The Atlas

Cities in Mindanao

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]

LuzonVisayasMindanao

Cities in Mindanao, 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: 33^[4]; 6 highly urbanized, 1 independent component, 26 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: 9,314,600^[5]
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: 15,406.57 km²^[6]; Each city's official area, added up.
Most people: Davao City^[5]; Davao del Sur; 1,848,947 people
Fewest people: El Salvador City^[5]; Misamis Oriental; 62,126 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: Marawi City^[6]; Lanao del Sur; 3,093 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: Marawi City^[5]; Lanao del Sur; 5.62% 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: 3 cities^[5]; The steepest fall: Pagadian City, −0.46% a year.

Island group: Mindanao

Region: All

Sort: Most people

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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.

33 cities, most people first.

Cities in Mindanao, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
1	Davao CityHighly urbanized city · Davao del Sur	1,848,947	660	2,799.54 km²	0.96% a year
2	Zamboanga CityHighly urbanized city · Zamboanga del Sur	1,018,849	663	1,537.50 km²	1.01% a year
3	Cagayan De Oro CityHighly urbanized city · Misamis Oriental	741,617	1,294	573.29 km²	0.43% a year
4	General Santos CityHighly urbanized city · South Cotabato	722,059	1,436	502.80 km²	0.84% a year
5	Butuan CityHighly urbanized city · Agusan del Norte	385,530	557	691.70 km²	0.80% a year
6	Cotabato CityIndependent component city · Maguindanao del Norte	383,383	2,178	175.99 km²	4.04% a year
7	Iligan CityHighly urbanized city · Lanao del Norte	368,132	592	621.70 km²	0.33% a year
8	Tagum CityComponent city · Davao del Norte	300,042	1,610	186.41 km²	0.31% a year
9	Marawi CityComponent city · Lanao del Sur	259,993	3,093	84.07 km²	5.62% a year
10	Valencia CityComponent city · Bukidnon	223,620	342	654.08 km²	0.77% a year
11	Panabo CityComponent city · Davao del Norte	211,242	841	251.17 km²	0.23% a year
12	Pagadian CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Sur	206,483	711	290.52 km²	−0.46% a year
13	Koronadal CityComponent city · South Cotabato	201,844	719	280.70 km²	0.78% a year
14	Malaybalay CityComponent city · Bukidnon	195,046	177	1,102.53 km²	0.54% a year
15	Digos CityComponent city · Davao del Sur	192,063	653	294.00 km²	0.47% a year
16	Surigao CityComponent city · Surigao del Norte	177,333	653	271.37 km²	0.86% a year
17	Kidapawan CityComponent city · Cotabato	160,864	473	340.07 km²	0.01% a year
18	Isabela CityComponent city · Basilan	151,297	670	225.82 km²	3.63% a year
19	Mati CityComponent city · Davao Oriental	148,672	235	633.05 km²	0.18% a year
20	Ozamiz CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	143,620	866	165.90 km²	0.56% a year
21	Gingoog CityComponent city · Misamis Oriental	138,895	169	824.27 km²	0.38% a year
22	Dipolog CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Norte	136,528	1,049	130.11 km²	−0.28% a year
23	Island Garden City of SamalComponent city · Davao del Norte	119,701	426	280.87 km²	0.60% a year
24	Tacurong CityComponent city · Sultan Kudarat	116,945	762	153.40 km²	1.63% a year
25	Lamitan CityComponent city · Basilan	116,652	421	276.97 km²	3.73% a year
26	Bayugan CityComponent city · Agusan del Sur	110,313	218	504.97 km²	0.18% a year
27	Bislig CityComponent city · Surigao del Sur	99,872	277	360.64 km²	0.14% a year
28	Dapitan CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Norte	87,699	385	227.76 km²	0.70% a year
29	Cabadbaran CityComponent city · Agusan del Norte	82,343	260	316.73 km²	0.59% a year
30	Oroquieta CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	71,373	363	196.36 km²	−0.31% a year
31	Tangub CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	68,419	397	172.30 km²	0.01% a year
32	Tandag CityComponent city · Surigao del Sur	63,098	358	176.21 km²	0.16% a year
33	El Salvador CityComponent city · Misamis Oriental	62,126	599	103.77 km²	1.34% 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.