The Atlas

Cities

A city is a local government of more built-up barangays, led by a mayor, a vice mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the city council.^[1] Only Congress can make a city, by law, approved in a plebiscite. Since 2001 the law asks for an income of ₱100 million a year and either 100 km² of land or 150,000 people.^{[1, 2]}

A city of 200,000 people and ₱50 million a year can be declared highly urbanized by the President, after a plebiscite.^[1] Highly urbanized cities, and independent component cities whose voters do not vote for the province's officials, govern themselves apart from their province; a component city is part of it.^[3]

Every city in a colour of its own, no two side by side alike.

At a glance

CitiesCity classA highly urbanized city or an independent component city governs itself apart from the province around it: its voters do not elect the governor. A component city is part of its province.More in the glossary: 149^[4]; 33 highly urbanized, 5 independent component, 111 component
People, 2024CensusA count of every person in the country, all on one day. The 2024 census counted people as they were on 1 July 2024.More in the glossary: 46,636,790^[5]; About 41 of every 100 people in the country live in a city.
Land areaLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary: 36,971.09 km²^[6]; Each city's official area, added up.
Most people: Quezon City^[5]; Metro Manila; 3,084,270 people
Fewest people: Palayan City^[5]; Nueva Ecija; 47,883 people
Largest by landLand areaThe land inside the place's official boundary. A square kilometre is a square 1 km on each side, about the size of 140 football fields.More in the glossary: Davao City^[6]; Davao del Sur; 2,799.54 km²
Most crowdedPopulation densityHow crowded a place is on average: its people divided by its land area. 1,000 people per square kilometre is 10 people per hectare, a square of 100 by 100 metres.More in the glossary: Manila^[6]; Metro Manila; 45,430 people per km²
Fastest growingGrowth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary: Biñan City^[5]; Laguna; 9.04% a year, 2020 to 2024
Fewer people than in 2020Growth a yearHow fast the number of people changed each year between two censuses. 1% a year means about 1 more person for every 100 people, each year.More in the glossary: 13 cities^[5]; The steepest fall: Imus City, −0.72% a year.

Each row is a city, with its 2024 census figures. Choose a column heading or a sort button to order the list, and choose it again to turn the order round. Narrow it with the menus.

149 cities, 1 to 50 shown, most people first.

Cities, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
1	Quezon CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	3,084,270	18,431	167.34 km²	0.99% a year
2	ManilaHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	1,902,590	45,430	41.88 km²	0.72% a year
3	Davao CityHighly urbanized city · Davao del Sur	1,848,947	660	2,799.54 km²	0.96% a year
4	Caloocan CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	1,712,945	30,269	56.59 km²	0.73% a year
5	Taguig CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	1,308,085	30,224	43.28 km²	1.61% a year
6	Zamboanga CityHighly urbanized city · Zamboanga del Sur	1,018,849	663	1,537.50 km²	1.01% a year
7	Cebu CityHighly urbanized city · Cebu	965,332	3,293	293.17 km²	0.03% a year
8	Antipolo CityComponent city · Rizal	913,712	7,502	121.80 km²	0.70% a year
9	Pasig CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	853,050	24,513	34.80 km²	1.46% a year
10	Dasmariñas CityComponent city · Cavite	744,511	8,258	90.16 km²	1.38% a year
11	Cagayan De Oro CityHighly urbanized city · Misamis Oriental	741,617	1,294	573.29 km²	0.43% a year
12	Valenzuela CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	725,173	15,984	45.37 km²	0.34% a year
13	General Santos CityHighly urbanized city · South Cotabato	722,059	1,436	502.80 km²	0.84% a year
14	Parañaque CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	703,245	14,636	48.05 km²	0.46% a year
15	San Jose Del Monte CityComponent city · Bulacan	685,688	2,433	281.86 km²	1.22% a year
16	Bacoor CityComponent city · Cavite	661,381	14,422	45.86 km²	−0.12% a year
17	Bacolod CityHighly urbanized city · Negros Occidental	624,787	3,888	160.68 km²	0.94% a year
18	Las Piñas CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	615,549	18,687	32.94 km²	0.36% a year
19	Biñan CityComponent city · Laguna	584,479	14,868	39.31 km²	9.04% a year
20	Calamba CityComponent city · Laguna	575,046	3,858	149.07 km²	1.53% a year
21	Muntinlupa CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	552,225	14,023	39.38 km²	0.39% a year
22	Lapu-Lapu CityHighly urbanized city · Cebu	497,813	8,453	58.89 km²	0.01% a year
23	Angeles CityHighly urbanized city · Pampanga	483,452	7,622	63.43 km²	1.05% a year
24	General Trias CityComponent city · Cavite	482,453	5,620	85.84 km²	1.65% a year
25	Imus CityComponent city · Cavite	481,949	8,975	53.70 km²	−0.72% a year
26	Iloilo CityHighly urbanized city · Iloilo	473,728	6,047	78.34 km²	0.83% a year
27	Marikina CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	471,323	20,368	23.14 km²	0.79% a year
28	Mandaluyong CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	465,902	40,690	11.45 km²	2.18% a year
29	Pasay CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	453,186	25,024	18.11 km²	0.67% a year
30	Santa Rosa CityComponent city · Laguna	430,920	7,698	55.98 km²	0.92% a year
31	Tarlac CityComponent city · Tarlac	401,892	1,521	264.21 km²	1.01% a year
32	Malabon CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	389,929	23,419	16.65 km²	0.59% a year
33	Lipa CityComponent city · Batangas	387,392	1,755	220.68 km²	0.92% a year
34	Butuan CityHighly urbanized city · Agusan del Norte	385,530	557	691.70 km²	0.80% a year
35	Cotabato CityIndependent component city · Maguindanao del Norte	383,383	2,178	175.99 km²	4.04% a year
36	San Fernando CityComponent city · Pampanga	377,534	5,425	69.59 km²	1.51% a year
37	Baguio CityHighly urbanized city · Benguet	368,426	6,405	57.52 km²	0.14% a year
38	Iligan CityHighly urbanized city · Lanao del Norte	368,132	592	621.70 km²	0.33% a year
39	Cabuyao CityComponent city · Laguna	365,202	8,634	42.30 km²	0.66% a year
40	Mandaue CityHighly urbanized city · Cebu	364,482	14,133	25.79 km²	0.02% a year
41	Batangas CityComponent city · Batangas	358,267	1,322	271.07 km²	0.46% a year
42	San Pedro CityComponent city · Laguna	348,968	14,856	23.49 km²	1.65% a year
43	Cabanatuan CityComponent city · Nueva Ecija	343,672	1,765	194.73 km²	1.18% a year
44	Puerto Princesa CityHighly urbanized city · Palawan	316,384	154	2,048.27 km²	0.72% a year
45	Makati CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	309,770	13,817	22.42 km²	1.37% a year
46	Mabalacat CityComponent city · Pampanga	306,594	1,838	166.80 km²	1.07% a year
47	San Pablo CityComponent city · Laguna	300,166	1,615	185.81 km²	1.22% a year
48	Tagum CityComponent city · Davao del Norte	300,042	1,610	186.41 km²	0.31% a year
49	Lucena CityHighly urbanized city · Quezon	280,331	3,411	82.18 km²	0.12% a year
50	Malolos CityComponent city · Bulacan	269,809	3,782	71.34 km²	0.78% a year

How it fits

Cities and municipalities are the local governments of the towns, each led by a mayor, a vice mayor and a council, and each made up of barangays. A municipality becomes a city by a law of Congress, once it earns enough and has enough people or land.

Sources

The list shows each place's own figures: people from the PSA's 2024 census, growth from its 2020 census, land areas from the Land Management Bureau's 2019 masterlist. Every figure's source is on its place's page; how Scene works out the rest.

1.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 7160: the Local Government Code of 1991. Published October 10, 1991. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
2.Congress of the Philippines. Republic Act No. 9009: amending Section 450 of the Local Government Code, raising the income a municipality needs to become a component city. Published February 24, 2001. Read by Scene October 3, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
3.1986 Constitutional Commission. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Published February 2, 1987. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. Philippine government work, no copyright (Republic Act No. 8293, Section 176.1). Open the source
4.Philippine Statistics Authority. Philippine Standard Geographic Code (PSGC), 2nd Quarter 2026: Publication Datafile. Published June 30, 2026. Read by Scene September 24, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source
5.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
6.Philippine Statistics Authority, from the Land Management Bureau (DENR). Population, Land Area, Population Density, and Percent Change in Population Density by Region, Province/Highly Urbanized City, and City/Municipality: 2015, 2020, and 2024 (OpenSTAT table 0221A6DLPD0). Published August 7, 2026. Read by Scene October 2, 2026. CC BY (PSA Terms of Use). Open the source

Scene adds what the sources do not print themselves: growth rates, shares, barangay areas and densities, coordinates, neighbours and distances, each computed from the figures and borders above. How each is made.

See something wrong on this page? Write to hello@scene.ph with the page address. We check every report against the source.