Nice's 2026 population is now estimated at 961,174. In 1950, the population of Nice was 399,593. Nice has grown by 4,979 in the last year, which represents a 0.52% annual change. These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Nice, which typically includes Nice's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.
Throughout its long history, the town of Nice has changed hands quite frequently. It was not until 1880 that Nice was finally claimed by France and became a part of the country. Throughout Nice you can see evidence of the influence of various cultures in the architecture of the city. Nice is home to a substantial population and many of the high society families in France call the city home, or at the very least vacation there throughout the year.
The city of Nice covers a total surface area of approximately 71.92 kilometers squared (27.77 square miles). The population density comes to a peak of about 4,800 people living per square kilometer (12,000 residents per square mile).
Today, Nice is among the largest cities in France. It currently ranks 5th according to population and size. According to the most recent census performed in 2012, the population of Nice is 343,629. With the estimated growth rate of .29% annually, the projected numbers for 2017 are around 338,611. According to the census of 2012, the number of females outnumbers the number of males in the city. Females total 183,222, whole males make up 160,407 of the overall population.
One of the main draws of a tourist city is its proximity to water. Most coastal tourist areas maintain their beaches by dredging sand from the coastline to reduce the effects of erosion. The waterfront beach in Nice does not have that issue as its coastline is unique compared to other beach cities. It is not a sandy and luxurious coast, but instead rather rocky. The rocks have been smoothed by the seas for many years so that they look more like river rocks. It may be uncomfortable to lie upon the beaches of Nice, but it can be quite interesting to look for interesting stones.
One of the most unique things about Nice is its continual maintenance of the past and the illustrious history of the city along with its ability to embrace the future. This is something that visitors notice quite quickly within the city as they stroll along the streets enjoying the rich history. Ancient structures and buildings are celebrated, but also placed right alongside the new structures, giving the people and visitors of Nice a unique respect for the old as well as the new.
As in all cities throughout France and Europe, foot traffic and bikes are very common. The city can be a bit on the crowded side at various parts of the day, and it is usually best to take either the bus or one of the trains. There are many bus routes throughout Nice, and it costs four Euros for a full day pass. This includes both bus travel as well as traveling by train. Bus schedules can be a little tricky to keep track of, but the train system runs like clockwork with trains coming in every 30 minutes. The main hub for transit is the Gare de Nice Ville. It takes approximately 20 minutes to walk from the beach to the train station at this location, but it will enable you to get anywhere within Nice that you want to go.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Paris | 11,418,300 | 0.63% |
| Lyon | 1,799,720 | 0.7% |
| Marseille | 1,654,100 | 0.58% |
| Lille | 1,098,220 | 0.61% |
| Toulouse | 1,088,900 | 0.81% |
| Bordeaux | 1,025,990 | 0.78% |
| Nantes | 716,952 | 0.77% |
| Toulon | 596,228 | 0.58% |
| Grenoble | 547,057 | 0.63% |
| Strasbourg | 492,925 | 0.64% |
| Montpellier | 490,812 | 0.8% |
| Avignon | 486,710 | 0.63% |
| Rouen | 481,335 | 0.55% |
| Saint-Etienne | 383,621 | 0.54% |
| Rennes | 374,366 | 0.77% |
| Tours | 371,872 | 0.6% |
| Bethune | 366,909 | 0.55% |
| Valenciennes | 346,237 | 0.55% |
| Reims | 182,460 | 1% |
| Le Havre | 170,147 | 1% |
| Dijon | 156,920 | 1.01% |
| Angers | 152,960 | 1% |
| Nimes | 150,610 | 1% |
| Saint-Denis | 147,931 | 1.01% |
| Villeurbanne | 147,712 | 1% |
| Clermont-Ferrand | 143,886 | 1% |
| Le Mans | 142,946 | 1% |
| Aix-en-Provence | 142,482 | 1% |
| Brest | 140,064 | 1% |
| Amiens | 134,057 | 1% |
| Limoges | 132,175 | 0.99% |
| Annecy | 126,924 | 1.25% |
| Perpignan | 120,158 | 1% |
| Boulogne-Billancourt | 120,071 | 1.01% |
| Orleans | 116,685 | 1.01% |
| Metz | 116,429 | 1% |
| Besancon | 115,934 | 1% |
| Argenteuil | 110,210 | 1.01% |
| Montreuil | 109,897 | 1.01% |
| Mulhouse | 109,443 | 0.99% |
| Caen | 105,354 | 1% |
| Nancy | 104,286 | 1% |
| Tourcoing | 97,368 | 1.01% |
| Roubaix | 96,990 | 1% |
| Nanterre | 95,105 | 1.01% |
| Vitry-sur-Seine | 93,557 | 1.01% |
| Creteil | 90,605 | 1% |
| Poitiers | 88,291 | 1% |
| Aubervilliers | 86,375 | 1.03% |
| Versailles | 85,862 | 1% |
| Aulnay-sous-Bois | 85,740 | 1.01% |
| Asnieres-sur-Seine | 85,191 | 1% |
| Colombes | 85,177 | 1% |
| Saint-Pierre | 84,212 | 1.01% |
| Courbevoie | 81,719 | 0.99% |
| Rueil-Malmaison | 78,152 | 0.99% |
| Champigny-sur-Marne | 77,630 | 1.01% |
| Beziers | 77,177 | 1.01% |
| Pau | 77,130 | 1% |
| La Rochelle | 75,735 | 1% |
| Saint-Maur-des-Fosses | 74,859 | 1% |
| Calais | 73,911 | 1% |
| Cannes | 73,868 | 1% |
| Antibes | 72,999 | 0.99% |
| Drancy | 71,318 | 1.01% |
| Ajaccio | 70,659 | 1.01% |
| Merignac | 70,105 | 1.01% |
| Saint-Nazaire | 69,993 | 1.01% |
| Colmar | 69,105 | 1% |
| Issy-les-Moulineaux | 68,451 | 1.01% |
| Noisy-le-Grand | 68,183 | 1.02% |
| Venissieux | 65,894 | 1.02% |
| Cergy | 65,177 | 1.01% |
| Bourges | 64,551 | 0.99% |
| Levallois-Perret | 64,379 | 1% |
| La Seyne-sur-Mer | 63,936 | 1% |
| Pessac | 63,808 | 1.01% |
| Valence | 63,714 | 1.01% |
| Valence | 63,714 | 1.01% |
| Villeneuve-d'Ascq | 63,408 | 1% |
| Quimper | 62,985 | 1% |
| Antony | 62,570 | 1% |
| Ivry-sur-Seine | 62,052 | 1.01% |
| Troyes | 61,652 | 1.01% |
| Clichy | 61,070 | 1.01% |
| Montauban | 60,810 | 1.01% |
| Neuilly-sur-Seine | 60,361 | 0.99% |
| Chambery | 58,919 | 1% |
| Niort | 58,707 | 1.01% |
| Sarcelles | 58,587 | 1% |
| Pantin | 57,482 | 1.02% |
| Lorient | 57,149 | 1% |
| Le Blanc-Mesnil | 56,783 | 1.02% |
| Beauvais | 56,254 | 1% |
| Maisons-Alfort | 55,655 | 1.01% |
| Hyeres | 55,588 | 1% |
| Epinay-sur-Seine | 55,084 | 1% |
| Meaux | 54,991 | 1.01% |
| Chelles | 54,917 | 1.01% |
| Villejuif | 54,753 | 0.99% |
| Narbonne | 54,700 | 1.01% |
| La Roche-sur-Yon | 54,372 | 1.01% |
| Cholet | 53,917 | 1% |
| Saint-Quentin | 53,816 | 0.99% |
| Bobigny | 53,640 | 1.02% |
| Saint-Louis | 53,365 | 1% |
| Saint-Louis | 53,365 | 1% |
| Bondy | 53,353 | 1% |
| Vannes | 53,352 | 1% |
| Clamart | 52,971 | 1% |
| Fontenay-sous-Bois | 52,939 | 1% |
| Frejus | 52,672 | 1% |
| Arles | 52,548 | 1% |
| Sartrouville | 51,967 | 1% |
| Corbeil-Essonnes | 51,292 | 1.02% |
| Bayonne | 51,228 | 1.02% |
| Sevran | 51,016 | 1.01% |
| Cagnes-sur-Mer | 50,928 | 1.02% |
| Massy | 50,833 | 1.03% |
| Grasse | 50,396 | 1% |
| Montrouge | 50,260 | 1% |
| Vincennes | 49,891 | 1% |
| Laval | 49,728 | 1% |
| Vaulx-en-Velin | 49,658 | 1.03% |
| Albi | 48,970 | 1% |
| Suresnes | 48,264 | 1% |
| Martigues | 48,188 | 1% |
| Evreux | 47,733 | 0.99% |
| Belfort | 47,656 | 0.99% |
| Brive-la-Gaillarde | 46,916 | 1% |
| Gennevilliers | 46,907 | 1.02% |
| Charleville-Mezieres | 46,428 | 0.99% |
| Saint-Herblain | 46,268 | 1.01% |
| Aubagne | 46,268 | 1.01% |
| Saint-Priest | 46,207 | 1.02% |
| Rosny-sous-Bois | 46,207 | 1.01% |
| Saint-Malo | 46,097 | 1.01% |
| Blois | 46,086 | 1% |
| Carcassonne | 46,031 | 1% |
| Bastia | 45,715 | 1.02% |
| Salon-de-Provence | 45,528 | 1.01% |
| Meudon | 45,352 | 1% |
| Choisy-le-Roi | 45,331 | 1.01% |
| Chalon-sur-Saone | 45,096 | 1% |
| Saint-Germain-en-Laye | 44,753 | 1.03% |
| Chalons-en-Champagne | 44,753 | 1% |
| Puteaux | 44,645 | 1% |
| Livry-Gargan | 44,437 | 1.01% |
| Saint-Brieuc | 44,372 | 0.99% |
| Mantes-la-Jolie | 44,299 | 1% |
| Noisy-le-Sec | 44,136 | 1.02% |
| Les Sables-d'Olonne | 44,017 | 1.33% |
| Alfortville | 43,881 | 0.99% |
| Chateauroux | 43,741 | 0.99% |
| Sete | 43,229 | 0.99% |
| Caluire-et-Cuire | 43,187 | 1% |
| Istres | 43,133 | 1% |
| La Courneuve | 43,054 | 1.01% |
| Garges-les-Gonesse | 42,728 | 1.01% |
| Talence | 42,606 | 1.01% |
| Angouleme | 41,740 | 1% |
| Castres | 41,636 | 1% |
| Bron | 41,543 | 1.02% |
| Bourg-en-Bresse | 41,527 | 1.01% |
| Tarbes | 41,518 | 1% |
| Le Cannet | 41,471 | 0.99% |
| Reze | 41,411 | 1.01% |
| Arras | 41,019 | 1% |
| Wattrelos | 40,958 | 1% |
| Bagneux | 40,918 | 1.02% |
| Gap | 40,895 | 1% |
| Boulogne-sur-Mer | 40,874 | 0.99% |
| Thionville | 40,701 | 0.99% |
| Ales | 40,219 | 1% |
| Compiegne | 40,199 | 1% |
| Melun | 40,032 | 1% |
| Douai | 39,700 | 0.99% |
| Gagny | 39,358 | 1% |
| Draguignan | 39,340 | 1% |
| Montelimar | 39,097 | 1.02% |
| Colomiers | 38,951 | 1% |
| Anglet | 38,929 | 1% |
| Stains | 38,720 | 1.02% |
| Chartres | 38,578 | 1% |
| Saint-Martin-d'Heres | 38,487 | 1% |
| Joue-les-Tours | 37,893 | 1% |
| Saint-Benoit | 37,759 | 1.01% |
| Pontault-Combault | 37,747 | 1% |
| Saint-Joseph | 37,644 | 1% |
| Poissy | 37,388 | 1% |
| Chatillon | 37,355 | 1.01% |
| Villefranche-sur-Saone | 36,857 | 1% |
| Echirolles | 36,840 | 1.01% |
| Villepinte | 36,830 | 1.01% |
| Franconville | 36,762 | 1.02% |
| Savigny-sur-Orge | 36,533 | 1% |
| Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois | 36,207 | 1% |
| Tremblay-en-France | 36,180 | 1.01% |
| Conflans-Sainte-Honorine | 35,846 | 1% |
| Annemasse | 35,712 | 1.01% |
| Bagnolet | 35,674 | 1% |
| Creil | 35,657 | 1.01% |
| Montlucon | 35,653 | 0.99% |
| Palaiseau | 35,514 | 1.03% |
| La Ciotat | 35,174 | 1% |
| Saint-Raphael | 35,042 | 1.01% |
| Neuilly-sur-Marne | 34,993 | 1% |
| Saint-Chamond | 34,967 | 1% |
| Thonon-les-Bains | 34,756 | 1% |
| Auxerre | 34,634 | 1% |
| Haguenau | 34,504 | 1% |
| Roanne | 34,366 | 0.99% |
| Athis-Mons | 34,347 | 1.03% |
| Villenave-d'Ornon | 34,090 | 1.03% |
| Le Perreux-sur-Marne | 33,879 | 1% |
| Macon | 33,638 | 1% |
| Saint-Leu | 33,576 | 1% |
| Agen | 33,576 | 0.99% |
| Villeneuve-Saint-Georges | 33,545 | 1.01% |
| Meyzieu | 33,477 | 1.02% |
| Vitrolles | 33,310 | 0.99% |
| Chatenay-Malabry | 33,286 | 1.01% |
| Romans-sur-Isere | 33,160 | 1% |
| Nevers | 32,990 | 0.99% |
| Montigny-le-Bretonneux | 32,929 | 0.99% |
| Marignane | 32,920 | 0.99% |
| Nogent-sur-Marne | 32,851 | 1.01% |
| Six-Fours-les-Plages | 32,829 | 0.99% |
| Les Mureaux | 32,792 | 1.01% |
| Trappes | 32,584 | 1.01% |
| Cambrai | 32,558 | 1% |
| Houilles | 32,151 | 1% |
| Schiltigheim | 31,894 | 1% |
| Chatellerault | 31,840 | 1% |
| Epinal | 31,740 | 1% |
| Vigneux-sur-Seine | 31,574 | 1% |
| Plaisir | 31,419 | 1% |
| Lens | 31,415 | 1% |
| L'Hay-les-Roses | 31,204 | 1% |
| Saint-Medard-en-Jalles | 31,145 | 1.02% |
| Viry-Chatillon | 31,093 | 1% |
| Cachan | 31,069 | 1.01% |
| Dreux | 31,044 | 1% |
| Lievin | 30,785 | 0.99% |
| Pontoise | 30,767 | 1.01% |
| Malakoff | 30,720 | 1% |
| Goussainville | 30,637 | 1% |
| Charenton-le-Pont | 30,374 | 1% |
| Pierrefitte-sur-Seine | 30,306 | 1.02% |
| Chatou | 30,253 | 1% |
| Rillieux-la-Pape | 30,012 | 0.99% |
| Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy | 30,002 | 1% |
