Most Populous Pennsylvania Municipalities by Decade

Name the ten most populous municipalities in Pennsylvania for every census since 1810.
City proper populations; townships are NOT included!
Due to incomplete data, only municipalities that still exist today (in some form) are included.
Sources: Wikipedia and citypopulation.de
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Last updated: November 8, 2025
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Population
1810
53,722
Philadelphia
5,405
Lancaster
4,768
Pittsburgh
3,462
Reading
2,847
York
2,491
Carlisle
2,287
Harrisburg
1,657
Easton
1,304
Chambersburg
1,301
Washington
 
 
Population
1820
63,802
Philadelphia
7,248
Pittsburgh
6,633
Lancaster
4,332
Reading
3,107
York
2,990
Harrisburg
2,908
Carlisle
2,370
Easton
1,891
Columbia
1,717
Chambersburg
 
 
Population
1830
80,462
Philadelphia
12,568
Pittsburgh
7,704
Lancaster
5,856
Reading
4,312
Harrisburg
4,216
York
3,708
Carlisle
3,529
Easton
2,783
Chambersburg
2,464
Pottsville
 
 
Population
1840
93,665
Philadelphia
21,115
Pittsburgh
8,417
Lancaster
8,410
Reading
5,980
Harrisburg
4,865
Easton
4,779
York
4,351
Carlisle
4,345
Pottsville
3,412
Erie
 
 
Population
1850
121,376
Philadelphia
46,601
Pittsburgh
15,743
Reading
12,369
Lancaster
7,834
Harrisburg
7,515
Pottsville
7,250
Easton
6,803
York
6,024
Norristown
5,858
Erie
 
 
Population
1860
565,529
Philadelphia
49,221
Pittsburgh
23,162
Reading
17,603
Lancaster
13,405
Harrisburg
9,444
Pottsville
9,419
Erie
9,223
Scranton
8,944
Easton
8,848
Norristown
Population
1870
674,022
Philadelphia
86,076
Pittsburgh
35,092
Scranton
33,930
Reading
23,104
Harrisburg
20,233
Lancaster
19,646
Erie
16,030
Williamsport
13,884
Allentown
12,384
Pottsville
 
 
Population
1880
847,170
Philadelphia
156,389
Pittsburgh
45,850
Scranton
43,278
Reading
30,762
Harrisburg
27,737
Erie
25,769
Lancaster
23,339
Wilkes-Barre
19,710
Altoona
18,934
Williamsport
 
 
Population
1890
1,046,964
Philadelphia
238,617
Pittsburgh
75,215
Scranton
58,661
Reading
40,634
Erie
39,385
Harrisburg
37,718
Wilkes-Barre
32,011
Lancaster
30,337
Altoona
27,132
Williamsport
 
 
Population
1900
1,293,697
Philadelphia
321,616
Pittsburgh
102,026
Scranton
78,961
Reading
52,733
Erie
51,721
Wilkes-Barre
50,167
Harrisburg
41,459
Lancaster
38,973
Altoona
35,936
Johnstown
 
 
Population
1910
1,549,008
Philadelphia
533,905
Pittsburgh
129,867
Scranton
96,071
Reading
67,105
Wilkes-Barre
66,525
Erie
64,186
Harrisburg
55,482
Johnstown
52,127
Altoona
51,913
Allentown
Population
1920
1,823,779
Philadelphia
588,343
Pittsburgh
137,783
Scranton
107,784
Reading
93,372
Erie
75,917
Harrisburg
73,833
Wilkes-Barre
73,502
Allentown
67,327
Johnstown
60,331
Altoona
 
 
Population
1930
1,950,961
Philadelphia
669,817
Pittsburgh
143,403
Scranton
115,967
Erie
111,171
Reading
92,563
Allentown
86,626
Wilkes-Barre
82,054
Altoona
80,339
Harrisburg
66,993
Johnstown
 
 
Population
1940
1,931,334
Philadelphia
671,659
Pittsburgh
140,404
Scranton
116,955
Erie
110,568
Reading
96,904
Allentown
86,236
Wilkes-Barre
83,893
Harrisburg
80,214
Altoona
66,668
Johnstown
 
 
Population
1950
2,071,605
Philadelphia
676,806
Pittsburgh
130,803
Erie
125,536
Scranton
109,320
Reading
106,756
Allentown
89,544
Harrisburg
77,177
Altoona
76,826
Wilkes-Barre
66,340
Bethlehem
 
 
Population
1960
2,002,512
Philadelphia
604,332
Pittsburgh
138,440
Erie
111,443
Scranton
108,347
Allentown
98,061
Reading
79,697
Harrisburg
75,408
Bethlehem
69,407
Altoona
63,658
Chester
Population
1970
1,948,609
Philadelphia
520,117
Pittsburgh
129,231
Erie
109,871
Allentown
103,564
Scranton
87,643
Reading
72,686
Bethlehem
68,061
Harrisburg
63,115
Altoona
58,856
Wilkes-Barre
 
 
Population
1980
1,688,210
Philadelphia
423,938
Pittsburgh
119,123
Erie
103,758
Allentown
88,117
Scranton
78,686
Reading
70,419
Bethlehem
57,078
Altoona
54,725
Lancaster
53,264
Harrisburg
 
 
Population
1990
1,585,577
Philadelphia
369,962
Pittsburgh
108,749
Erie
105,719
Allentown
81,879
Scranton
77,843
Reading
71,428
Bethlehem
55,750
Lancaster
52,406
Altoona
51,995
Harrisburg
 
 
Population
2000
1,517,562
Philadelphia
334,325
Pittsburgh
106,661
Allentown
103,748
Erie
81,082
Reading
76,816
Scranton
71,329
Bethlehem
56,356
Lancaster
50,244
Altoona
48,833
Harrisburg
 
 
Population
2010
1,525,999
Philadelphia
305,306
Pittsburgh
118,018
Allentown
101,735
Erie
87,996
Reading
76,077
Scranton
74,982
Bethlehem
59,262
Lancaster
49,528
Harrisburg
45,967
Altoona
 
 
Population
2020
1,603,794
Philadelphia
302,958
Pittsburgh
125,855
Allentown
95,100
Reading
95,017
Erie
76,340
Scranton
75,795
Bethlehem
58,051
Lancaster
50,080
Harrisburg
44,793
York
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