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, 51 to 100 shown, most people first.

Cities, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
51	Olongapo CityHighly urbanized city · Zambales	264,903	1,727	153.35 km²	0.42% a year
52	Talisay CityComponent city · Cebu	263,832	6,156	42.86 km²	0.07% a year
53	Marawi CityComponent city · Lanao del Sur	259,993	3,093	84.07 km²	5.62% a year
54	Tacloban CityHighly urbanized city · Leyte	259,353	2,514	103.18 km²	0.70% a year
55	Navotas CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	252,878	23,157	10.92 km²	0.51% a year
56	Ormoc CityIndependent component city · Leyte	238,545	514	463.97 km²	0.77% a year
57	Meycauayan CityComponent city · Bulacan	228,023	6,937	32.87 km²	0.25% a year
58	Trece Martires CityComponent city · Cavite	227,892	5,686	40.08 km²	1.92% a year
59	Sto. Tomas CityComponent city · Batangas	226,772	2,136	106.17 km²	0.90% a year
60	Valencia CityComponent city · Bukidnon	223,620	342	654.08 km²	0.77% a year
61	Panabo CityComponent city · Davao del Norte	211,242	841	251.17 km²	0.23% a year
62	Kabankalan CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	210,893	302	699.27 km²	1.26% a year
63	Legazpi CityComponent city · Albay	210,616	1,296	162.56 km²	0.12% a year
64	Naga CityIndependent component city · Camarines Sur	210,545	2,676	78.69 km²	0.16% a year
65	Tanauan CityComponent city · Batangas	209,697	18,062	11.61 km²	1.89% a year
66	San Carlos CityComponent city · Pangasinan	208,330	1,406	148.21 km²	0.34% a year
67	Toledo CityComponent city · Cebu	206,692	1,028	201.09 km²	−0.07% a year
68	Pagadian CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Sur	206,483	711	290.52 km²	−0.46% a year
69	Koronadal CityComponent city · South Cotabato	201,844	719	280.70 km²	0.78% a year
70	Malaybalay CityComponent city · Bukidnon	195,046	177	1,102.53 km²	0.54% a year
71	Bago CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	192,993	519	371.80 km²	0.22% a year
72	Digos CityComponent city · Davao del Sur	192,063	653	294.00 km²	0.47% a year
73	Calbayog CityComponent city · Samar	187,848	223	843.53 km²	0.11% a year
74	Sorsogon CityComponent city · Sorsogon	187,670	682	275.22 km²	0.71% a year
75	Roxas CityComponent city · Capiz	185,236	1,773	104.48 km²	0.79% a year
76	Surigao CityComponent city · Surigao del Norte	177,333	653	271.37 km²	0.86% a year
77	Dagupan CityIndependent component city · Pangasinan	174,777	3,923	44.55 km²	0.07% a year
78	Baliwag CityComponent city · Bulacan	174,194	3,702	47.06 km²	0.80% a year
79	Tuguegarao CityComponent city · Cagayan	167,297	1,468	113.94 km²	0.14% a year
80	Ilagan CityComponent city · Isabela	164,020	221	742.90 km²	0.87% a year
81	Cadiz CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	161,558	312	517.56 km²	0.45% a year
82	Danao CityComponent city · Cebu	161,307	1,132	142.53 km²	0.76% a year
83	Kidapawan CityComponent city · Cotabato	160,864	473	340.07 km²	0.01% a year
84	San Jose CityComponent city · Nueva Ecija	156,714	826	189.65 km²	0.91% a year
85	Sagay CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	152,543	501	304.68 km²	0.58% a year
86	Isabela CityComponent city · Basilan	151,297	670	225.82 km²	3.63% a year
87	Santiago CityIndependent component city · Isabela	150,313	907	165.69 km²	0.28% a year
88	Mati CityComponent city · Davao Oriental	148,672	235	633.05 km²	0.18% a year
89	Calapan CityComponent city · Oriental Mindoro	148,558	834	178.06 km²	0.45% a year
90	Urdaneta CityComponent city · Pangasinan	145,935	1,486	98.19 km²	0.22% a year
91	Ozamiz CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	143,620	866	165.90 km²	0.56% a year
92	Cauayan CityComponent city · Isabela	143,539	427	336.40 km²	0.02% a year
93	Dumaguete CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	142,171	4,130	34.42 km²	1.41% a year
94	Tabaco CityComponent city · Albay	140,779	1,152	122.18 km²	−0.03% a year
95	Carcar CityComponent city · Cebu	140,308	1,199	117.00 km²	0.67% a year
96	Gingoog CityComponent city · Misamis Oriental	138,895	169	824.27 km²	0.38% a year
97	Naga CityComponent city · Cebu	138,727	1,493	92.91 km²	0.98% a year
98	Silay CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	136,802	523	261.71 km²	1.14% a year
99	Dipolog CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Norte	136,528	1,049	130.11 km²	−0.28% a year
100	San Juan CityHighly urbanized city · Metro Manila	134,312	23,399	5.74 km²	1.48% 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.