San Antonio has long been considered the seventh-largest city in the United States by population. However, that’s about to change, according to a new ranking that boosted the Alamo City past Philadelphia to become the nation’s sixth most populous locale.

World Population Review’s list of the largest U.S. cities by population in 2026 finally placed San Antonio ahead of the City of Brotherly Love, a switch-up that’s been anticipated for some time. The ranking, projected based on 2026 estimates, puts the Alamo City’s head count at 1,570,314 after a 1.46 percent annual increase. Meanwhile, it reports that 1,560,480 people live in Philadelphia, marking a population decrease of almost half a percent.

And that’s just in San Antonio proper, as the new number doesn’t refer to the greater San Antonio area, which has swelled to include New Braunfels amidst development along I-35. Census Reporter estimates that the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area contains a population of 2,763,006 people based on 2024 U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Granted, the rankings would shift drastically were the list to use metro areas instead of city limits, as Statista put the San Antonio-New Braunfels area at No. 24 in the nation in 2023.

Texas boasts some of the most populous cities in the US

Other Texas cities topped World Population Review’s ranking, with Houston and its 2,435,715 people taking the No. 4 spot. Dallas and Fort Worth came in separately at No. 9 and No. 10 on the World Population Review list – again highlighting the disparity between metro areas and city limits, as together, Census Reporter says the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is home to over 8 million people. And at just over 1 million people, Austin claimed the twelfth spot in the recent ranking, beaten to the punch by Jacksonville, Florida.

So, when will San Antonio crack the top five? It’s hard to say, but the 210 was named one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities between July 2023 and July 2024, so the possibility isn’t far from reality. Still, the city would have to post major expansion in the coming years in order to overtake Phoenix, Arizona, now sitting comfortably at No. 5 with a little over 1.7 million people.

This article originally published at San Antonio inches closer to No. 1 spot amid population bloom, new ranking says.