Which U.S. State Has the Highest Percentage of Urban Cities?
When discussing the distinction between a town and a city, it becomes clear that these terms have never been uniformly defined, leading to ongoing debates among experts. In this article, we will explore which U.S. state has the largest percentage of its cities classified as urban using the official definition from the U.S. government. We'll look at data from the U.S. Census Bureau and statistical analysis to determine the top states.
The Case for Rhode Island
Initially, one might think that a state with a large number of densely populated urban areas would naturally be at the top of the list. After all, the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island, with its high population density and numerous cities spread across a small area, seemed like a strong contender. To verify this hypothesis, I consulted the U.S. Census Bureau and compiled the populations of every city in the U.S. into an Excel spreadsheet.
Welcome to the rural countryside bordering Rhode Island. Just a 17.56-mile drive from the state capital Providence, you'll find a road that is statistically the most rural part of Rhode Island, yet still within 17.56 miles of the largest urban center in the state.
Based on the data, it's evident that the concept of 'outskirts' and 'rural' in Rhode Island is relative, making it almost impossible to find a spot that is far from urban areas. Rhode Island holds the first spot with 97.4% of its cities classified as urban.
The Top 8 States with the Highest Percentage of Urban Cities
The following table lists the top 10 U.S. states based on the percentage of incorporated places that are classified as urban, using the government definition of an urban city.
Top 10 States with the Highest Percentage of Urban Cities
State Percentage Urban Cities Rhode Island 97.4% Connecticut 91.7% New Jersey 82.3% Massachusetts 70.2% Florida 67.6% Hawaii 56.3% California 56.2% New York 50.7% Maryland 49.7% Michigan 46.9%Other States with High Population Density
Delaware, another densely populated state, ranks 12th in the number of urban cities, despite not appearing in the top 10 list. Other states with high population density, such as Montana, Alaska, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota, are at the bottom of the list.
Conclusion
From the comprehensive data analysis, it's clear that Rhode Island, with its 97.4% of cities classified as urban, stands out as the state with the highest percentage of urban cities. This is closely followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida, all of which are in the densely populated Northeast region. These findings underscore the importance of population density in determining the urbanization of a state.