We often see towns in films with the population recorded underneath. How accurate is this in real life?
February 15, 2026
Apologies – meant to say a sign at the border with the population recorded
26 comments
Extremely.
It’s pretty much standard.
Yes? My little town has a population of 701, according to the sign.
I’ve never seen a town sign that didn’t real like this: Welcome to (town name) Population 890
It’s based on the latest census results, which are taken once every 10 years
Very accurate.
Many town/city border signs have population and some also have elevation. It’s very common.
Presumably the population figure is updated with every 10-year national census.
Yeah, most town name signs either have a population printed underneath or, for very small communities, it can just say “unincorporated” under the town name. I don’t know of any that don’t have one of these two things printed and I’m on the highway bouncing between two states regularly.
I’ve never seen it in towns around me, but I have seen it other places.
Even many of the bigger suburbs around Phoenix list population and elevation as you enter
There’s a census every 10 years. If a population takes a major shift, the dign is updated.
Very common but not universal. In my town the signs on the main highways have the population but other roads have smaller signs that just say “city limit” underneath.
Everyone here is saying it’s common, but I don’t recall ever seeing these kinds of signs here in New Jersey or anywhere else in the region, whether in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland or Delaware.
I’ve seen the signs, but I’m not sure where. Not common in NJ
What are you asking about, whether those signs exist, or how accurate they are? I will answer both. They do exisist in most places in the country, and the number is based on the most recent census. Every 10 years we do what is considered to be a pretty good count of every person in the country. So it is pretty accurate becoming less accurate the further away from the census you get.
A lot of smaller towns in Arizona don’t have the population listed, but instead have the elevation and the year the town was founded.
These “all towns have it” comments are wrong. A lot of towns do. But in my backyard (meaning the entire Atlantic northeast) it’s uncommon.
My town has never had that but I think it’s because the population has grown so fast, but then again there wasn’t one that said it even when I was little.
It depends on the state. In Ohio, it’s not common. However, in Iowa, every single town and city shows the population on a sign, even along the interstate.
Not very common on the east side of the county
In my case, a week later. Bought property in a coastal town with 8 people, a week later it said 10.
Seriously though, officially it’s every 10 years but the US Census Bureau sends yearly estimates thru its PEP program
When you enter a city’s city limits there is usually a green sign that says “Milwaukee city limits pop. 1,599,000”
I have lived in towns of 350!
tons of people saying its common but i live in NC and i’ve never seen this irl lol
I live in the Midwest and it’s rare to see population numbers. It’s just “Welcome to Hooterville, Home of the 1984 Class C State Football Champions.”
My city hasn’t updated our population since 1982 when they built a shitload of apartments and houses.
Seems we voted on no more growth on the city’s general plan and that meant higher taxes in exchange for keeping the city under 100,000 people.
The general plan was amended three times before the 10 years were up and allowed the developers carte blank and the city jumped up well over 100,000.
The sheeple don’t get angry because the population still says 89000 on the sign.
26 comments
Extremely.
It’s pretty much standard.
Yes? My little town has a population of 701, according to the sign.
I’ve never seen a town sign that didn’t real like this: Welcome to (town name) Population 890
It’s based on the latest census results, which are taken once every 10 years
Very accurate.
Many town/city border signs have population and some also have elevation. It’s very common.
Presumably the population figure is updated with every 10-year national census.
Yeah, most town name signs either have a population printed underneath or, for very small communities, it can just say “unincorporated” under the town name. I don’t know of any that don’t have one of these two things printed and I’m on the highway bouncing between two states regularly.
I’ve never seen it in towns around me, but I have seen it other places.
Even many of the bigger suburbs around Phoenix list population and elevation as you enter
There’s a census every 10 years. If a population takes a major shift, the dign is updated.
Very common but not universal. In my town the signs on the main highways have the population but other roads have smaller signs that just say “city limit” underneath.
Everyone here is saying it’s common, but I don’t recall ever seeing these kinds of signs here in New Jersey or anywhere else in the region, whether in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland or Delaware.
I’ve seen the signs, but I’m not sure where. Not common in NJ
What are you asking about, whether those signs exist, or how accurate they are? I will answer both. They do exisist in most places in the country, and the number is based on the most recent census. Every 10 years we do what is considered to be a pretty good count of every person in the country. So it is pretty accurate becoming less accurate the further away from the census you get.
A lot of smaller towns in Arizona don’t have the population listed, but instead have the elevation and the year the town was founded.
These “all towns have it” comments are wrong. A lot of towns do. But in my backyard (meaning the entire Atlantic northeast) it’s uncommon.
The Massachusetts standard is the incorporation year, not population. And it’s on a standard sign design, like this https://www.chathamwindandtime.com/product/massachusetts-entering-town-signs/5
My town has never had that but I think it’s because the population has grown so fast, but then again there wasn’t one that said it even when I was little.
It depends on the state. In Ohio, it’s not common. However, in Iowa, every single town and city shows the population on a sign, even along the interstate.
Not very common on the east side of the county
In my case, a week later. Bought property in a coastal town with 8 people, a week later it said 10.
Seriously though, officially it’s every 10 years but the US Census Bureau sends yearly estimates thru its PEP program
When you enter a city’s city limits there is usually a green sign that says “Milwaukee city limits pop. 1,599,000”
I have lived in towns of 350!
tons of people saying its common but i live in NC and i’ve never seen this irl lol
I live in the Midwest and it’s rare to see population numbers. It’s just “Welcome to Hooterville, Home of the 1984 Class C State Football Champions.”
My city hasn’t updated our population since 1982 when they built a shitload of apartments and houses.
Seems we voted on no more growth on the city’s general plan and that meant higher taxes in exchange for keeping the city under 100,000 people.
The general plan was amended three times before the 10 years were up and allowed the developers carte blank and the city jumped up well over 100,000.
The sheeple don’t get angry because the population still says 89000 on the sign.