Demographia

Selected Current and Historic City Densities
Compared to Sierra Club Classifications

Metropolitan Area Geographical Area Year Current Data Area (Square Miles) Area (Square Kilometers) Population Population per Square Mile Population per Square Kilometer Notes
Hong Kong Kowloon Walled City 1990 N 0.01 0.03 50,000 4,984,615 1,924,563 Estimated, demolished 1992. See http://www.flex.co.jp/kowloon/data/history_e.html
New York One Block in 11th Ward, Lower East Side 1900 N       1,212,160 467,654 Battle for the Slum," Jacob Riis
Sierra Club Efficient Urban 2001 Y       778,000 300,000 Density Calculator 2001-06-18
Sierra Club Dense Urban 2001 Y       622,000 240,000 Density Calculator 2001-06-20
New York Lower East Side 1905 N   0.00   440,640 170,131 Small areas estimated at 1,700 per hectare in Peter Hall (Cities & Civilization)
Hong Kong Kowloon: Mong Kok 1990s         427,680 165,000 Small area estimate
Mumbai Marine Lines Ward 1981 N 0.68 1.77 270,706 396,118 152,941  
Cairo Bab-El Sharia 1966 N       352,512 136,000 www.unu.edu
Mumbai Marine Lines Ward 1991 Y 0.68 1.77 197,228 288,598 111,428  
Cairo Most dense district 1994         282,528 109,000 www.unu.edu
Paris Les Halles & St. Honore Mid 1800s N       259,200 100,077 Small areas estimated at 1,000 per hectare in Peter Hall (Cities & Civilization)
Hong Kong Kowloon 1986 Boundaries 1981 N 4.05 10.48 799,123 197,493 76,252 South of Boundary Road
Mumbai Parel Ward 1991 Y 2.43 6.29 417,134 171,761 66,317  
Mumbai Dadar/Plaza Ward 1991 Y 2.85 7.37 482,477 169,554 65,465  
Mumbai Byculla Ward 1991 Y 2.62 6.79 410,822 156,705 60,504  
Sierra Club Efficient Urban 2001 Y       156,000 60,000 Density Calculator 2001-06-20. Reduced 80 percent from 2001-06-18.
Hong Kong Kowloon 1986 Boundaries 1999 Y 4.05 10.48 621,200 153,522 59,275 South of Boundary Road, West Kowloon Reclamation Excluded
Shanghai Nanshi 1998 Y 7.87 3.04 446,900 147,187 56,785  
Mumbai Grant Road Ward 1991 Y 2.78 7.21 401,547 144,245 55,693  
Hong Kong Kwun Tong DBD: Kowloon 1999 Y 4.27 11.05 608,600 142,649 55,077  
Shanghai Huangpu 1998 Y 4.54 1.75 249,100 142,218 54,868  
Guangzhou Yuexiu 1996 Y 8.90 3.43 453,800 132,163 50,989  
Mumbai Bombay 1958 Boundaries 1981 Y 25.25 65.41 3,285,042 130,076 50,222  
Mumbai Elphinstone Ward 1991 Y 4.05 10.48 521,097 128,782 49,723  
Mumbai Bandra Ward 1991 Y 2.54 6.58 322,775 127,050 49,054  
Shanghai Jing'an 1998 Y 7.62 2.94 373,100 126,912 48,963  
Mumbai Bombay 1958 Boundaries 1991 Y 25.25 65.41 3,173,569 125,662 48,518  
Mumbai Sanhurst Road Ward 1991 Y 0.94 2.44 117,723 124,960 48,247  
Seoul Kwanak-gu 1998 Y 4.4 11.3 526,742 121,047 46,700 Urbanized portion
Hong Kong Wong Tai Sin: DBD Kowloon 1999 Y 3.61 9.36 434,400 120,202 46,410  
Mumbai Kurla Ward 1991 Y 5.14 13.30 616,588 120,072 46,360  
Shanghai Luwan 1998 Y 8.05 3.11 368,000 118,491 45,714  
Hong Kong Kowloon 1999 Y 18.03 46.71 2,124,100 117,778 45,474 Includes New Kowloon & West Kowloon Reclamation
Hong Kong Yau Tsim Mong DBD: Kowloon 1999 Y 2.64 6.85 310,600 117,438 45,343  
Guangzhou Liwan 1996 Y 11.80 4.55 527,100 115,783 44,669  
Manila City 2000 Y 14.70 38.00 1,673,000 113,810 43,908  
Seoul Chungnang-gu 1998 Y 4.2 10.8 467,538 112,263 43,311 Urbanized portion
Calcutta City 1991 Y 40.75 105.53 4,400,819 108,005 41,701  
Seoul Tobong-gu 1998 Y 3.5 9.2 381,602 107,746 41,569 Urbanized portion
Paris 11e Arrondissement 1999 Y 1.41 3.67 149,102 105,746 40,829  
Hong Kong Kowloon City: DBD Kowloon 1999 Y 3.85 9.97 403,700 104,873 40,491  
Seoul Nowon-gu 1998 Y 5.9 15.3 595,891 101,080 38,997 Urbanized portion
Hong Kong Sham Shui Po DBD: Kowloon 1999 Y 3.66 9.48 366,800 100,212 38,692  
Seoul Kangbuk-gu 1998 Y 3.6 9.4 361,424 99,792 38,500 Urbanized portion
Seoul Yangchon-gu 1998 Y 5.1 13.1 484,907 95,854 36,981 Urbanized portion
Hong Kong Kowloon and Former Victoria 1999 Y 34.00 88.06 3,243,800 95,406 36,836  
Mumbai Khar/Santacruz Ward 1991 Y 5.01 12.98 475,951 94,970 36,668  
Seoul Unpyong-gu 1998 Y 5.2 13.4 480,974 92,864 35,827 Urbanized portion
Seoul Kwangjin-gu 1998 Y 4.3 11.3 397,325 91,487 35,296 Urbanized portion
Hong Kong Eastern DBD: Hong Kong Island 1999 Y 18.81 48.72 643,700 88,633 34,221  
Mumbai Matunga Ward 1991 Y 4.86 12.60 430,693 88,531 34,182  
Shanghai Hongkou 1998 Y 23.48 9.06 799,700 88,281 34,059  
Guangzhou Dongshan 1996 Y 17.20 6.64 576,600 86,892 33,523  
Paris Ville de Paris 1921 N 33.54 86.94 2,906,472 86,657 33,458 Excludes peripheral parks
New York Manhattan 1910 Y 28.00 72.52 2,332,000 83,286 32,157  
Cairo Cairo 1996 Y 82.63 214.00 6,849,000 82,893 32,005  
Seoul City 1998 Y 136.1 352.9 10,323,494 75,825 29,253 Urbanized portion
Manila Federal District 2000p Y 146.00 378.14 10,492,000 71,863 27,725  
Paris Ville de Paris 1921 N 41.00 106.19 2,906,472 70,890 27,371  
Hong Kong Victoria, Former City of 1999 Y 15.97 41.35 1,119,700 70,134 27,079  
Paris Ville de Paris 1999 Y 33.54 86.94 2,123,000 63,298 24,439 Excludes peripheral parks
Calcutta Metropolitan District 1991 Y 178.80 463.09 11,022,000 61,644 23,801  
Shanghai Zhabei 1998 Y 29.26 11.29 686,500 60,814 23,462  
Mumbai Mumbai 1991 Y 165.98 429.89 9,924,562 59,793 23,086  
New York Manhattan 1998 N 28.00 72.52 1,550,649 55,380 21,382  
Paris Ville de Paris 1999 Y 41.00 106.19 2,123,000 51,780 19,992  
London Kensington & Chelsea 1951 N 4.60 11.91 219,117 47,634 18,392  
Shanghai Yangpu 1998 Y 60.73 23.43 1,080,300 46,109 17,789  
Seoul City 1998 Y 233.6 605.5 10,323,494 44,191 17,049 Includes rural areas
Shanghai Changning 1998 Y 38.30 14.78 610,700 41,329 15,945  
Shanghai Xuhui 1998 Y 54.76 21.13 847,900 40,135 15,484  
Shanghai Putuo 1998 Y 54.83 21.15 834,500 39,450 15,220  
London Inner London 1901 N 118.00 305.62 4,536,267 38,443 14,843 Pre 1964 London County Council area
London Kensington & Chelsea 1996 Y 4.60 11.91 159,000 34,565 13,346  
London Inner London 1996 Y 118.00 305.62 2,707,800 22,947 8,860 Pre 1964 London County Council area
San Francisco City 1998 Y 47.00 121.73 745,774 15,868 6,126  
Tokyo Suburbs 1990 Y       15,860 6,119  
Sierra Club Suburban Efficient 2001 Y       15,600 6,000 Density Calculator 2001-06-20
Paris Suburbs 1990 Y       10,000 3,858  
Europe Suburban-9 Urbanized Areas 1990 Y       9,996 3,856  
Toronto Urbanized Area 1996 Y 560 1,452 3,840,000 6,857 2,646  
Los Angeles Urbanized Area 1990 Y 1,966 5,096 11,402,000 5,800 2,237  
New York Urbanized Area 1990 Y 2,967 7,690 16,044,000 5,407 2,086  
Portland (Oregon) City 1998 Y 124.7 322.97 503,891 4,041 1,559  
Australia Suburban-5 Urbanized Areas 1991 Y       3,088 1,191  
Denver Urbanized Area 1990 Y 459 1,190 1,518,000 3,307 1,276  
Portland Urbanized Area 1990 Y 388 1,006 1,172,000 3,021 1,165  
United States Suburban-24 Urbanized Areas 1990 Y       2,625 1,013  
Phoenix Urbanized Area 1990 Y 741 1,921 2,006,000 2,707 1,044  
Canada Suburban-6 Urbanized Areas 1991 Y       6,221 2,400  
Atlanta Urbanized Area 1990 Y 1,137 2,947 2,157,000 1,857 732  
Sierra Club Sprawl 2001 Y       1,600 600 Density Calculator 2001-06-18

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