Ranking

Fastest-growing cities and municipalities in Central Luzon

Bacolor (Pampanga) grew fastest of the 130 cities and municipalities in Central Luzon that can be compared: up 23.5%, from 48,066 people in 2020 to 59,361 in 2024.^{[1, 2]}

Below are the first 100 of 130 cities and municipalities, ordered by how many more people they had in 2024 than in 2020, in percent, each with its 2020 count and its change since.

People are counted as of July 1, 2024 (the 2024 Census of Population) and May 1, 2020 (the 2020 Census of Population and Housing), both by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Open Central Luzon

Fastest-growing cities and municipalities in Central Luzon, top 100
Rank	Name	Province or region	People, 2024	People, 2020	Change since 2020
1	Bacolor	Pampanga	59,361	48,066	+23.5%
2	Santa Maria	Bulacan	322,525	289,820	+11.3%
3	San Simon	Pampanga	65,760	59,182	+11.1%
4	San Luis	Pampanga	64,674	58,551	+10.5%
5	Sasmuan	Pampanga	32,081	29,076	+10.3%
6	Lubao	Pampanga	190,355	173,502	+9.7%
7	Palauig	Zambales	43,250	39,784	+8.7%
8	Mexico	Pampanga	187,597	173,403	+8.2%
9	Magalang	Pampanga	133,883	124,188	+7.8%
10	Floridablanca	Pampanga	146,095	135,542	+7.8%
11	Iba	Zambales	59,580	55,581	+7.2%
12	Guagua	Pampanga	137,948	128,893	+7.0%
13	Samal	Bataan	40,843	38,302	+6.6%
14	Moncada	Tarlac	66,925	62,819	+6.5%
15	San Fernando City	Pampanga	377,534	354,666	+6.5%
16	San Ildefonso	Bulacan	123,140	115,713	+6.4%
17	Candelaria	Zambales	32,182	30,263	+6.3%
18	Macabebe	Pampanga	82,933	78,151	+6.1%
19	Santa Rosa	Nueva Ecija	80,258	75,649	+6.1%
20	Jaen	Nueva Ecija	83,895	79,189	+5.9%
21	Nampicuan	Nueva Ecija	15,297	14,471	+5.7%
22	Plaridel	Bulacan	120,939	114,432	+5.7%
23	Balanga City	Bataan	109,931	104,173	+5.5%
24	Llanera	Nueva Ecija	44,620	42,281	+5.5%
25	Palayan City	Nueva Ecija	47,883	45,383	+5.5%
26	Gapan City	Nueva Ecija	129,610	122,968	+5.4%
27	Botolan	Zambales	70,340	66,739	+5.4%
28	Anao	Tarlac	12,865	12,208	+5.4%
29	San Jose Del Monte City	Bulacan	685,688	651,813	+5.2%
30	Dinalupihan	Bataan	124,188	118,209	+5.1%
31	Concepcion	Tarlac	178,549	169,953	+5.1%
32	Dingalan	Aurora	29,286	27,878	+5.1%
33	Laur	Nueva Ecija	40,185	38,263	+5.0%
34	San Rafael	Bulacan	108,256	103,097	+5.0%
35	Cabanatuan City	Nueva Ecija	343,672	327,325	+5.0%
36	Paombong	Bulacan	58,453	55,696	+5.0%
37	Doña Remedios Trinidad	Bulacan	30,064	28,656	+4.9%
38	Pandi	Bulacan	162,725	155,115	+4.9%
39	Talugtug	Nueva Ecija	26,469	25,236	+4.9%
40	San Jose	Tarlac	43,185	41,182	+4.9%
41	Zaragoza	Nueva Ecija	55,657	53,090	+4.8%
42	Porac	Pampanga	147,551	140,751	+4.8%
43	San Marcelino	Zambales	39,542	37,719	+4.8%
44	Pura	Tarlac	27,017	25,781	+4.8%
45	Limay	Bataan	81,960	78,272	+4.7%
46	Camiling	Tarlac	91,400	87,319	+4.7%
47	San Narciso	Zambales	32,180	30,759	+4.6%
48	Morong	Bataan	37,024	35,394	+4.6%
49	San Manuel	Tarlac	29,693	28,387	+4.6%
50	Mayantoc	Tarlac	34,091	32,597	+4.6%
51	Bagac	Bataan	32,799	31,365	+4.6%
52	Mabalacat City	Pampanga	306,594	293,244	+4.6%
53	San Clemente	Tarlac	13,781	13,181	+4.6%
54	Bocaue	Bulacan	147,755	141,412	+4.5%
55	San Miguel	Bulacan	179,792	172,073	+4.5%
56	Angeles City	Pampanga	483,452	462,928	+4.4%
57	Santa Cruz	Zambales	66,647	63,839	+4.4%
58	La Paz	Tarlac	71,978	68,952	+4.4%
59	Bustos	Bulacan	80,565	77,199	+4.4%
60	Subic	Zambales	116,788	111,912	+4.4%
61	Santo Domingo	Nueva Ecija	63,750	61,092	+4.4%
62	Abucay	Bataan	44,846	42,984	+4.3%
63	Cabangan	Zambales	29,334	28,118	+4.3%
64	Tarlac City	Tarlac	401,892	385,398	+4.3%
65	Capas	Tarlac	162,724	156,056	+4.3%
66	Cabiao	Nueva Ecija	89,497	85,862	+4.2%
67	Mariveles	Bataan	156,200	149,879	+4.2%
68	Guiguinto	Bulacan	118,173	113,415	+4.2%
69	Cuyapo	Nueva Ecija	70,919	68,066	+4.2%
70	Arayat	Pampanga	150,949	144,875	+4.2%
71	San Felipe	Zambales	26,081	25,033	+4.2%
72	Balagtas	Bulacan	80,221	77,018	+4.2%
73	Ramos	Tarlac	23,808	22,879	+4.1%
74	Hermosa	Bataan	80,557	77,443	+4.0%
75	General Tinio	Nueva Ecija	58,093	55,925	+3.9%
76	Talavera	Nueva Ecija	137,444	132,338	+3.9%
77	Santa Ignacia	Tarlac	53,620	51,626	+3.9%
78	San Jose City	Nueva Ecija	156,714	150,917	+3.8%
79	Bongabon	Nueva Ecija	69,376	66,839	+3.8%
80	Candaba	Pampanga	124,019	119,497	+3.8%
81	Masinloc	Zambales	56,579	54,529	+3.8%
82	Orion	Bataan	63,044	60,771	+3.7%
83	Orani	Bataan	72,941	70,342	+3.7%
84	Gerona	Tarlac	97,937	94,485	+3.7%
85	Minalin	Pampanga	50,126	48,380	+3.6%
86	Sto. Tomas	Pampanga	44,376	42,846	+3.6%
87	Marilao	Bulacan	263,507	254,453	+3.6%
88	Bamban	Tarlac	81,012	78,260	+3.5%
89	Angat	Bulacan	67,862	65,617	+3.4%
90	Norzagaray	Bulacan	140,697	136,064	+3.4%
91	Baliwag City	Bulacan	174,194	168,470	+3.4%
92	Apalit	Pampanga	121,057	117,160	+3.3%
93	Malolos City	Bulacan	269,809	261,189	+3.3%
94	Castillejos	Zambales	70,105	67,889	+3.3%
95	Gabaldon	Nueva Ecija	40,223	38,958	+3.3%
96	Calumpit	Bulacan	122,187	118,471	+3.1%
97	San Antonio	Zambales	38,617	37,450	+3.1%
98	Paniqui	Tarlac	106,190	103,003	+3.1%
99	Santa Ana	Pampanga	63,431	61,537	+3.1%
100	Victoria	Tarlac	71,495	69,370	+3.1%

How the comparison is kept fair

130 of the 130 cities and municipalities in Central Luzon can be compared. The other 0 are left out.

Only places with at least 1,000 people in the 2020 census are ranked, so a village that gained a few families does not top the list.
A place is ranked only if the same place was counted in both censuses. Scene leaves out a place the PSA's list of changes shows as created, divided, merged or given a new code since the 2020 census, a place another one was carved out of, and a place with no 2020 count.
The PSA's data carries no field that flags a changed border by itself; Scene reads the change list and the notes to each count, so a border change the PSA has not listed cannot be seen here.

The change is the percent difference between the two counts, as Scene works it out.

Sources

Every count here is the PSA's own, for the place as the PSA names it today. The change and the order are Scene's arithmetic on those counts. How Scene works out the rest.

1.Philippine Statistics Authority. Population and Annual Population Growth Rate of the Philippines and its Regions, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities Based on the 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2024 Population Census (OpenSTAT table 0211A6DAPG0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
2.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Summary of Changes, every change to a place since 1977. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene works out the rest from these sources: growth rates, shares, areas, densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances. How.

Report a mistake on this page: write to hello@scene.ph with the page address.