Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States
United States: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 80.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
80.2%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
69th
of 238 countries
All-time high
80.7%
in 2010
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States stood at 80.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States peaked at 80.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
United States ranks 69th of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.2% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.7% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 2.0% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 2.0% | -0.6% |
| 1720 | 2.2% | +12.5% |
| 1730 | 2.5% | +12.5% |
| 1740 | 2.8% | +12.5% |
| 1750 | 3.2% | +12.5% |
| 1760 | 3.6% | +12.5% |
| 1770 | 4.0% | +12.5% |
| 1780 | 4.5% | +12.5% |
| 1790 | 5.1% | +12.5% |
| 1800 | 6.1% | +19.6% |
| 1810 | 7.3% | +19.7% |
| 1820 | 7.2% | -1.4% |
| 1830 | 8.8% | +22.2% |
| 1840 | 10.8% | +22.7% |
| 1850 | 15.3% | +41.7% |
| 1860 | 19.8% | +29.4% |
| 1870 | 25.7% | +29.8% |
| 1880 | 28.2% | +9.7% |
| 1890 | 35.1% | +24.5% |
| 1900 | 39.6% | +12.8% |
| 1910 | 45.6% | +15.2% |
| 1920 | 51.2% | +12.3% |
| 1930 | 56.2% | +9.8% |
| 1940 | 60.0% | +6.8% |
| 1950 | 64.0% | +6.6% |
| 1951 | 64.6% | +1.0% |
| 1952 | 65.3% | +1.0% |
| 1953 | 66.0% | +1.0% |
| 1954 | 66.6% | +1.0% |
| 1955 | 67.3% | +1.0% |
| 1956 | 67.9% | +0.9% |
| 1957 | 68.5% | +0.9% |
| 1958 | 69.0% | +0.8% |
| 1959 | 69.5% | +0.7% |
| 1960 | 70.0% | +0.7% |
| 1961 | 70.4% | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 70.9% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 71.4% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 71.9% | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 72.3% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 72.7% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 73.0% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 73.2% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 73.4% | +0.2% |
| 1970 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 1971 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 73.6% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 73.7% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 73.7% | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 73.7% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 73.8% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 73.8% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 74.0% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 74.2% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 74.3% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 74.5% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 74.7% | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 74.8% | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 75.1% | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 75.3% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 75.5% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 75.9% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 76.3% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 76.7% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 77.7% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 78.1% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 78.5% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 78.8% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 79.1% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 79.3% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 79.5% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 79.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 80.0% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 80.2% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 80.4% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 80.5% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 80.6% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 80.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 80.7% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 80.7% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 80.7% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 80.6% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 80.6% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 80.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 80.4% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 80.3% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 80.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 80.0% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 80.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 80.0% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 80.1% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 80.1% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 80.2% | +0.1% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 80.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 99% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 1 |
| 1700s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1 |
| 1720s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1740s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1750s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1 |
| 1760s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1770s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 1 |
| 1790s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
| 1800s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1810s | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 1 |
| 1820s | 7.2% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 1 |
| 1830s | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 1 |
| 1840s | 10.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 1 |
| 1850s | 15.3% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 1 |
| 1860s | 19.8% | 19.8% | 19.8% | 1 |
| 1870s | 25.7% | 25.7% | 25.7% | 1 |
| 1880s | 28.2% | 28.2% | 28.2% | 1 |
| 1890s | 35.1% | 35.1% | 35.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 39.6% | 39.6% | 39.6% | 1 |
| 1910s | 45.6% | 45.6% | 45.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 51.2% | 51.2% | 51.2% | 1 |
| 1930s | 56.2% | 56.2% | 56.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 60.0% | 60.0% | 60.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 66.9% | 64.0% | 69.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 71.9% | 70.0% | 73.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 73.6% | 73.5% | 73.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.3% | 73.8% | 75.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 77.0% | 75.3% | 78.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.0% | 79.1% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.5% | 80.1% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.1% | 80.0% | 80.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 66 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 81.1% compare
- 67 Spain 80.5% compare
- 68 American Samoa 80.5% compare
- 70 Mexico 80.0% compare
- 71 Costa Rica 79.7% compare
- 72 Belarus 79.5% compare
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in United States was 80.2% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 80.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does United States rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- United States ranks 69th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.