Largest Cities in New York
The population of New York State is famously dominated by New York City, which is more than 30 times the size of the state’s second-largest city. Most of the state’s major urban centers are located along the historic Erie Canal corridor or within the immediate orbit of the New York City metropolitan area.
The following table lists the 10 largest cities in New York based on 2026 population estimates.
| Rank | City Name | Population (Est.) | Region | Key Industry/Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 8,346,955 | NYC Metro | Finance, Media, Tech, Tourism |
| 2 | Buffalo | 274,000 | Western New York | Education, Healthcare, Tech |
| 3 | Rochester | 209,500 | Finger Lakes | Optics, Photonics, Higher Ed |
| 4 | Yonkers | 208,200 | Westchester County | Film Production, Retail |
| 5 | Syracuse | 146,300 | Central New York | Healthcare, Education, Logistics |
| 6 | Albany | 100,500 | Capital District | Government, Nanotech, Biotech |
| 7 | New Rochelle | 82,400 | Westchester County | Residential, Transit-Oriented Dev |
| 8 | Mount Vernon | 72,100 | Westchester County | Manufacturing, Residential |
| 9 | Schenectady | 66,800 | Capital District | Energy, Manufacturing |
| 10 | Utica | 64,200 | Mohawk Valley | Cybersecurity, Healthcare |