Jerusalem was the largest city in Israel with over *********** inhabitants as of the end of 2024. It was followed by Tel Aviv with almost half a million residents. Haifa was the third-largest city in the country, with just under ******* inhabitants.

Actual value and historical data chart for Israel Population In Largest City

In 2022, the number of real estate transactions of new apartments in Jerusalem in Israel amounted to 2,195. The transactions in this city topped the list among the major cities in Israel. It was closely followed by the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo with 1,914 transactions of new apartments. The cities of Haifa and Bnei Brak round out the list with only 908 and 275 new apartment transactions, respectively.

Israel IL: Population in Largest City data was reported at 3,905,583.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,802,958.000 Person for 2016. Israel IL: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 1,701,658.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,905,583.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 738,158.000 Person in 1960. Israel IL: Population in Largest City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

In 2022, the average number of people per household in the city of Bnei Brak in Israel was ****. This city topped the list of people per household among large cities in Israel (******* or more people). In comparison, the national average number of people per household was ****, which put Bnei Brak, a city with a predominantly Orthodox Jewish population. The city of Tel Aviv-Yafo ends the list with an average of **** persons per household.

Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 48.549 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 48.235 % for 2016. Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 43.148 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.583 % in 1996 and a record low of 39.459 % in 1980. Israel IL: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Israel – Table IL.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

In 2025, Tel Aviv ranked first as the best city for startups in Israel. The commercial capital of Israel scored almost ** points on the index, nine times higher than Jerusalem, which came second in the national ranking. Furthermore, Tel Aviv ranked ***** globally, among the top cities for startups in 2025.

In 2023, Jerusalem was the city with the largest population of Muslim residents in Israel, reaching ******* people. This represented about ** percent of the city's total population. The town with the second-highest number of Muslims was Rahat, with ****** members of the religion. Rahat is a predominantly Bedouin city in southern Israel. Umm al-Fahm and Nazareth, both located in northern Israel, make up a sizeable portion of the Muslim community in Israel.

Jerusalem was the city with the largest population of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents in Israel in 2022, reaching ******* people. The community accounted for almost ** percent of the city's total population. The town with the second-highest number of Ultra-Orthodox Jews was Bnei Brak, with ******* residents. Beit Shemesh and Modi'in Illit also made up a sizable portion of the Ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 19,348 cities in the United States by Israeli population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Israeli Population: This column displays the rank of city in the United States by their Israeli population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Israeli Population: The Israeli population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Israeli. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total United States Israeli Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Israeli population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

This horizontal bar chart displays rural land area (km²) by capital city using the aggregation sum in Israel. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, Haifa was the city with the largest population of Christians in Israel, with ****** residents who identify with the faith. The town with the second-highest number of Christians was Nazareth, with ****** members of the religion. Christians living in Jerusalem and the Northern town of Nof HaGalil also made up a sizeable portion of the community.

This horizontal bar chart displays life expectancy at birth (year) by capital city using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Israel. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays hospital beds (per 1,000 people) by capital city using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Israel. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays methane emissions (Mt of CO2 equivalent) by capital city using the aggregation sum in Israel. The data is filtered where the date is 2023. The data is about countries per year.

The two countries with the greatest shares of the world's Jewish population are the United States and Israel. The United States had been a hub of Jewish immigration since the nineteenth century, as Jewish people sought to escape persecution in Europe by emigrating across the Atlantic. The Jewish population in the U.S. is largely congregated in major urban areas, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, with the New York metropolitan area being the city with the second largest Jewish population worldwide, after Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel is the world's only officially Jewish state, having been founded in 1948 following the first Arab-Israeli War. While Jews had been emigrating to the holy lands since the nineteenth century, when they were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, immigration increased rapidly following the establishment of the state of Israel. Jewish communities in Eastern Europe who had survived the Holocaust saw Israel as a haven from persecution, while the state encouraged immigration from Jewish communities in other regions, notably the Middle East & North Africa. Smaller Jewish communities remain in Europe in countries such as France, the UK, and Germany, and in other countries which were hotspots for Jewish migration in the twentieth century, such as Canada and Argentina.

In the first quarter of 2023, the average price of dwellings in Haifa in Israel amounted to almost 1.64 million Israeli shekels (roughly 440,000 U.S. dollars). That was a slight increase compared to the previous quarter. The average price of residences in this city gradually increased during the observed period. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel.

In 2023, the two largest Druze towns by population in Israel were Daliyat al-Karmel and Yarka, with ****** and ****** residents, respectively. Other concentration of the religious group resided in Maghar with ****** residents, Beit Jann with ******. Majdal Shams, located in the Golan Heights, had ****** inhabitants, of whom 100 percent were Druze.

This horizontal bar chart displays greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, SF6) (Mt of CO2 equivalent) by capital city using the aggregation sum in Israel. The data is filtered where the date is 2023. The data is about countries per year.

Apartment prices in Tel Aviv are the highest among the major cities in Israel. In the first quarter of 2023, the average cost of dwellings in Tel Aviv amounted to over *** million Israeli shekels (roughly **** million U.S. dollars). That was a slight rise compared to the previous quarter. The average price of apartments in the city slightly fluctuated but overall increased during the observed period. Due to the high housing prices in the city, many who wish to live in the city can afford only rented housing. The The number of households  living in rented dwellings in Tel Aviv amounted to ******* in 2020, making it the most common type of residency that year.  

High demand for housing in Tel Aviv 

Tel Aviv is the financial and cultural capital of Israel. Important companies in the Israeli economy and most of the influential cultural institutions in Israel are located in the city. As a result, many are interested in living in the city permanently, so housing prices remain high and even rise. Tel Aviv is the most important city in the Israeli high-tech industry, one of the most essential industries in the Israeli economy. As a result, many of the industry workers live in the city. In 2022, StartupBlink ranked Tel Aviv first in its list of leading cities for startups in Israel, with a score of 54.89. 

Residence in Jerusalem and Haifa is more affordable 

Jerusalem, the largest city in Israel, offers more affordable housing than Tel Aviv. In the first quarter of 2023, the aaverage price of apartments in Jerusalem amounted to just over *** million Israeli shekels (around ******* U.S. dollars). Although the price is lower than in Tel Aviv, many Israelis hesitate to reside there. Jerusalem has a traditional character; therefore, it has fewer leisure and nightlife options than Tel Aviv can offer. The standard price of dwellings in Haifa, the largest city in the northern part of Israel, is lower than both towns. In the same quarter, it reached almost **** million Israeli shekels (approximately ******* U.S. dollars).