Seattle lands spot on top 10 densely populated U.S. cities

SEATTLE – Seattle has cracked the top 10 most densely populated big cities in the United States for the first time in its history.

The Seattle Times reported that according to census data, Seattle had almost 8,000 people per square mile in 2014, jumping past Baltimore in terms of density and giving it the No. 10 spot.

The jump comes from a 10 percent increase in population density since the 2010 Census. If current growth continues, Seattle is on pace to bypass No. 9 Los Angeles within five years.

The analysis comes as people are fighting Mayor Ed Murray’s Housing Affordability and Livability Advisory Committee’s recommendation to increase density in areas zoned for single-family homes.

The number one densest city in the U.S. is New York City, followed by San Francisco, Boston and Miami.