Palayan, officially the City of Palayan (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Palayan, Ilocano: Siudad ti Palayan), is a 5th class component city and capital of the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 45,383 people,  making it the most sparsely populated city in the Philippines. Palayan was created on June 19, 1965, by the Congress of the Philippines and is one of seven planned cities in the Philippines (the other six being Manila, Baguio, Quezon City, Trece Martires, Koronadal and the Island Garden City of Samal).