The Atlas

Municipalities

A municipality is a local government made up of barangays, led by a mayor, a vice mayor and the Sangguniang Bayan, the municipal council.^[1] Only Congress can create one, by law, approved in a plebiscite. The law asks for an income of ₱2.5 million a year, 25,000 people and 50 km² of land.^[1]

A municipality that grows can become a component city by law, once it earns ₱100 million a year and has 100 km² of land or 150,000 people.^{[1, 2]}

Map of the Philippines, every municipality in a colour of its own — Every municipality in a colour of its own, no two side by side alike.

At a glance

Municipalities: 1,493^[3]
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: 66,090,986^[4]; About 59 of every 100 people in the country live in a municipality.
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: 285,167.45 km²^[5]; Each municipality's official area, added up.
Most people: Rodriguez^[4]; Rizal; 451,383 people
Fewest people: Kalayaan^[4]; Palawan; 406 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: Sablayan^[5]; Occidental Mindoro; 2,640.39 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: Pateros^[5]; Metro Manila; 26,400 people per km²
Fastest growing, 10,000 people or moreGrowth 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: Lantawan^[4]; Basilan; 11.45% 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: 257 municipalities^[4]; Of those with 10,000 people or more, the steepest fall: Talusan, −10.05% a year.

Each row is a municipality, 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.

1,493 municipalities, 701 to 750 shown, most people first.

Municipalities, most people
Rank	Name	People, 2024	People per km²	Land area	Growth, 2020–2024
701	CuencaBatangas	36,453	1,205	30.24 km²	0.14% a year
702	San AntonioQuezon	36,451	640	56.99 km²	0.37% a year
703	MunaiLanao del Norte	36,449	205	177.62 km²	0.96% a year
704	MalidegaoSpecial Geographic Area	36,427	715	50.96 km²	−0.01% a year
705	Rapu-RapuAlbay	36,281	234	154.86 km²	0.09% a year
706	San LuisAgusan del Sur	36,264	28	1,288.33 km²	0.72% a year
707	San RemigioAntique	36,170	75	480.31 km²	1.46% a year
708	Braulio E. DujaliDavao del Norte	36,092	363	99.39 km²	0.24% a year
709	BugasongAntique	36,060	182	198.23 km²	0.94% a year
710	MargosatubigZamboanga del Sur	36,025	416	86.60 km²	−1.68% a year
711	OrasEastern Samar	35,997	173	207.83 km²	−0.95% a year
712	San IsidroDavao Oriental	35,984	117	307.25 km²	1.61% a year
713	JubanSorsogon	35,978	284	126.79 km²	0.46% a year
714	AllacapanCagayan	35,946	117	306.80 km²	0.48% a year
715	PolaOriental Mindoro	35,771	216	165.93 km²	0.21% a year
716	CanamanCamarines Sur	35,766	824	43.41 km²	−0.29% a year
717	BautistaPangasinan	35,728	798	44.80 km²	0.22% a year
718	ManukanZamboanga del Norte	35,669	251	142.22 km²	−0.80% a year
719	MidsalipZamboanga del Sur	35,643	126	281.77 km²	1.35% a year
720	SimunulTawi-Tawi	35,616	626	56.90 km²	0.95% a year
721	Dupax del NorteNueva Vizcaya	35,509	88	403.04 km²	1.56% a year
722	KadingilanBukidnon	35,432	198	178.57 km²	1.18% a year
723	LugusSulu	35,412	91	387.42 km²	4.87% a year
724	AlubijidMisamis Oriental	35,411	329	107.59 km²	2.33% a year
725	DinasZamboanga del Sur	35,409	205	172.67 km²	−0.59% a year
726	BarugoLeyte	35,402	374	94.70 km²	0.62% a year
727	PandamiSulu	35,369	620	57.07 km²	1.55% a year
728	AbulugCagayan	35,347	217	162.60 km²	0.53% a year
729	GasanMarinduque	35,315	346	102.03 km²	−0.59% a year
730	ParanasSamar	35,281	66	536.73 km²	2.08% a year
731	Datu Abdullah SangkiMaguindanao del Sur	35,274	315	111.99 km²	3.86% a year
732	Datu Anggal MidtimbangMaguindanao del Sur	35,243	632	55.78 km²	5.47% a year
733	LingigSurigao del Sur	35,203	77	455.32 km²	0.04% a year
734	BalasanIloilo	35,193	598	58.90 km²	0.09% a year
735	GuimbalIloilo	35,129	797	44.09 km²	0.07% a year
736	VintarIlocos Norte	35,051	65	539.20 km²	1.21% a year
737	PinukpukKalinga	35,033	70	503.28 km²	0.53% a year
738	AloguinsanCebu	34,990	569	61.48 km²	0.36% a year
739	General NakarQuezon	34,982	22	1,626.13 km²	0.53% a year
740	PalapagNorthern Samar	34,954	232	150.50 km²	0.64% a year
741	BonifacioMisamis Occidental	34,942	225	155.02 km²	0.27% a year
742	DueñasIloilo	34,941	367	95.13 km²	0.24% a year
743	Jala-JalaRizal	34,901	939	37.17 km²	0.62% a year
744	Santa FeCebu	34,834	4,976	7.00 km²	0.25% a year
745	Alfonso ListaIfugao	34,810	101	344.14 km²	0.52% a year
746	San ManuelIsabela	34,740	279	124.42 km²	0.46% a year
747	CabarroguisQuirino	34,720	145	240.02 km²	0.84% a year
748	TandubasTawi-Tawi	34,702	192	180.60 km²	0.27% a year
749	GuindulmanBohol	34,660	409	84.67 km²	0.39% a year
750	CatmonCebu	34,608	316	109.64 km²	0.61% 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.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
4.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
5.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.