The 20 Most Popular Area Codes of 2023

Hawaii – (808)

San Francisco, California – (628)

Let’s welcome San Francisco to our list of top area codes! It’s surprising this is San Fran’s first appearance on our list, especially considering smaller, lesser-known cities have made our list in previous years… **cough cough Oxnard cough cough.**

Another shock is the area code itself. Area code 628 was created in 2015 as an overlay to area code 415. It’s not every day a new area code supersedes an area’s original code (especially when that area code is one of the first 86 area codes ever created!).

So, why San Francisco? Why 628 over 415, especially when 415 consistently had significantly more purchases than 628 in previous years?

Despite San Francisco experiencing more people moving away than moving in since 2015,¹ that margin grew very thin in 2023. San Francisco is usually ranked in the top 10 or 20 cities most people move out of every year. However, in 2023, there were 45 cities ahead of SF.

While not yet netting positive, San Francisco is certainly growing in popularity and even slowly growing in population.

And with a lot of residents leaving, presumably with their 415 phone numbers, that leaves newcomers with the only option of utilizing 628 phone numbers as 415 numbers are harder to come by.

628 is staking its claim as the norm for San Francisco natives. Why not embrace it?

Las Vegas, Nevada – (702)

Usually, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But today, we’re laying it all out for you with Sin City’s first appearance on our list, and area code 702 making its debut.

When it comes to Vegas residents choosing between 702 and 725, both serving the same area, it’s no question why 702 is the preferred option. 702 is one of the original 86 area codes created to serve North America.

Area code 702 isn’t suffering the same fate as San Francisco’s original area code since Las Vegas doesn’t regularly see more people moving out than in. Residents that stay in Las Vegas are helping keep 702 alive.

Speaking of people moving to Las Vegas, that’s a major contributor to 702’s rise in demand. Las Vegas was the fourth most popular city that people relocated to in 2023.¹ Plus, neighboring cities, Henderson and North Las Vegas, placed 28th and 94th respectively, with all three cities gaining even more popularity than years prior.

It seems these residents aren’t only looking to win big on the slots, but also in business with Clark County achieving the 11th most new small business applications in the nation in 2022.² (2023 data have yet to be released, so we’ll update you once we have it.)

While hitting the jackpot might be a bit of a crapshoot, clearly 702 is making it big on the top area codes charts. We’ll be keeping an eye on it and in the meantime, “Viva Las Vegas!” 

Atlanta, Georgia – (470)

Home of the Braves and Coca-Cola, greeting us with a familiar face but in a surprisingly different rank than years prior, we meet Atlanta’s 470. Atlanta’s 470 area code just made our list at spot 17, which is confusing considering 470 was last year’s runner-up for most popular area code.³

Why the drastic drop in numbers?

We’ll talk about why other cities are more popular in their respective sections, but when it comes to Atlanta in particular, 2023 simply wasn’t its year.

While Atlanta is still a wildly popular city to move to (as last year’s 7th-most moved-to city) it still saw more people moving out than in,¹ resulting in a decrease in demand.

On top of that, the counties in 470’s service area aren’t seeing as many new business applications as before. According to the United States Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics, Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb and Cobb counties saw a 17.8%, 12.2%, 25.1% and 17.4% decrease in new business applications, placing 10th, 22nd, 27th and 38th, respectively.²

Now these are not numbers to scoff at, but it begins painting a better picture of why Atlanta is not as popular in 2023 as in 2022. There’s another reason why 470 dropped so dramatically in popularity, but we’ll get to that later.

Houston, Texas – (832)

Howdy, y’all! Welcome to the United States of Texas!

While we’ve seen Texas on our list of top area codes once before, this is Houston’s first time making an appearance. So, tip your cowboy hat to Houston’s 832 area code.

By population alone, it’s no shocker that Houston made this list. Houston is the fourth most populated city⁴ and Harris County is the third most populated county⁵ in all the United States (of America… in case we confused you earlier).

However, that doesn’t automatically mean 832 should be the third or fourth most popular area code. We also have to consider other area codes serving the same area, as the more area codes an area has, the more evenly distributed those codes are across the area’s population.

For Houston, there are three other area codes to choose from, 713, 281 and 346. Even with 832 as a common choice having been on the scene for nearly twenty years, other residents still might prefer one of the other three area codes.

What we do know is that the Houston area will receive yet another new area code in 2025, with rumors circulating that “the city’s current 10-digit phone number combinations could run out by 2025.” We have to wonder if this could be fueling the sudden scramble for existing Houston area codes, like 832. (And, hint hint, we’re noticing an interesting phenomenon when a region has a new area code soon on the horizon.) 

We can also say for certain there’s one more area that Houston-natives prefer over 832. But guess what? We’ve also got more on that a bit later.

Los Angeles, California – (323)

It’s no surprise discovering the epicenter of the entertainment industry, star-studded Los Angeles on this list. And if you’ve read our previous yearly summations, this likely won’t be the last time we’ll see Los Angeles either.

So, while we’ll dive deeper into what made Los Angeles stand out later (yes, later), right now we’ll go over why area code 323 is 2023’s 15th most popular area code.

323 serves all of Los Angeles County, which is the most populated county⁵ in the United States, along with the city of Los Angeles being the 2nd most populated city.⁴

But population on its own isn’t enough to bring 323 to first place. We do have a sneaking suspicion that another factor might be coming into play yet again and helping influence the upsurge in 323 purchases. But stay tuned because (wait for it), we’ll get to that later.

But first, time for some history. Los Angeles is split between two area codes: 323, created as an overlay in 1998, and 213 (which initially served all of Southern California as one of the original 86 area codes in the U.S.).

323 demonstrates that overlays can easily grow in demand and popularity, but (spoiler alert) original area codes typically still reign supreme.

Dallas, Texas – (469)

Let’s zoom back over to Texas to say hello to an area code we saw two years ago: area code 469 out of Dallas.⁶ Famous for NFL and MLB favorites like the Cowboys and the Rangers, along with NASCAR, Indy racing and arguably the best BBQ in the country, Dallas is an undeniable American cultural pillar besides one of America’s largest cities.

469 is making its rounds as one of the most popular area codes thanks to a number of factors, not the least of which being new businesses.

In 2022, Dallas County saw over 56,000 business applications, claiming the title of the county with the seventh most applications. Collin County, which is also under 469’s care, saw a notable 23,000+ business applications, going from the county with the 40th most (2021) to the 35th most business applications in 2022.²

In the scope of Dallas and Collin County’s populations, that’s one out of every 50 people filing a business application.

Speaking of population, that’s another factor that played into 469’s rise in 2023.

Dallas is the eighth largest county⁵ and ninth largest city in the US,⁴ plus, it was the tenth most moved-to city in 2023. However, we don’t want to leave out that more people still moved out than in.¹

And that’s where Dallas’s surrounding cities come into play.

Plano, Irving, McKinney and Frisco, all of which are serviced under 469, also made the cut for most moved-to cities. Most impressively, Frisco saw 83% more people moving in versus moving out.

Everybody loves the underdog! We can’t overlook the influence of these outlying, smaller Dallas communities (though a 100,000+ population isn’t small by any means), especially when boosting the popularity and demand of their area codes.

Atlanta, Georgia – (678)

Aaaaand we’re back! Told you we’d return to Atlanta. There’s still so much to discuss as area code 678 takes the title of 13th most popular area code. Seems like Georgia folks are peachy-keen on it.

First thing we asked was how did 678 pass 470 in popularity? Well, that’s not too hard to answer as we all know that for the most part, people prefer an area’s original code, or older area code, over newer area codes.

While 678 isn’t Atlanta’s original area code (that would be area code 404 which initially served the entire state of Georgia), 678 was put into service in 1998, making it 12 years older than 470. And 404 wasn’t in the running since it now serves a smaller population of three counties, while 678 and 470 serve 29 counties.

It’s also worth mentioning that 678 is much more aesthetically pleasing than 470, as 6-7-8 is numerical. And it’s absolutely worth mentioning, because people verifiably go crazy over vanity numbers that either spell something or have a recognizable pattern (repeating numbers or ascending/descending numerically).

Overall, the popularity of an Atlanta phone number surely hasn’t declined and we don’t expect it to anytime soon.

But with overall interest switching from last year’s runner-up (470), the popularity of a specific Atlanta area code is split more evenly between the four area codes serving the greater Atlanta area.

Only time will tell if Atlanteans flock toward a particular area code in 2024. Guess we’ll find out next year.

Houston, Texas – (346)

Well, it’s now “a bit later” since covering Houston’s 832. It’s now time to check out Houston’s other popular area code: 346.

Here we have another rare and mysterious case of a new area code suddenly superseding the servicing area’s original or older codes’ popularity. 346 was only introduced to Houston in 2014, making it Houston’s newest area code.

And 346 won’t be Houston’s newest area code for much longer as area code 621 is expected to overlay the same area starting January 2025. We’ll expand on the impact of new area codes later in this post, but the expectation of new overlays definitely seems to create a surge in number purchases.

Besides Houston launching a new area code soon, our best insight as to why 346 is Houston’s top area code is similar to what we discussed surrounding San Francisco.

From 2019 to 2022, Houston saw a flood of people leaving with an average of about 27% more people moving out than moving in. But in 2023, significantly fewer people moved out, with Houston becoming the fifth most moved-to city.¹

Just like with San Francisco, Houston experienced several years of people departing, and then a sudden uptick of new residents. And for newcomers without attachments to Houston’s nostalgic area codes, what better area code to represent your new digs than the one with the most available phone numbers?

Jacksonville, Florida – (904)

You knew we’d see a sunshine-state area code at some point. And what better area code to start with than this three-peat contender,^3,6 Jacksonville’s 904 area code.

The last time we saw Jacksonville, it grew in both popularity and population, but 904’s demand seems to be mellowing a bit.

Why is that?

Well, since 2019, Jacksonville has been a migration hotspot. However, year after year, it saw a slight decrease in the amount of moves into the city. Then in 2023, Jacksonville experienced a first in a long time: more people left the city than moved into.¹

And this is not unexpected. The novelty is perhaps wearing off and the popularity is beginning to level out. Some in the real estate industry attribute the weather-related challenges like constant hurricanes and flooding, along with rising costs in homeownership as contributing factors to at least part of the Jacksonville exodus. 

Does that mean this is the last we’ll see of 904? We doubt it.

Jacksonville is still Florida’s most populated city.⁴ So much so that it’s getting a new area code this year, meaning Jacksonville will now have an overlay and residents will have a new area code to choose from if so desired.

Will this affect 904’s popularity in 2024? We suspect that will be the case, but we’ll have to wait and see. So stand by.

Los Angeles, California – (213)

Live, in living color, L.A.’s very own, original area code: 213!

As we promised all the way back in 323, let’s explore what makes the City of Angels so popular.

Along with already having such an enormous population, Los Angeles was the 12th most moved-to city in 2023,¹ generating a sizable demand for new L.A. phone numbers. And having a locally (and nationally!) recognized area code in your phone number goes a long way for those aspirational new arrivals who wish to quickly establish their roots as an Angeleno.

Obtaining a 213 phone number is also essential for local business owners who want their community to instantly identify with them. It’s safe to say there’s some stiff competition out there as, year after year, Los Angeles County sees more business applications than any other county in the U.S.²

In 2022, there were over 160,000 applications filed in L.A. County. That’s over 25% more than the county with the second-most applications (which we’ll get to a bit later, hide your surprise).

While there are few exceptions to the rule that new area codes are never more popular than original area codes, Los Angeles certainly isn’t one of those exceptions. And we suspect it never will be. 213 is too important to Los Angeles natives (like Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg, to name a few).

But that’s not all. Plot twist – in November of this year, L.A. will see a brand new area code, 738. The question is, will it pull a surprise uprise like San Fran’s 628 and take on the powerhouse monopolies of 323 and 213?

New York, New York – (347)

And with no further adieu, it’s time to fly to the opposite coast and take our first step (of many) into the Big Apple.

Though we see New York on our list every year,^3,6 this our first time seeing area code 347.

So, what gives?

347 serves the same area as 929, an area code we’re quite familiar with over here. That specific area, while only covering 8% of New York County, covers more ground, expanding to Kings, Queens, Bronx and Richmond Counties.

With more counties to cover and a greater population to service, there’s no question why this servicing area made our list. As to what makes 347 specifically appealing over NYC’s 718 or 917, we’re not quite sure.

Like 678, it’s possible that people prefer digits in ascending order, whereas 718 and 917 bounce all over the place numerically. Additionally, perhaps people want to take advantage of 3-4-7’s potential to spell something on a dialpad, like the common prefix, D-I-S (which could make it extra desirable for endless vanity number spelling combinations).

Either way, it doesn’t even come close to the appeal and popularity of New York’s most popular area codes, which we’ll get to… later.

Laredo, Texas – (956)

It seems every year, there’s at least one anomaly that makes our list of most popular area codes.

In 2021, seeing Ocala, Florida was slightly perplexing.⁶ In 2022, Oxnard, California almost had us befuddled.³ But this year, we’re downright dumbfounded.

Why?

Let’s giddyap back to Texas for 2023’s eighth most popular area code, Laredo’s 956. In actuality, it also covers the nearby South Texas cities of Brownsville, McAllen, and South Padre Island. 

On the surface, nothing about Laredo, Texas stands out to us. And we don’t mean that in an offensive way at all. All we mean is that there’s no significant moving data to explain a spike in Laredo phone number demand and the city isn’t breaking any records in terms of new business formations.

However, we did discover a few different insights into what’s happening in Laredo County, one of which mentions that “Laredo, Texas, remains the nation’s No. 1 gateway for international trade.” 

Additionally, this specific region of South Texas has found itself in the news quite a bit in recent months as it navigates influxes in immigration.

The primary, notable data is that Hidalgo County, the largest county served under 956, has the 65th largest population with over 800,000 residents⁵ and Laredo is the 87th most populated city in the US.⁴

Those are surely impressive numbers in their own right, but we’re just as curious as you about what makes 956 the eighth most popular area code in the entirety of North America.

West Palm Beach, Florida – (561)

Ahhh, that’s the feeling of a tranquil ocean breeze coupled with relief and peace of mind.

We’re back to the Sunshine State with more quantitative data on the seventh most popular area code of 2023: area code 561 out of West Palm Beach.

The cities served under 561 may not have the largest populations. However, taking a birds-eye view we discover that 561 services the entirety of Palm Beach County, which has the third largest population of any county in Florida.⁵

Palm Beach County’s population of 1.5 million is only smaller than Miami-Dade County’s 2.7 million, which we’ll see later, and Broward County’s 1.9 million, 19% of which is also served under 561.

Population plays a big role here. And a large, growing population leads the way for business growth, as is the case for Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

In 2022, Broward County filed the sixth most business applications with over 76,000 applications.² This is especially impressive considering that’s more applications than counties with much bigger populations like Dallas County out of Texas, Kings County out of New York and Clark County out of Nevada.

Then there’s Palm Beach County filing over 46,000 business applications, the 13th most of any other county.² That’s more than California’s Orange and San Diego Counties, both of which house a population over 3 million people.

561’s coverage over a broad population of new small businesses creates a greater demand for new phone numbers. That may be why area code 728 was created just last year as an overlay to 561. It’s possible 728 could make its way onto our list, but we’ll have to wait a couple years to see how popular it really gets.

Irvine, California – (949)

Now, let’s fly back to the Pacific Coast to introduce the sixth most popular area code of 2023, area code 949 out of Irvine, California.

It’s been a crazy three years for Irvine. 949 made our list in 2021 as the fifth most popular area code.⁶ Then in 2022, Irvine wasn’t even in the top 15.³ Now we have 949 jumping back up to 6th place?

What’s going on in Irvine? Besides having a “city within a city” – home to the renowned University of Irvine with an enrollment of over 30,000 students and several other private universities, it’s also become a burgeoning hub for tech and mechanical engineering giants. Companies like Asics, Kia, Rivian, Samsung and Toshiba have centered their national or U.S. headquarters in Irvine, CA.

When looking at sheer volume, Irvine is the fifth most moved-to city in California and 67th in the nation.¹ While 67 isn’t the most impressive, that’s on top of 949 already serving 4% of San Diego County and 51% of Orange County – the fifth and sixth most populous counties in the country, respectively.⁵

Another factor worth noting is 949 is the only area code servicing that specific area, whereas surrounding areas with high populations are served by multiple area codes. And with 949 not exhausting anytime soon, there’s certainly a chance we’ll see Irvine again.

Pasadena, California – (626)

We hope you like California because we’re going to stay here a bit longer. Let’s take a drive up “the five” (freeway) and make our way over to Pasadena to introduce the fifth most desired area code, 626.

Another three-peater on our list, Pasadena has surely laid its claim in the top five of all area codes year after year.^3,6 Home to celebrities, the Tournament of Roses, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, classic architecture, green landscapes, and so much more, it’s no wonder that Pasadena’s popularity isn’t waning.

626 is the only area code that solely serves Los Angeles County without an overlay. That means business owners and residents serviced under 626, new and old, don’t have a choice but to get a 626 phone number.

Sure, other area codes like the aforementioned 323 and 213 serve Los Angeles proper, so those should be more popular, right?

Not exactly. Those two area codes only cover 4% of L.A. County, whereas 626 alone covers 6% of the county. That’s why 626 has almost as many purchased phone numbers as 323 and 213 combined.

We don’t expect 626’s popularity to pass anytime soon.

San Bernardino, California – (909)

Luckily for you, we’re not moving too far from Pasadena. (But L.A. traffic is intense, so just a few miles might feel like a few hours.) Buckle up as we inch our way east on “the 210” to welcome back area code 909 out of San Bernardino to our list of top area codes.

We first saw 909 just as its overlay, 840, was put into service.⁶ Now that two years have fully passed, it’s clear the new overlay hasn’t affected 909’s popularity.

So, what helped 909’s comeback to make our list as the fourth most popular area code?

909 serves parts of Los Angeles County, which we’ve already established as the most populous county in the U.S., and San Bernardino County, which has the 14th biggest population in the U.S. and the fifth highest population in California.⁵  With more open space for industrial development (which companies like Amazon and Walmart are certainly taking advantage of) along with more affordable housing, San Bernardino’s expansion is turning heads.

Aside from an increasing population, San Bernardino County also has a rapidly growing business presence. The county had the 28th most business applications filed in 2022.² 

With San Bernardino County and its neighboring Inland Empire communities expected to multiply in the next 25 years, we can assume 909 will likely grace our list in the future.

New York, New York – (929)

Hope you didn’t get too comfortable in California. It’s time to wave goodbye to the sunny Pacific and leave the West Coast for good as we head back East and kick off the top three.

The third most popular area code of 2023 is yet another familiar face: New York’s 929 area code.

With 929 landing solidly on our top area codes list for the last two years in a row,^3,6 and the overall population density of the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island communities it serves, it’s not too difficult to answer “why the 929?”

New York continues to see a net positive in people moving into the state¹ resulting in an increase in population and phone number demand. And, as previously discussed, this particular area covers more ground and a greater population of New York City.

We also considered 929’s aesthetic appeal over New York City’s 718 and 917. Similar to 347’s ascending numerical order which we mentioned earlier, 929 is also easier to say, read, remember and dial. It rolls off the tongue with ease. You could say it has a nice “ring” to it.

People can’t seem to stay away from 929’s appeal. We can’t blame ‘em.

New York, New York – (212)

And there’s arguably no area code more appealing than New York’s wildly coveted 212 area code (except the next one, which actually takes the cake). Yes, 212 is the second most popular area code of 2023 and while it downgraded one notch below its first place spot from last year,³ runner-up is still an accomplishment worth applauding.

While 212 was restricted to serve specifically Manhattan in 1985, 212 was once the only area code for all of New York City, established in 1947 as one of the original U.S. area codes. Fun fact: It was also the fastest and easiest area code number sequence to dial on a rotary phone.

The desire for N.Y.C.’s 212 is self-explanatory. We know New York’s already sky-high population is multiplying. And, what 212 has that its overlays don’t is its iconic reputation.

There is no area code as recognizable or associated with an entire community as 212 is with New York City. If you want to identify yourself as a New Yorker, a historic 212 area code gives your N.Y.C. roots instant recognition not just on the East Coast but across the U.S.

While it’s true that everyone wants a 212 (at least in New York), even that wasn’t enough for it to maintain its first-place spot on 2023’s top area codes list.

Miami, Florida – (786)

The heat is on! And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. This year’s champion, clenching the title for most popular area code of 2023 goes to…

Miami’s 786 area code!

There’s no question why people want Miami phone numbers. With its Latin flavor, nightlife, white sand beaches and crystal blue water, who wouldn’t want to move to Miami and launch a new business enterprise?

Miami-Dade County is the most populous county in Florida and the seventh most populous in the US.⁵ Plus, Miami-Dade County had the second most business applications at over 127,000,² which is just under 5% of the county’s entire population.

With an escalating population and burst of new businesses, along with achieving the rank of 23rd most moved-to city last year,¹ Miami had a lot going on in 2023.

But why the mad dash for 786?

We first saw 786 in our post two years ago as the 15th most popular area code when Miami’s original code, 305, placed third.⁶ Then last year, 786 moved up a bit to 14th place as 305 moved down to fifth.³

Now, 786 catapulted all the way up to first place, with 305 failing to even make the list this year.

The Effects of New Area Codes

After studying these trends for three consecutive years, we’ve observed a fascinating phenomenon. This spike in 786 phone number purchases just might again correlate to the development of a brand new area code. 645 was created as an overlay last year in response to a depleting supply of Miami-Dade phone numbers. (That makes a total of three area codes servicing the Miami-Dade area.)

Supporting our assertion, among other area codes we’ve mentioned earlier, the same thing happened with Atlanta’s 470 area code last year. 470 was the second most purchased area code in 2022, the same year a brand new overlay was introduced.

It appears that when a new overlay or area code is created, people seem to flock to purchase the area code most recently preceding it (with the exception of always-favored original area codes). (I.e. out of 305 and 786, 786 is more recent; out of 678 and 470, 470 is more recent.)