In 2020, about 82.66 percent of the total population in the United States lived in cities and urban areas. As the United States was one of the earliest nations to industrialize, it has had a comparatively high rate of urbanization over the past two centuries. The urban population became larger than the rural population during the 1910s, and by the middle of the century it is expected that almost 90 percent of the population will live in an urban setting. Regional development of urbanization in the U.S. The United States began to urbanize on a larger scale in the 1830s, as technological advancements reduced the labor demand in agriculture, and as European migration began to rise. One major difference between early urbanization in the U.S. and other industrializing economies, such as the UK or Germany, was population distribution. Throughout the 1800s, the Northeastern U.S. became the most industrious and urban region of the country, as this was the main point of arrival for migrants. Disparities in industrialization and urbanization was a key contributor to the Union's victory in the Civil War, not only due to population sizes, but also through production capabilities and transport infrastructure. The Northeast's population reached an urban majority in the 1870s, whereas this did not occur in the South until the 1950s. As more people moved westward in the late 1800s, not only did their population growth increase, but the share of the urban population also rose, with an urban majority established in both the West and Midwest regions in the 1910s. The West would eventually become the most urbanized region in the 1960s, and over 90 percent of the West's population is urbanized today. Urbanization today New York City is the most populous city in the United States, with a population of 8.3 million, while California has the largest urban population of any state. California also has the highest urbanization rate, although the District of Columbia is considered 100 percent urban. Only four U.S. states still have a rural majority, these are Maine, Mississippi, Montana, and West Virginia.

Approximately 41 million people immigrated to the United States of America between the years 1820 and 1957. During this time period, the United States expanded across North America, growing from 23 to 48 states, and the population grew from approximately 10 million people in 1820, to almost 180 million people by 1957. Economically, the U.S. developed from being an agriculturally focused economy in the 1820s, to having the highest GDP of any single country in the 1950s. Much of this expansion was due to the high numbers of agricultural workers who migrated from Europe, as technological advances in agriculture had lowered the labor demand. The majority of these migrants settled in urban centers, and this fueled the growth of the industrial sector.

American industrialization and European rural unemployment fuel migration The first major wave of migration came in the 1850s, and was fueled largely by Irish and German migrants, who were fleeing famine or agricultural depression at the time. The second boom came in the 1870s, as the country recovered from the American Civil War, and the Second Industrial Revolution took off. The final boom of the nineteenth century came in the 1880s, as poor harvests and industrialization in Europe led to mass emigration. Improvements in steam ship technology and lower fares led to increased migration from Eastern and Southern Europe at the turn of the century (particularly from Italy). War and depression reduces migration Migration to the U.S. peaked at the beginning of the 20th century, before it fluctuated greatly at the beginning of the 20th century. This was not only due to the disruptions to life in Europe caused by the world wars, but also the economic disruption of the Great Depression in the 1930s. The only period between 1914 and 1950 where migration was high was during the 1920s. However, the migration rate rose again in the late 1940s, particularly from Latin America and Asia. The historically high levels of migration from Europe has meant that the most common ethnicity in the U.S. has been non-Hispanic White since the early-colonial period, however increased migration from Latin America, Asia and Africa, and higher fertility rates among ethnic minorities, have seen the Whites' share of the total population fall in recent years (although it is still over three times larger than any other group.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the majority of documented migration to the United States of American came from European countries. Between 1820 and 1957, of the approximate 41 million migrants to the US, over 34 million of these came from Europe. The most commonly documented countries of origin during this time were Germany (6.6 million), Italy (4.9 million), Ireland (4.6 million), Great Britain (4.5 million), and Russia (3.4 million). The first wave of mass migration came in the 1850s, as the Great famine crippled Ireland's population, and many in rural areas of mainland Europe struggled to adapt to industrialization, and economic opportunities attracted many in the 1870s, following the American Civil War. The 1880s saw another wave, as steam powered ships and lower fares made trans-Atlantic journeys much more affordable. The first wave of mass migration from Eastern and Southern Europe also arrived at this time, as industrialization and agricultural advancements led to high unemployment in these regions.

The majority of migrants to the United States settled in major urban centers, which allowed the expansion of industry, leading to the United States' emergence as one of the leading global economies at the turn of the twentieth century. The largest wave of migration to the United states during this period came in the first fifteen years of the 1900s. The influx of migrants from Northern and Western Europe had now been replaced by an influx from Eastern and Southern Europe (although migration from the British Isles was still quite high during this time). European migration fell to it's lowest levels in eighty years during the First World War, before fluctuating again in the interwar period, due to the Great Depression. As the twentieth century progressed, the continent with the highest levels of migration to the US gradually changed from Europe to Latin America, as economic opportunities in Western Europe improved, and the US' relationship with the Soviet Union and other Eastern, communist states became complicated.

Graph and download economic data for Net Migration Flow for Bedford city, VA (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS051515) from 2009 to 2013 about Bedford City, VA; Lynchburg; migration; flow; VA; Net; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Philadelphia County/city, PA (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS042101) from 2009 to 2020 about Philadelphia County/City, PA; migration; Philadelphia; flow; PA; Net; 5-year; population; and USA.

In 2025, the degree of urbanization worldwide was at 58 percent. North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean were the regions with the highest level of urbanization, with over four-fifths of the population residing in urban areas. The degree of urbanization defines the share of the population living in areas defined as "cities". On the other hand, less than half of Africa's population lives in urban settlements. Globally, China accounts for over one-quarter of the built-up areas of more than 500,000 inhabitants. The definition of a city differs across various world regions - some countries count settlements with 100 houses or more as urban, while others only include the capital of a country or provincial capitals in their count. Largest agglomerations worldwideThough North America is the most urbanized continent, no U.S. city was among the top ten urban agglomerations worldwide in 2023. Tokyo-Yokohama in Japan was the largest urban area in the world that year, with 37.7 million inhabitants. New York ranked 13th, with 21.4 million inhabitants. Eight of the 10 most populous cities are located in Asia. ConnectivityIt may be hard to imagine how the reality will look in 2050, with 70 percent of the global population living in cities, but some statistics illustrate the ways urban living differs from suburban and rural living. American urbanites may lead more “connected” (i.e., internet-connected) lives than their rural and/or suburban counterparts. As of 2021, around 89 percent of people living in urban areas owned a smartphone. Internet usage was also higher in cities than in rural areas. On the other hand, rural areas always have, and always will, attract those who want to escape the rush of the city.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for San Francisco County/city, CA (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS006075) from 2009 to 2020 about San Francisco County/City, CA; migration; flow; San Francisco; Net; CA; 5-year; population; and USA.

This bar chart displays net migration (people) by capital city using the aggregation sum in the United States. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Honolulu County/city, HI (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS015003) from 2009 to 2020 about Honolulu County/City, HI; Honolulu; migration; HI; flow; Net; 5-year; population; and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Sitka Borough/City, AK (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS002220) from 2009 to 2020 about Sitka Borough/City, AK; migration; AK; flow; Net; 5-year; population; and USA.

Abstract This article aims to analyze the process of urban expansion of the State of Rio de Janeiro that took place from the 1980s to the 2010s, trying to understand the meaning of internalization of population growth in the state. In this analysis, we place emphasis on internal migration, considering its key role in this process. In this sense, the study discusses the change in the role played by the State of Rio de Janeiro in the context of internal migrations in Brazil and the loss of importance of interstate migration as determinant of the expansion of urban areas and internalization of growth. In addition, this article demonstrates the increasing importance of intrastate migration to such processes. The key (consolidated) indicators of internal migration and the mean annual rates of population growth showed that since around the early 1980s, the municipalities along the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro - Coastal Lowlands and North of Rio de Janeiro - have been the ones with the greatest positive net migration, the largest TLM and the highest rates of population growth. These migration flows represent, therefore, the main front of internalization of the State. It is important to note that these migrations consist of as till timid process of internalization of growth, given the huge concentration of the population in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro.

New York was the most populous state in the union in the year 1900. It had the largest white population, for both native born and foreign born persons, and together these groups made up over 7.1 million of New York's 7.2 million inhabitants at this time. The United States' industrial centers to the north and northeast were one of the most important economic draws during this period, and states in these regions had the largest foreign born white populations. Ethnic minorities Immigration into the agricultural southern states was much lower than the north, and these states had the largest Black populations due to the legacy of slavery - this balance would begin to shift in the following decades as a large share of the Black population migrated to urban centers to the north during the Great Migration. The Japanese and Chinese populations at this time were more concentrated in the West, as these states were the most common point of entry for Asians into the country. The states with the largest Native American populations were to the west and southwest, due to the legacy of forced displacement - this included the Indian Territory, an unorganized and independent territory assigned to the Native American population in the early 1800s, although this was incorporated into Oklahoma when it was admitted into the union in 1907. Additionally, non-taxpaying Native Americans were historically omitted from the U.S. Census, as they usually lived in separate communities and could not vote or hold office - more of an effort was made to count all Native Americans from 1890 onward, although there are likely inaccuracies in the figures given here. Changing distribution Internal migration in the 20th century greatly changed population distribution across the country, with California and Florida now ranking among the three most populous states in the U.S. today, while they were outside the top 20 in 1900. The growth of Western states' populations was largely due to the wave of internal migration during the Great Depression, where unemployment in the east saw many emigrate to "newer" states in search of opportunity, as well as significant immigration from Latin America (especially Mexico) and Asia since the mid-1900s.

This data was used by the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment to produce Figure 16 in the Urban chapter of the 2021 Australian State of the Environment Report.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Wrangell Borough/City, AK (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS002275) from 2009 to 2020 about Wrangell Borough/City, AK; migration; AK; flow; Net; 5-year; population; and USA.

Just as modern nation-states struggle to manage the cultural and economic impacts of migration, ancient civilizations dealt with similar external pressures and set policies to regulate people’s movements. In one of the earliest urban societies, the Indus Civilization, mechanisms linking city populations to hinterland groups remain enigmatic in the absence of written documents. However, isotopic data from human tooth enamel associated with Harappa Phase (2600-1900 BC) cemetery burials at Harappa (Pakistan) and Farmana (India) provide individual biogeochemical life histories of migration. Strontium and lead isotope ratios allow us to reinterpret the Indus tradition of cemetery inhumation as part of a specific and highly regulated institution of migration. Intra-individual isotopic shifts are consistent with immigration from resource-rich hinterlands during childhood. Furthermore, mortuary populations formed over hundreds of years and composed almost entirely of first-generation immigrants suggest that inhumation was the final step in a process linking certain urban Indus communities to diverse hinterland groups. Additional multi disciplinary analyses are warranted to confirm inferred patterns of Indus mobility, but the available isotopic data suggest that efforts to classify and regulate human movement in the ancient Indus region likely helped structure socioeconomic integration across an ethnically diverse landscape.

There are three components of change: births, deaths, and migration. The change in the population from births and deaths is often combined and referred to as natural increase or natural change. Populations grow or shrink depending on if they gain people faster than they lose them. Looking at an area’s unique combination of natural change and migration helps us understand why its population is changing, and how quickly the change is occurring.Natural IncreaseNatural change is the difference between births and deaths in a population. Often times, natural change is positive, which means that more babies are being born than people are dying. This positive natural change is referred to as natural increase. Examples of natural increase exist across the United States, one being the Salt Lake City metro area in Utah. Between 2014 and 2015, Salt Lake City had around 19,100 births and 6,400 deaths. Since there were about 12,700 more births than deaths, Salt Lake City had a natural increase of about 12,700 people, making natural increase a key reason why its population grew over the year.The opposite of natural increase is called natural decrease, where more people are dying than babies being born, which can cause a population to shrink. Areas with aging populations often have natural decrease. Two states had natural decrease between 2014 and 2015, Maine and West Virginia. Between 2014 and 2015, Maine had 450 more deaths than births and West Virginia had 940 more deaths than births. In both cases, natural decrease was one of the reasons why their populations shrank between 2014 and 2015 in our latest estimates.MigrationMigration is the movement of people from one area to another. It is often expressed as net migration, which is the difference between how many people move into and out of an area. When net migration is positive, a population has more people moving in than out. We split migration into domestic migration and international migration.Domestic migration refers to people moving between areas within the United States, and is often one of the largest contributors to population change. Regionally, the South gains the most net domestic migrants, with roughly 440,000 more people moving into southern states than leaving them between 2014 and 2015. Sometimes net domestic migration is negative, in which case more people are moving away than are moving in. The Chicago metro area in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin lost about 80,000 people through migration between 2014 and 2015, which is consistent with a long-standing pattern of negative net domestic migration for the metro area.International migration refers to people moving into and out of the United States, and consists of a diverse group of people such as foreign-born immigrants from many countries around the world, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and U.S. citizens working abroad. Some areas, like the Miami metro area in Florida, grow (in part) due to net international migration. Miami gained about 70,000 net international migrants between 2014 and 2015, making net international migration a major factor in Miami’s population growth.

Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Charles City County, VA was -28.00000 Persons in January of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Charles City County, VA reached a record high of 13.00000 in January of 2017 and a record low of -502.00000 in January of 2012. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Charles City County, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Broomfield County/city, CO (DISCONTINUED) (NETMIGNACS008014) from 2009 to 2020 about Broomfield County/City, CO; migration; Denver; flow; CO; Net; 5-year; population; and USA.

Fairfax City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Fairfax city, VA was -1453.00000 Persons in January of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Fairfax City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Fairfax city, VA reached a record high of -1453.00000 in January of 2020 and a record low of -10313.00000 in January of 2009. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Fairfax City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Fairfax city, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Alexandria City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Alexandria city, VA was -2073.00000 Persons in January of 2020, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Alexandria City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Alexandria city, VA reached a record high of 3521.00000 in January of 2009 and a record low of -2073.00000 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Alexandria City, VA - Net County-to-County Migration Flow (5-year estimate) for Alexandria city, VA - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.