Which U.S. cities tower above the rest?
To mark Skyscraper Day on Sept. 3, Roof Gnome ranked 2023’s Tallest Cities in America.
We compared over 780 U.S. cities and territories based on the total number of buildings rising at least 12 stories. Bonus points were awarded to cities based on their numbers of 150-plus-, 200-plus-, and 300-plus-meter skyscrapers.
See the 20 U.S. cities that pierce the heavens below, followed by key stats from our report.
Key Insights:
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Unreachable Big Apple: New York City topped out across all four metrics, earning a perfect score. Topping The Big Apple by number of built high-rises — over 5,900 as of 2023 — would be a tall order for any city. Even Chicago in 2nd place couldn’t catch up anytime soon, with only a fifth (over 1,200) the number of high-rises in New York.
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Tallest of the Giants: Of the 55 cities with built skyscrapers at least 150 meters high, only 7 rise at least 300 meters (roughly 984 feet). New York (No. 1 overall) has the most at 16, over double the number in Chicago (No. 2) with 7. The other 5 cities have 2 at most.
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Shortest of the Giants: Tied for last place overall are 230 cities, each with only 1 high-rise.
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Saturated With Height: Of the cities with more than 1 completed tall building, Chicago (No. 2 overall) has the highest percentage of high-rises at 98.8%. Vancouver, Washington (tied for last place overall), has the lowest at 3.7%.
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Tallest Little City: Sunny Isles Beach, Florida (No. 20 overall), might be a modest city of just over 22,200 residents, but it boasts 13 skyscrapers reaching at least 150 meters (about 492 feet) and 1 at least 200 meters (about 656 feet). There are 74 total completed high-rises in the city.
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The World’s Littlest Skyscraper: While neither the tallest nor the shortest U.S. city, Wichita Falls, Texas (tied for 336th place), can at least claim to have “The World’s Littlest Skyscraper.” The actual structure, Newby-McMahon Building, stands just 40 feet tall but earned the title based on the original plan for a 480-foot-tall structure.
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Too Short to Ride (Higher): Washington stands at a respectable No. 27 overall, but it may never grow taller. The Height of Buildings Act of 1910restricts the height of buildings on commercial streets in the District of Columbia to 130 feet (or 160 feet on parts of Pennsylvania Avenue).
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What a fascinating and eye-opening article! I had no idea there was so much variation in skyscraper density across U.S. cities. It’s impressive that Roof Gnome went the extra mile to rank the Tallest Cities in America based on such specific criteria.
The inclusion of bonus points for skyscrapers of different heights adds an interesting dimension to the analysis. It not only highlights the tall buildings but also showcases the diversity in architectural landscapes across the country. I’d love to learn more about the key stats from your report and how these cities compare. It’s clear that a lot of research and effort went into this, and it’s greatly appreciated. Keep up the fantastic work, Roof Gnome! 🌆🏙️🏗️