1980
By 1980, the trends towards suburbanization started in the 1950s continued. City population continues to grow in the west and south.
For a more complete ranking, see the source material from the Census Bureau.
| Rank | City | State | Population | Notes |
| 1 | New York | New York | 7,071,639 | New York City experiences the largest loss of people within a city in American history when it loses nearly 900,000 people in only a ten year span. The city experienced severe financial strains and near bankruptcy of the local government during the 1970s until it was bailed out by the federal government. |
| 2 | Chicago | Illinois | 3,005,072 | Chicago for the last time ranked the second most populous city. |
| 3 | Los Angeles | California | 2,966,850 | |
| 4 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,688,210 | |
| 5 | Houston | Texas | 1,595,138 | |
| 6 | Detroit | Michigan | 1,203,339 | |
| 7 | Dallas | Texas | 904,078 | |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 875,538 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 9 | Phoenix | Arizona | 789,704 | First appearance in the top 10. |
| 10 | Baltimore | Maryland | 786,775 | Last appearance in the top 10. |
Read more about this topic: Largest Cities In The United States By Population By Decade