thumbnail

Biggest Cities in California by Decade on a Map

Name the 10 most populated cities in California for every census since 1850, with the help of a map.
Populations were taken from every U.S. Census except for some missing portions then taken from Wikipedia.
Some towns may not be incorporated or even exist anymore.
Inspired by CringeDragon's quiz.
Quiz by FlabberBapper
Rate:
Last updated: October 8, 2021
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedOctober 8, 2021
Times taken888
Average score40.0%
Rating4.50
Report this quizReport
4:00
Enter City Here
0
 / 30 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
 
1850
25,000
San Francisco
6,820
Sacramento
5,623
Placerville
2,683
Nevada City
1,610
Los Angeles
1,302
Auburn
1,092
Monterey
1,000
San Jose
966
Weberville
714
Kelsey
 
 
1860
56,802
San Francisco
13,785
Sacramento
4,740
Marysville
4,579
San Jose
4,385
Los Angeles
4,348
Lewiston
4,027
Columbia
3,840
Grass Valley
3,679
Nevada City
3,679
Stockton
 
 
1870
149,473
San Francisco
16,283
Sacramento
10,500
Oakland
10,066
Stockton
9,089
San Jose
7,063
Grass Valley
6,391
Vallejo
5,728
Los Angeles
4,738
Marysville
4,588
Petaluma
 
 
1880
233,959
San Francisco
34,555
Oakland
21,420
Sacramento
12,567
San Jose
11,188
Los Angeles
10,282
Stockton
6,688
Grass Valley
6,001
Bodie
5,987
Vallejo
5,708
Alameda
 
 
1890
298,997
San Francisco
50,395
Los Angeles
48,682
Oakland
26,386
Sacramento
18,060
San Jose
16,159
San Diego
14,424
Stockton
11,165
Alameda
10,818
Fresno
6,343
Vallejo
 
 
1900
342,782
San Francisco
102,479
Los Angeles
66,960
Oakland
29,282
Sacramento
21,500
San Jose
17,700
San Diego
17,506
Stockton
16,461
Alameda
13,214
Berkeley
12,470
Fresno
1910
416,912
San Francisco
319,198
Los Angeles
150,174
Oakland
44,696
Sacramento
40,434
Berkeley
39,578
San Diego
30,291
Pasadena
28,946
San Jose
24,892
Fresno
23,383
Alameda
 
 
1920
576,673
Los Angeles
506,676
San Francisco
216,261
Oakland
74,683
San Diego
65,908
Sacramento
56,036
Berkeley
55,593
Long Beach
45,354
Pasadena
45,080
Fresno
40,296
Stockton
 
 
1930
1,238,048
Los Angeles
634,394
San Francisco
284,063
Oakland
147,995
San Diego
142,032
Long Beach
93,750
Sacramento
82,109
Berkeley
76,086
Pasadena
62,736
Glendale
57,651
San Jose
 
 
1940
1,504,277
Los Angeles
634,536
San Francisco
302,163
Oakland
203,341
San Diego
164,271
Long Beach
105,958
Sacramento
85,547
Berkeley
82,582
Glendale
81,864
Pasadena
68,457
San Jose
 
 
1950
1,970,358
Los Angeles
775,357
San Francisco
384,575
Oakland
334,387
San Diego
250,767
Long Beach
137,572
Sacramento
113,805
Berkeley
104,577
Pasadena
99,545
Richmond
95,702
Glendale
 
 
1960
2,479,015
Los Angeles
740,316
San Francisco
573,224
San Diego
367,548
Oakland
344,168
Long Beach
204,196
San Jose
191,667
Sacramento
133,929
Fresno
119,442
Glendale
116,407
Pasadena
1970
2,816,061
Los Angeles
715,674
San Francisco
696,769
San Diego
445,779
San Jose
361,561
Oakland
358,633
Long Beach
254,413
Sacramento
166,701
Anaheim
165,972
Fresno
156,601
Santa Ana
 
 
1980
2,966,850
Los Angeles
875,538
San Diego
678,974
San Francisco
629,442
San Jose
361,334
Long Beach
339,337
Oakland
275,741
Sacramento
219,311
Anaheim
218,202
Fresno
203,713
Santa Ana
 
 
1990
3,485,398
Los Angeles
1,110,549
San Diego
782,248
San Jose
723,959
San Francisco
429,433
Long Beach
372,242
Oakland
369,365
Sacramento
354,202
Fresno
293,742
Santa Ana
266,406
Anaheim
 
 
2000
3,694,820
Los Angeles
1,223,400
San Diego
894,943
San Jose
776,733
San Francisco
461,522
Long Beach
427,652
Fresno
407,018
Sacramento
399,484
Oakland
337,977
Santa Ana
328,014
Anaheim
 
 
2010
3,792,621
Los Angeles
1,307,402
San Diego
945,942
San Jose
805,235
San Francisco
494,665
Fresno
466,488
Sacramento
462,257
Long Beach
390,724
Oakland
347,483
Bakersfield
336,265
Anaheim
 
 
2020
3,898,747
Los Angeles
1,386,932
San Diego
1,013,240
San Jose
873,965
San Francisco
542,107
Fresno
524,943
Sacramento
466,742
Long Beach
440,646
Oakland
403,455
Bakersfield
346,824
Anaheim
+3
Level 70
Oct 8, 2021
Fun quiz! Absolutely nailed it with a score of 6, haha. I wonder if the California Gold Rush have anything to do with the cluster in the north in the mid 1800's?
+3
Level 73
Oct 8, 2021
It sure did with the California Gold Rush starting in 1848 but mainly becoming a rush in 1849 is why you see so many boomtowns in the northern Sierras before dying off from the top 10 in the next couple decades as they moved towards the Bay