| 市制施行日 | 1920 | 1925 | 1930 | 1935 | 1940 | 1945 | 1947 | 1950 | 1955 | 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | |
| 東 京 | 1889.05.03 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 大 阪 | 1889.04.01 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 名古屋 | 1889.10.01 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 京 都 | 1889.04.01 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| 神 戸 | 1889.04.01 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 横 浜 | 1889.04.01 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 札 幌 | 1899.10.01 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 福 岡 | 1889.04.01 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 広 島 | 1889.04.01 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| 川 崎 | 1924.07.01 | - | 49 | 28 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 北九州 | 1963.02.10 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
| (八 幡) | 16 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 28 | 24 | 16 | 17 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| さいたま | 2001.05.01 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 10 |
| 仙 台 | 1889.04.01 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| 岡 山 | 1889.06.01 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 30 | 41 | 34 | 33 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 26 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 19 |
| 堺 | 1889.04.01 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 25 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
| 千 葉 | 1921.01.01 | - | 75 | 75 | 74 | 49 | 38 | 40 | 40 | 37 | 32 | 24 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| 熊 本 | 1889.04.01 | 27 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
| 鹿児島 | 1889.04.01 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 26 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 22 |
| 浜 松 | 1911.07.01 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 49 | 39 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
| 尼 崎 | 1916.04.01 | 61 | 66 | 74 | 54 | 25 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 33 |
| 相模原 | 1954.11.20 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 109 | 75 | 39 | 33 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 21 | |
| 東大阪 | 1967.02.01 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 26 |
| 船 橋 | 1937.04.01 | - | - | - | - | 98 | 84 | 80 | 44 | 33 | 25 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 23 | |||
| 新 潟 | 1889.04.01 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 31 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 17 |
| 静 岡 | 1889.04.01 | 24 | 28 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 18 |
| 姫 路 | 1889.04.01 | 49 | 47 | 51 | 38 | 42 | 46 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 27 |
| 長 崎 | 1889.04.01 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 33 | 39 | 37 |
| 横須賀 | 1907.02.15 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 24 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 27 | 29 | 33 | 36 | 38 | 38 |
| 金 沢 | 1889.04.01 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 22 | 23 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 31 | 36 |
| 岐 阜 | 1889.07.01 | 33 | 30 | 34 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 29 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 35 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 44 |
| 和歌山 | 1889.04.01 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 38 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 49 |
| 佐世保 | 1902.04.01 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 28 | 35 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 88 | 89 | 88 |
| 下 関 | 1889.04.01 | 25 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 33 | 48 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 84 | 76 |
| 函 館 | 1899.10.01 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 26 | 31 | 38 | 54 | 47 | 50 | 55 | 59 | 66 | 73 | 73 |
| 小 樽 | 1899.10.01 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 24 | 29 | 24 | 31 | 31 | 39 | 44 | 57 | 84 | 99 | 103 | 116 | 125 | 133 | 142 | 168 |
| 呉 | 1902.10.01 | 10 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 22 | 30 | 36 | 38 | 42 | 58 | 71 | 83 | 92 | 94 | 98 | 105 | 87 |
※国勢調査上位20傑にランクされた全都市対象
※相模原、船橋両市は一部順位不明な年あり
※赤字は最高位を示す