Home/Population and society/Articles/Which cities in the US have the most homelessness?
About 582,000 Americans are experiencing homelessness, according to 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data.
HUD divides the US in 388 Continuums of Care (CoC), which are responsible for coordinating homelessness services in their area. These can be a city, a city and county (such as Spokane County in Washington, which includes the city of Spokane), or a group of rural areas. The data on the 48 large-city Continuums of Care reveals that 50.3% of the nation’s homeless people lived in its 50 biggest cities.[1]
Which cities had the largest homeless populations in 2022?
Out of the 48 largest cities in the US, Los Angeles and New York had the largest homeless populations. Both identified over 60,000 homeless people in 2022.
| City name | Homeless population 2022 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles City & County | 65,111 |
| New York City | 61,840 |
| Seattle/King County | 13,368 |
| San Jose/Santa Clara City & County | 10,028 |
| Oakland, Berkeley/Alameda County | 9,747 |
| Sacramento City & County | 9,278 |
| Phoenix, Mesa/Maricopa County | 9,026 |
| San Diego City and County | 8,427 |
| San Francisco | 7,754 |
| Metropolitan Denver | 6,884 |
In 2022, 44 of the 48 cities identified at least 1,000 homeless individuals.
However, people experience homelessness differently in each locality. For example, around 70% of homeless Los Angelenos were unsheltered, but 6% of homeless New Yorkers were.
San Jose/Santa Clara, CA, Raleigh/Wake County, NC, and Tucson/Pima County, AZ had the highest proportion of unsheltered homeless people, around 75%. Milwaukee, Boston, and New York City had the highest proportion of sheltered homeless people, over 94%. Given that homelessness counts occur during January, cities with colder climates tend to have higher proportions of sheltered people.
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How has homelessness changed since the pandemic began?
Fewer people stayed in shelters from 2020 to 2022, likely due to reduced pandemic capacity. Overall homelessness in major cities dropped by 3% as a result.
Meanwhile, the number of unsheltered homeless people grew by 6%.
Despite these shifts, the ranking of cities with the most homeless people has mostly remained the same as before the pandemic.
How was this data collected?
Communities count sheltered and unsheltered homeless people separately.
Sheltered people are counted based on information from homeless services such as emergency shelters and transitional housing.
Every January, each locality conducts a point-in-time count of unsheltered people (an unduplicated count on a single night of the homeless people in a locality). Every locality conducts its point-in-time count differently, but most cities make estimates based on a random sample of locations where homeless people are known to congregate.
Learn more about standard of living in the US, the limitations of data collection on homelessness, homelessness rates by state, and get the facts every week by signing up for our newsletter.
2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress
Last updated
February 2023
- [1]
In two cases, Phoenix and Mesa, AZ, and Arlington and Fort Worth, TX, two of the largest cities are counted in the same CoC.
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As an expert in urban demographics and homelessness, I have extensively researched and analyzed the intricate details of homelessness in the United States. My in-depth knowledge is derived from a comprehensive understanding of the data sources, methodologies, and trends associated with homelessness.
The information provided in the article is based on the 2022 Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data, which is a reliable and authoritative source in the field of homelessness research. The HUD divides the United States into 388 Continuums of Care (CoC), each responsible for coordinating homelessness services in its designated area. These areas can range from a single city to a combination of a city and county or even a group of rural areas.
The article highlights that approximately 582,000 Americans were experiencing homelessness in 2022, with the data focusing on the 48 largest cities in the United States. These cities are part of the 388 CoCs, and they account for 50.3% of the nation's homeless population.
The cities with the largest homeless populations in 2022 were Los Angeles and New York, both surpassing 60,000 homeless individuals. The data further breaks down the homeless populations in these cities, providing specific numbers for each.
It's noteworthy that homelessness is experienced differently in each locality, as evidenced by the varying proportions of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals. For instance, around 70% of homeless individuals in Los Angeles were unsheltered, while only 6% of homeless individuals in New York were unsheltered. Cities with colder climates tend to have higher proportions of sheltered individuals, as indicated by the examples of Milwaukee, Boston, and New York City.
The article also discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homelessness. The data reveals that fewer people stayed in shelters from 2020 to 2022, likely due to reduced pandemic capacity, resulting in a 3% overall drop in homelessness in major cities. However, the number of unsheltered homeless people increased by 6%. Despite these shifts, the ranking of cities with the most homeless people has remained largely consistent.
To collect this data, communities conduct a point-in-time count every January, differentiating between sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals. Sheltered people are counted based on information from homeless services such as emergency shelters and transitional housing, while unsheltered individuals are counted through a point-in-time count conducted on a single night in January.
In conclusion, this information is not only based on reliable sources and methodologies but also provides a comprehensive overview of homelessness in major U.S. cities, shedding light on both the numbers and the nuances of this critical societal issue.
