# How many cities?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149 "2001-08-20T15:09:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/1 "2001-08-20T15:09:00Z")

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I was just wondering if anyone knew how many cities, towns, villages, municipalities, etc. there were in the USA. I couldn’t seem to find any place that had one number. Thanks

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/2 "2001-08-20T15:43:02Z")

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31352

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**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/3 "2001-08-20T15:56:06Z")

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According to [Cecil’s little helper](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/muscities.html):  
In short (well, too late for that), according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 19,354 “incorporated places” in the United States.

19,355 if you have to include Pittsburgh.

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**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/4 "2001-08-20T15:57:45Z")

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Hate to disagree with **Shagnasty** , but the answer is (was, as of 1997) 36,001, with an addtional 3,043 counties and 13,726 school districts.

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**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/5 "2001-08-20T16:01:29Z")

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The 36,001 consisting of 19,372 municipalities and 16,629 townships. [Overall](http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/statab/sec09.pdf), there are 87,453 units of local government (excluding the 50 states).

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**Author:** ![Chekmate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/46a35a/32.png) [@Chekmate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chekmate)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cities/77149/6 "2001-08-20T16:21:20Z")

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OK SmartyPantses. Make it a little harder. I’ve always wondered about worldwide too. Any help there?