List of most populous cities in Florida by decade
# List of most populous cities in Florida by decade

This list tracks and ranks the population of the ten most populous cities and other settlements in the State of Florida by decade, as reported by each decennial United States Census, starting with the 1830 Census.

The Census Bureau's definition of an "urban place" has included a variety of designations, including city, town, township, village, borough, and municipality. The top places from 1830 through 1850 consisted of various places designated as cities, towns and other settlements. The top 10 urban areas in 2020 are all separate incorporated places.

This list generally refers only to the population of individual urban places within their defined limits at the time of the indicated census. Some of these places have since been annexed or merged into other cities. Other places may have expanded their borders due to such annexation or consolidation.

## 1830

The first United States Census taken as the Territory of Florida.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 1,708 | The only city enumerated separately. |

## 1840

| Rank | City | County | Population |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 2,450 |
| 2 | Tallahassee | Leon | 1,616 |
| 3 | Key West | Monroe | 688 |

## 1850

The 1850 census is the first census taken since statehood in 1845.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Pensacola | Escambia | 2,164 | |
| 2 | Key West | Monroe | 1,943 | Original return incomplete as slave population was unavailable. |
| 3 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 1,934 | |
| 4 | Jacksonville | Duval | 1,045 | |
| 5 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 974 | Population include soldiers stationed at Fort Brooke. |
| 6 | Marianna | Jackson | 377 | |
| 7 | Monticello | Jefferson | 329 | |
| 8 | Ocala | Marion | 243 | |
| 9 | Newport | Wakulla | 232 | |
| 10 | St. Marks | Wakulla | 189 | |

## 1860

1860 was the eve of the American Civil War. This was the eighth United States Census. The majority of the population lived in cities and towns in Northern Florida. In summary, nine out of ten cities would exceed 1,000 residents.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Pensacola | Escambia | 2,876 | |
| 2 | Key West | Monroe | 2,832 | |
| 3 | Jacksonville | Duval | 2,118 | |
| 4 | Tallahassee | Leon | 1,932 | |
| 5 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 1,914 | |
| 6 | Apalachicola | Franklin | 1,904 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 7 | Milton | Santa Rosa | 1,815 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 8 | Fernandina | Nassau | 1,390 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Monticello | Jefferson | 1,083 | |
| 10 | Lake City | Columbia | 659 | First appearance in the top 10. |

## 1870

This was the ninth United States Census.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 6,912 | Becomes Florida's largest city for this census only. Would regain this status in 1900. |
| 2 | Key West | Monroe | 5,016 | Includes population outside of city limits. The municipality was not returned separately. |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 3,347 | |
| 4 | Tallahassee | Leon | 2,023 | |
| 5 | Fernandina | Nassau | 1,722 | |
| 6 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 1,717 | |
| 7 | Apalachicola | Franklin | 1,129 | |
| 8 | Monticello | Jefferson | 1,052 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Milton | Santa Rosa | 1,014 | |
| 10 | Lake City | Columbia | 964 | |

## 1880

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Key West | Monroe | 9,890 | Becomes Florida's largest city for this census & in 1890. Jacksonville would regain this status in 1900. |
| 2 | Jacksonville | Duval | 7,650 | |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 6,845 | |
| 4 | Fernandina | Nassau | 2,502 | |
| 5 | Tallahassee | Leon | 2,494 | |
| 6 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 2,293 | |
| 7 | Palatka | Putnam | 1,616 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 8 | Lake City | Columbia | 1,379 | |
| 9 | Apalachicola | Franklin | 1,336 | |
| 10 | Milton | Santa Rosa | 1,058 | Last appearance in the top 10. |

## 1890

The 1890 Census was the eleventh.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Key West | Monroe | 18,080 | First city in the Florida to surpass 10,000 residents. |
| 2 | Jacksonville | Duval | 17,201 | |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 11,750 | |
| 4 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 5,532 | |
| 5 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 4,742 | |
| 6 | Palatka | Putnam | 3,039 | |
| 7 | Tallahassee | Leon | 2,934 | |
| 8 | Ocala | Marion | 2,904 | |
| 9 | Orlando | Orange | 2,856 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Fernandina | Nassau | 2,803 | |

## 1895

The 1895 Census was the second conducted by the State of Florida.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 25,130 | Becomes Florida's largest city for the second time. Would hold title until 1950. |
| 2 | Key West | Monroe | 16,502 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 15,643 | |
| 4 | Pensacola | Escambia | 14,084 | |
| 5 | Ocala | Marion | 4,597 | |
| 6 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 4,151 | |
| 7 | Tallahassee | Leon | 3,931 | |
| 8 | Gainesville | Alachua | 3,152 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Apalachicola | Franklin | 3,061 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Orlando | Orange | 2,993 | |

## 1900

The 1900 Census was the twelfth.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 28,045 | |
| 2 | Pensacola | Escambia | 17,747 | |
| 3 | Key West | Monroe | 17,114 | |
| 4 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 15,839 | |
| 5 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 4,272 | |
| 6 | Lake City | Columbia | 4,013 | |
| 7 | Gainesville | Alachua | 3,633 | |
| 8 | Ocala | Marion | 3,380 | |
| 9 | Palatka | Putnam | 3,301 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Fernandina | Nassau | 3,245 | |

## 1905

The 1905 Census was the third conducted by the State of Florida.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 35,301 | |
| 2 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 22,823 | |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 21,505 | |
| 4 | Key West | Monroe | 20,498 | |
| 5 | Live Oak | Suwannee | 7,200 | Only appearance in the top 10. The city's population has not since surpassed its 1905 peak. |
| 6 | Lake City | Columbia | 6,509 | |
| 7 | Gainesville | Alachua | 5,413 | |
| 8 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 5,121 | |
| 9 | Fernandina | Nassau | 4,959 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Miami | Dade | 4,733 | First appearance in top 10. |

## 1910

The 1910 Census was the thirteenth.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 57,699 | |
| 2 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 37,782 | Became Florida's second-largest city. |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 22,982 | |
| 4 | Key West | Monroe | 19,945 | |
| 5 | West Tampa | Hillsborough | 8,258 | First suburban city to reach the top 10. |
| 6 | Gainesville | Alachua | 6,183 | |
| 7 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 5,494 | |
| 8 | Miami | Dade | 5,471 | |
| 9 | Lake City | Columbia | 5,032 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Tallahassee | Leon | 5,018 | |

## 1915

The 1915 Census was the fourth conducted by the State of Florida.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 66,850 | |
| 2 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 48,160 | |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 23,219 | |
| 4 | Key West | Monroe | 18,495 | |
| 5 | Miami | Dade | 15,592 | First appearance in top 5 and becomes South Florida's largest city. |
| 6 | West Tampa | Hillsborough | 7,837 | |
| 7 | Lakeland | Polk | 7,287 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 8 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 7,186 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Gainesville | Alachua | 6,736 | |
| 10 | Orlando | Orange | 6,448 | |

## 1920

The 1920 Census was the fourteenth.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 91,588 | First city to reach the top-100 nationally. |
| 2 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 51,608 | |
| 3 | Pensacola | Escambia | 31,035 | Last appearance in the top 3. |
| 4 | Miami | Dade | 29,571 | |
| 5 | Key West | Monroe | 18,749 | Last appearance in the top 5. |
| 6 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 14,237 | |
| 7 | Orlando | Orange | 9,282 | |
| 8 | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | 8,859 | |
| 9 | West Tampa | Hillsborough | 8,468 | Would later be annexed by Tampa in 1925. |
| 10 | St. Augustine | St. Johns | 8,192 | Last appearance in top 10. |

## 1930

The 1930 Census was the fifteenth. The center of population would shift southward. Three cities would reach 100,000.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 129,549 | |
| 2 | Miami | Dade | 110,637 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 101,161 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 40,425 | |
| 5 | Pensacola | Escambia | 31,579 | |
| 6 | Orlando | Orange | 27,330 | |
| 7 | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | 26,610 | |
| 8 | Lakeland | Polk | 18,554 | |
| 9 | Daytona Beach | Volusia | 16,598 | |
| 10 | Key West | Monroe | 12,831 | Final appearance in the top 10 since the city's first census in 1840. |

## 1940

The 1940 Census was the sixteenth. The top three cities would remain over the 100,000 level. Rank for the seven largest cities remained unchanged since 1930.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 173,065 | Final appearance as the largest city before consolidation in 1968. |
| 2 | Miami | Dade | 172,172 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 108,391 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 60,812 | |
| 5 | Pensacola | Escambia | 37,449 | |
| 6 | Orlando | Orange | 36,736 | |
| 7 | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | 33,693 | |
| 8 | Miami Beach | Dade | 28,012 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Lakeland | Polk | 22,584 | |
| 10 | Daytona Beach | Volusia | 22,068 | Final appearance in the top 10. |

## 1950

1950 was a watershed year for many cities in Florida. For the first time, Central and South Florida begin to dominate the list with eight out of the top ten cities located in these areas.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Miami | Dade | 249,276 | First of two appearances as Florida's largest city. |
| 2 | Jacksonville | Duval | 204,517 | Peak population before consolidation in 1968. |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 124,681 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 96,738 | |
| 5 | Orlando | Orange | 52,367 | |
| 6 | Miami Beach | Dade | 46,282 | |
| 7 | Pensacola | Escambia | 43,479 | |
| 8 | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | 43,162 | |
| 9 | Ft. Lauderdale | Broward | 36,328 | First appearance in the Top 10. |
| 10 | Lakeland | Polk | 30,851 | Final appearance in the top 10. |

## 1960

The 1960 Census was the eighteenth. This is the last census in which any city west of the Apalachicola river has been in the top 10.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Miami | Dade | 291,688 | |
| 2 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 274,970 | |
| 3 | Jacksonville | Duval | 201,030 | First ever decline for the city and the lowest rank since 1860. |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 181,298 | |
| 5 | Orlando | Orange | 88,035 | |
| 6 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 83,643 | |
| 7 | Hialeah | Dade | 66,972 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 8 | Miami Beach | Dade | 63,145 | |
| 9 | Pensacola | Escambia | 56,752 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | 56,308 | Last appearance in the top 10. |

## 1970

The 1970 Census was the nineteenth.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 504,265 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Dade | 334,859 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 277,767 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 216,232 | |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 139,590 | |
| 6 | Hollywood | Broward | 106,873 | |
| 7 | Hialeah | Dade | 102,297 | |
| 8 | Orlando | Orange | 99,006 | |
| 9 | Miami Beach | Dade | 87.072 | |
| 10 | Tallahassee | Leon | 71,897 | |

## 1980

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 540,920 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Dade | 346,865 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 271,523 | First decline in a century, when the population fell from 796 in 1870 to 720 in 1880. |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 238,647 | |
| 5 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 153,279 | |
| 6 | Hialeah | Dade | 145,254 | |
| 7 | Orlando | Orange | 128,291 | |
| 8 | Hollywood | Broward | 121,323 | |
| 9 | Miami Beach | Dade | 96,298 | |
| 10 | Clearwater | Pinellas | 85,170 | |

## 1990

The 1990 Census was the twenty-first.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 635,230 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Dade | 358,548 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 280,015 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 238,629 | First decline in the history of the city. |
| 5 | Hialeah | Dade | 188,004 | |
| 6 | Orlando | Orange | 164,693 | |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 149,377 | First decline in the history of the city. |
| 8 | Tallahassee | Leon | 124,773 | |
| 9 | Hollywood | Broward | 121,697 | |
| 10 | Clearwater | Pinellas | 98,784 | Last appearance in the top 10. |

## 2000

The 2000 census was the 22nd in U.S. history. This is the first census when all ten cities passed the 100,000 mark.

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 735,503 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Miami-Dade | 362,470 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 303,447 | |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 248,232 | |
| 5 | Hialeah | Miami-Dade | 226,419 | |
| 6 | Orlando | Orange | 185,951 | |
| 7 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 152,397 | |
| 8 | Tallahassee | Leon | 150,624 | |
| 9 | Hollywood | Broward | 139,357 | |
| 10 | Pembroke Pines | Broward | 137,427 | |

## 2010

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 821,784 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Miami-Dade | 399,457 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 335,709 | First double-digit growth rate since the 1950s. |
| 4 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 244,769 | |
| 5 | Orlando | Orange | 238,300 | |
| 6 | Hialeah | Miami-Dade | 224,669 | First decline in city's history. |
| 7 | Tallahassee | Leon | 181,376 | |
| 8 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 165,521 | |
| 9 | Port St. Lucie | St. Lucie | 164,603 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Pembroke Pines | Broward | 154,750 | |

## 2020

| Rank | City | County | Population | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jacksonville | Duval | 949,611 | Figures shown are for Duval County excluding the cities of Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach and Baldwin. |
| 2 | Miami | Miami-Dade | 442,241 | |
| 3 | Tampa | Hillsborough | 384,959 | |
| 4 | Orlando | Orange | 307,573 | |
| 5 | St. Petersburg | Pinellas | 258,308 | |
| 6 | Hialeah | Miami-Dade | 223,109 | |
| 7 | Port St. Lucie | St. Lucie | 204,851 | |
| 8 | Tallahassee | Leon | 196,169 | |
| 9 | Cape Coral | Lee | 194,016 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale | Broward | 187,760 | |
