1790
Philadelphia had been the most populous city in the United States prior to any census count being undertaken. When the first U.S. census count was done in 1790, New York had slightly edged Philadelphia as the most populous city in the country (though Philadelphia still had the larger metropolitan population in 1790). The source population numbers for this list come from the United States Census Bureau.
| Rank | City | State | Population | Notes |
| 1 | New York | New York | 33,131 | New York ranked as the nation's most populous city at the time of the first census count. |
| 2 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 28,522 | Philadelphia has remained on the top 10 list of largest American cities throughout its history. |
| 3 | Boston | Massachusetts | 18,320 | |
| 4 | Charleston | South Carolina | 16,359 | |
| 5 | Baltimore | Maryland | 13,503 | Existed as a township at the time. Now an independent city. |
| 6 | Northern Liberties | Pennsylvania | 9,913 | Township now absorbed in Philadelphia. See Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. |
| 7 | Salem | Massachusetts | 7,921 | Listed as a town in 1790 census. Presently a city. |
| 8 | Newport | Rhode Island | 6,716 | Listed as a town in 1790 census. Presently a city. |
| 9 | Providence | Rhode Island | 6,380 | Listed as a town in 1790 census. Now a city. |
| 10 | Marblehead | Massachusetts | 5,661 | Still a town as of 2006. |
| Southwark | Pennsylvania | 5,661 | Before 1854 Act of Consolidation, Southwark was an independent municipality; it is now a neighborhood in south South Philadelphia. |
*Salem, Newport, and Marblehead are all far smaller than the largest 275 cities listed in List of United States cities by population in 2010, so exact ranking is unavailable.
Read more about this topic: Largest Cities In The United States By Population By Decade