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, 101 to 149 shown, most people first.

Cities, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
101	San Carlos CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	133,175	313	425.03 km²	0.09% a year
102	Gapan CityComponent city · Nueva Ecija	129,610	778	166.53 km²	1.27% a year
103	Bayawan CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	126,744	187	677.67 km²	0.77% a year
104	San Fernando CityComponent city · La Union	124,809	1,278	97.64 km²	−0.16% a year
105	Tabuk CityComponent city · Kalinga	122,771	159	774.47 km²	0.34% a year
106	Ligao CityComponent city · Albay	119,779	500	239.38 km²	0.34% a year
107	Island Garden City of SamalComponent city · Davao del Norte	119,701	426	280.87 km²	0.60% a year
108	Himamaylan CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	117,286	306	382.83 km²	0.22% a year
109	Tacurong CityComponent city · Sultan Kudarat	116,945	762	153.40 km²	1.63% a year
110	Lamitan CityComponent city · Basilan	116,652	421	276.97 km²	3.73% a year
111	Tayabas CityComponent city · Quezon	115,318	492	234.29 km²	0.56% a year
112	Iriga CityComponent city · Camarines Sur	115,306	717	160.84 km²	0.18% a year
113	Baybay CityComponent city · Leyte	114,708	284	403.83 km²	0.61% a year
114	Carmona CityComponent city · Cavite	112,140	3,827	29.30 km²	1.30% a year
115	Laoag CityComponent city · Ilocos Norte	112,117	983	114.01 km²	0.10% a year
116	Bayugan CityComponent city · Agusan del Sur	110,313	218	504.97 km²	0.18% a year
117	Balanga CityComponent city · Bataan	109,931	1,338	82.19 km²	1.30% a year
118	Talisay CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	109,204	521	209.62 km²	0.06% a year
119	Catbalogan CityComponent city · Samar	107,896	606	177.98 km²	0.33% a year
120	Guihulngan CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	106,576	315	338.50 km²	0.90% a year
121	Tagbilaran CityComponent city · Bohol	106,120	3,263	32.52 km²	0.26% a year
122	Masbate CityComponent city · Masbate	104,011	548	189.91 km²	−0.12% a year
123	Alaminos CityComponent city · Pangasinan	100,430	603	166.67 km²	0.25% a year
124	Bislig CityComponent city · Surigao del Sur	99,872	277	360.64 km²	0.14% a year
125	Cavite CityComponent city · Cavite	98,673	17,843	5.53 km²	−0.48% a year
126	Escalante CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	97,050	515	188.39 km²	0.22% a year
127	Calaca CityComponent city · Batangas	92,281	8,755	10.54 km²	1.32% a year
128	Passi CityComponent city · Iloilo	90,313	372	242.83 km²	0.39% a year
129	Victorias CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	90,290	739	122.19 km²	0.05% a year
130	Bogo CityComponent city · Cebu	90,187	914	98.62 km²	0.35% a year
131	Bais CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	88,050	336	261.76 km²	1.04% a year
132	Tagaytay CityComponent city · Cavite	87,811	1,343	65.37 km²	0.69% a year
133	Dapitan CityComponent city · Zamboanga del Norte	87,699	385	227.76 km²	0.70% a year
134	Maasin CityComponent city · Southern Leyte	85,486	408	209.55 km²	−0.54% a year
135	Science City of MuñozComponent city · Nueva Ecija	85,061	610	139.47 km²	0.21% a year
136	Tanjay CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	84,593	313	270.07 km²	0.56% a year
137	Cabadbaran CityComponent city · Agusan del Norte	82,343	260	316.73 km²	0.59% a year
138	Sipalay CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	73,847	190	388.25 km²	0.46% a year
139	Borongan CityComponent city · Eastern Samar	71,431	118	604.97 km²	−0.18% a year
140	Oroquieta CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	71,373	363	196.36 km²	−0.31% a year
141	Tangub CityComponent city · Misamis Occidental	68,419	397	172.30 km²	0.01% a year
142	La Carlota CityComponent city · Negros Occidental	67,740	520	130.21 km²	0.38% a year
143	Tandag CityComponent city · Surigao del Sur	63,098	358	176.21 km²	0.16% a year
144	Canlaon CityComponent city · Negros Oriental	62,785	295	213.02 km²	1.58% a year
145	El Salvador CityComponent city · Misamis Oriental	62,126	599	103.77 km²	1.34% a year
146	Candon CityComponent city · Ilocos Sur	61,315	795	77.13 km²	−0.05% a year
147	Batac CityComponent city · Ilocos Norte	56,781	353	160.75 km²	0.56% a year
148	Vigan CityComponent city · Ilocos Sur	54,498	2,275	23.96 km²	0.25% a year
149	Palayan CityComponent city · Nueva Ecija	47,883	265	180.40 km²	1.29% 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.