Name
Date
Class
Population
Activity 1 Population Density
The table below shows the population of the largest cities in the United States in 2000.
It also provides each city’s area in square miles and its population density. The population
density, or average number of people living in a given area, is expressed as thousands
of people per square mile. Refer to the table as necessary to answer the questions that
follow.
Population of the Largest Cities in the United States
City
Population,
2002
Area,
sq. mi.
Pop. per
sq. mi.
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Chicago, IL
Houston, TX
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
San Diego, CA
Dallas, TX
San Antonio, TX
Detroit, MI
8,084,316
3,798,981
2,886,251
2,009,834
1,492,231
1,371,960
1,259,532
1,211,467
1,194,222
925,051
303.3
469.1
227.1
579.4
135.1
474.9
324.3
342.5
407.6
138.8
26,655
8,098
12,709
3,469
11,045
2,889
3,884
3,537
2,930
6,665
Source: The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2004.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
Analyzing a Table
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What were the two most populous cities in the United States in 2002?
What is the difference between population size and population density?
Which two cities were the most densely populated?
Is your town or city large or small compared to others in your state?
Is your town or city sparsely or densely populated?
What is the effect of the population density on the environment and the quality of life in
your neighborhood?