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Biggest Cities in the Midwest U.S. by Decade

Name the 20 most populated cities in the Midwestern U.S. in each decennial census since 1840.
Populations taken from the US Census Bureau
Using the US Census Bureau's definition of states in the Midwest
Quiz by FlabberBapper
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Last updated: June 8, 2024
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First submittedJune 6, 2024
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Average score62.3%
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2020
2,746,388
Chicago
905,748
Columbus
887,642
Indianapolis
639,111
Detroit
577,222
Milwaukee
508,090
Kansas City
486,051
Omaha
429,954
Minneapolis
397,532
Wichita
372,624
Cleveland
311,527
Saint Paul
309,317
Cincinnati
301,578
St. Louis
291,082
Lincoln
270,871
Toledo
269,840
Madison
263,886
Fort Wayne
214,133
Des Moines
198,917
Grand Rapids
197,238
Overland Park
 
 
1990
2,783,726
Chicago
1,027,974
Detroit
731,327
Indianapolis
632,910
Columbus
628,088
Milwaukee
505,616
Cleveland
435,146
Kansas City
396,685
St. Louis
368,383
Minneapolis
364,040
Cincinnati
335,795
Omaha
332,943
Toledo
304,011
Wichita
272,235
Saint Paul
223,019
Akron
193,187
Des Moines
191,972
Lincoln
191,262
Madison
189,126
Grand Rapids
182,044
Dayton
 
 
1960
3,550,404
Chicago
1,670,144
Detroit
876,050
Cleveland
750,026
St. Louis
741,324
Milwaukee
502,550
Cincinnati
482,872
Minneapolis
476,258
Indianapolis
475,539
Kansas City
471,316
Columbus
318,003
Toledo
313,411
Saint Paul
301,598
Omaha
290,351
Akron
262,332
Dayton
254,698
Wichita
208,982
Des Moines
196,940
Flint
178,320
Gary
177,313
Grand Rapids
 
 
1930
3,376,438
Chicago
1,568,662
Detroit
900,429
Cleveland
821,960
St. Louis
578,249
Milwaukee
464,356
Minneapolis
451,160
Cincinnati
399,746
Kansas City
364,161
Indianapolis
290,718
Toledo
290,564
Columbus
271,606
Saint Paul
255,040
Akron
214,006
Omaha
200,982
Dayton
170,002
Youngstown
168,592
Grand Rapids
156,492
Flint
142,559
Des Moines
121,857
Kansas City, KS
 
 
1900
1,698,575
Chicago
575,238
St. Louis
391,768
Cleveland
325,902
Cincinnati
285,704
Detroit
285,315
Milwaukee
202,718
Minneapolis
169,164
Indianapolis
163,752
Kansas City
163,065
Saint Paul
131,822
Toledo
125,560
Columbus
102,979
St. Joseph
102,555
Omaha
87,565
Grand Rapids
85,333
Dayton
62,139
Des Moines
59,007
Evansville
56,100
Peoria
52,969
Duluth
 
 
1870
310,864
St. Louis
298,977
Chicago
216,239
Cincinnati
92,829
Cleveland
79,577
Detroit
71,440
Milwaukee
48,244
Indianapolis
32,260
Kansas City
31,584
Toledo
31,274
Columbus
30,473
Dayton
24,052
Quincy
22,849
Peoria
21,830
Evansville
20,038
Davenport
20,030
Saint Paul
19,565
St. Joseph
18,434
Dubuque
17,873
Leavenworth
17,718
Fort Wayne
 
 
1840
46,338
Cincinnati
16,469
St. Louis
9,102
Detroit
6,071
Cleveland
6,067
Dayton
6,048
Columbus
4,766
Zanesville
4,470
Chicago
4,247
Steubenville
4,226
New Albany
3,977
Chillicothe
3,798
Madison, IN
3,272
Lancaster
2,705
Newark
2,695
Indianapolis
2,579
Springfield, IL
2,363
Mount Vernon, OH
2,340
Alton
2,329
Circleville
2,319
Quincy
2010
2,695,598
Chicago
820,445
Indianapolis
787,033
Columbus
713,777
Detroit
594,833
Milwaukee
459,787
Kansas City
408,958
Omaha
396,815
Cleveland
382,578
Minneapolis
382,368
Wichita
319,294
St. Louis
296,943
Cincinnati
287,208
Toledo
285,068
Saint Paul
258,379
Lincoln
253,691
Fort Wayne
233,209
Madison
203,433
Des Moines
199,110
Akron
197,899
Aurora
 
 
1980
3,005,072
Chicago
1,203,339
Detroit
700,807
Indianapolis
636,212
Milwaukee
573,822
Cleveland
564,871
Columbus
453,085
St. Louis
448,159
Kansas City
385,457
Cincinnati
370,951
Minneapolis
354,635
Toledo
314,255
Omaha
279,272
Wichita
270,230
Saint Paul
237,177
Akron
203,371
Dayton
191,003
Des Moines
181,843
Grand Rapids
172,196
Fort Wayne
171,932
Lincoln
 
 
1950
3,620,962
Chicago
1,849,568
Detroit
914,808
Cleveland
856,796
St. Louis
637,392
Milwaukee
521,718
Minneapolis
503,998
Cincinnati
456,622
Kansas City
427,173
Indianapolis
375,901
Columbus
311,349
Saint Paul
303,616
Toledo
274,605
Akron
251,117
Omaha
243,872
Dayton
177,965
Des Moines
176,515
Grand Rapids
168,330
Youngstown
168,279
Wichita
163,143
Flint
 
 
1920
2,701,705
Chicago
993,078
Detroit
796,841
Cleveland
772,897
St. Louis
457,147
Milwaukee
401,247
Cincinnati
380,582
Minneapolis
324,410
Kansas City
314,194
Indianapolis
243,164
Toledo
237,031
Columbus
234,698
Saint Paul
208,435
Akron
191,601
Omaha
152,559
Dayton
137,634
Grand Rapids
132,358
Youngstown
126,468
Des Moines
101,177
Kansas City, KS
98,917
Duluth
 
 
1890
1,099,850
Chicago
451,770
St. Louis
296,908
Cincinnati
261,353
Cleveland
205,876
Detroit
204,468
Milwaukee
164,738
Minneapolis
140,452
Omaha
133,156
Saint Paul
132,716
Kansas City
105,436
Indianapolis
88,150
Columbus
81,434
Toledo
61,220
Dayton
60,278
Grand Rapids
55,154
Lincoln
52,324
St. Joseph
50,756
Evansville
50,093
Des Moines
46,322
Saginaw
 
 
1860
161,044
Cincinnati
160,773
St. Louis
112,172
Chicago
45,619
Detroit
45,246
Milwaukee
43,417
Cleveland
20,081
Dayton
18,611
Indianapolis
18,554
Columbus
14,045
Peoria
13,768
Toledo
13,718
Quincy
13,000
Dubuque
12,647
New Albany
11,484
Evansville
11,267
Davenport
10,401
Saint Paul
10,388
Fort Wayne
9,387
Lafayette
9,320
Springfield, IL
2000
2,896,016
Chicago
951,270
Detroit
791,926
Indianapolis
711,470
Columbus
596,974
Milwaukee
478,403
Cleveland
441,545
Kansas City
390,007
Omaha
382,618
Minneapolis
348,189
St. Louis
344,284
Wichita
331,285
Cincinnati
313,619
Toledo
287,151
Saint Paul
225,581
Lincoln
217,074
Akron
208,054
Madison
205,727
Fort Wayne
198,682
Des Moines
197,800
Grand Rapids
 
 
1970
3,366,957
Chicago
1,511,482
Detroit
750,903
Cleveland
744,624
Indianapolis
717,099
Milwaukee
622,236
St. Louis
539,677
Columbus
507,087
Kansas City
452,524
Cincinnati
434,400
Minneapolis
383,818
Toledo
347,328
Omaha
309,980
Saint Paul
276,554
Wichita
275,425
Akron
243,601
Dayton
200,587
Des Moines
197,649
Grand Rapids
179,260
Warren
177,671
Fort Wayne
 
 
1940
3,396,808
Chicago
1,623,452
Detroit
878,336
Cleveland
816,048
St. Louis
587,472
Milwaukee
492,370
Minneapolis
455,610
Cincinnati
399,178
Kansas City
386,972
Indianapolis
306,087
Columbus
287,736
Saint Paul
282,349
Toledo
244,791
Akron
223,844
Omaha
210,718
Dayton
167,720
Youngstown
164,292
Grand Rapids
159,819
Des Moines
151,543
Flint
121,458
Kansas City, KS
 
 
1910
2,185,283
Chicago
687,029
St. Louis
560,663
Cleveland
465,766
Detroit
373,857
Milwaukee
363,591
Cincinnati
301,408
Minneapolis
248,381
Kansas City
233,650
Indianapolis
214,744
Saint Paul
181,511
Columbus
168,497
Toledo
124,096
Omaha
116,577
Dayton
112,571
Grand Rapids
86,368
Des Moines
82,331
Kansas City, KS
79,066
Youngstown
78,466
Duluth
77,403
St. Joseph
 
 
1880
503,185
Chicago
350,518
St. Louis
255,139
Cincinnati
160,146
Cleveland
116,340
Detroit
115,587
Milwaukee
75,056
Indianapolis
55,785
Kansas City
51,647
Columbus
50,137
Toledo
46,887
Minneapolis
41,473
Saint Paul
38,678
Dayton
32,431
St. Joseph
32,016
Grand Rapids
30,518
Omaha
29,280
Evansville
29,259
Peoria
27,268
Quincy
26,880
Fort Wayne
 
 
1850
115,435
Cincinnati
77,860
St. Louis
29,963
Chicago
21,019
Detroit
20,061
Milwaukee
17,882
Columbus
17,034
Cleveland
10,977
Dayton
8,181
New Albany
8,091
Indianapolis
8,012
Madison, IN
7,929
Zanesville
7,100
Chillicothe
6,902
Quincy
6,129
Lafayette
6,004
Galena
5,108
Springfield, OH
5,107
Racine
5,095
Peoria
5,087
Sandusky
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