Texas
9 91331 105,696 11,712 Los Angeles, California
10 77084 104,582 3,105 Houston, Texas
11 90201 102,878 17,059 Los Angeles, California
12 10467 102,718 41,479 New York, New York
13 11226 102,585 78,799 New York, New York
14 11211 101,560 39,215 New York, New York
15 11236 100,633 26,113 New York, New York
16 11220 100,412 55,610 New York, New York
17 92335 99,791 5,505 Riverside, California
18 8701 99,467 3,775 New York, New Jersey
19 11208 99,145 27,446 New York, New York
20 11234 97,741 11,630 New York, New York
21 90250 97,371 13,920 Los Angeles, California
22 11373 96,353 66,155 New York, New York
23 91342 96,177 1,664 Los Angeles, California
24 90805 96,069 12,692 Los Angeles, California
25 75034 95,996 1,454 Dallas, Texas
26 37013 95,717 1,951 Nashville, Tennessee
27 90280 95,420 12,922 Los Angeles, California
28 60618 95,218 18,195 Chicago, Illinois
29 90044 94,680 17,477 Los Angeles, California
30 10456 94,667 85,017 New York, New York
31 92503 94,523 2,830 Riverside, California
32 10025 94,382 125,798 New York, New York
33 92336 94,327 3,556 Riverside, California
34 11214 94,283 40,563 New York, New York
35 75052 94,133 3,402 Dallas, Texas
36 11219 93,979 62,227 New York, New York
37 94565 93,549 2,803 San Francisco, California
38 75070 93,299 3,130 Dallas, Texas
39 78521 92,975 1,007 Brownsville, Texas
40 11207 92,580 34,963 New York, New York
41 92683 91,758 8,983 Los Angeles, California
42 60632 91,644 12,287 Chicago, Illinois
43 60639 90,767 18,534 Chicago, Illinois
44 92704 90,525 11,926 Los Angeles, California
45 11230 90,257 46,961 New York, New York
46 10314 89,960 6,240 New York, New York
47 11377 89,688 35,324 New York, New York
48 30044 89,143 3,253 Atlanta, Georgia
49 91710 88,862 3,733 Riverside, California
50 77479 88,603 2,250 Houston, Texas

 
Read more: Special Report

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.

Latest from 24/7

These Are the Most Dangerous States for Police

Elon Musk and Donald Trump Will Love Slashing This Government Agency's Waste

The Best Quotes of 21 People Who Changed the World