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Census: LA is the nation's densest urban area, while New York ranks 5th
Feeling a little claustrophobic lately? Well, it’s not just you — newly released numbers from the Census Bureau say Angelenos are living in the nation's most densely-populated urban area.
New York still has the highest population, but at 7,000 people per square mile, the Los Angeles/Anaheim/Long Beach area takes the density prize.
Even when you throw in parts of New Jersey, the New York metropolitan area clocks in at fifth, with a little over 5,000 people per square mile.
In fact, 7 of the 10 most crowded urban centers in the U.S. are right here in California. Ninety-five percent of our state’s population lives in or near a city.
As California goes, so goes the country. Nationwide urban-dwelling has been inching steadily upward. Numbers now put almost 81 percent of us in cities, compared to 79 percent a decade ago.