Census ACS 5-Year · 500 counties
Least Densely Populated US Counties
The least densely populated US counties are concentrated in Alaska, Nevada, and the Mountain West. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska has fewer than 0.04 people per square mile across its 145,000+ sq mi, making it among the least densely populated areas on Earth. Sparse counties present unique service-delivery challenges: rural healthcare, broadband expansion, school transportation, and emergency response all become exponentially more expensive per resident as density falls.
Key Findings
- 1Kenedy County, TX leads with a people per square mile of 0.04, followed by Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK (0.04) and Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK (0.04).
- 2Mercer County, ND ranks last at 8.00, while Kenedy County, TX leads at 0.04.
- 3The national median across all states is 3.15 (Pecos County, TX at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Kenedy County, TX, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK, Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK, Yakutat City and Borough, AK, Loving County, TX, Copper River Census Area, AK, North Slope Borough, AK, Denali Borough, AK, Garfield County, MT, King County, TX.
Full Ranking: Least Densely Populated US Counties
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | County | State | People / sq mi | Population | Land Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ziebach County, SD | SD | 1.2 | 2,410 | 1,961.2 |
| 2 | Zavala County, TX | TX | 7.3 | 9,532 | 1,297.4 |
| 3 | Yuma County, CO | CO | 4.2 | 9,921 | 2,364.4 |
| 4 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK | AK | 0 | 5,271 | 145,769.1 |
| 5 | Yakutat City and Borough, AK | AK | 0.1 | 506 | 7,627.6 |
| 6 | Wrangell City and Borough, AK | AK | 0.8 | 2,106 | 2,556.1 |
| 7 | Worth County, MO | MO | 7.3 | 1,956 | 266.6 |
| 8 | Woodson County, KS | KS | 6.3 | 3,118 | 497.8 |
| 9 | Woods County, OK | OK | 6.7 | 8,619 | 1,286.5 |
| 10 | Wichita County, KS | KS | 2.9 | 2,115 | 718.6 |
| 11 | Wibaux County, MT | MT | 1.3 | 1,148 | 889.6 |
| 12 | White Pine County, NV | NV | 1 | 8,856 | 8,886.7 |
| 13 | Wheeler County, TX | TX | 5.4 | 4,902 | 914.5 |
| 14 | Wheeler County, OR | OR | 0.8 | 1,434 | 1,716 |
| 15 | Wheeler County, NE | NE | 1.4 | 785 | 575.2 |
| 16 | Wheatland County, MT | MT | 1.4 | 2,049 | 1,422.5 |
| 17 | Weston County, WY | WY | 2.9 | 6,835 | 2,398 |
| 18 | Wells County, ND | ND | 3.1 | 3,942 | 1,270.5 |
| 19 | Webster County, NE | NE | 5.9 | 3,385 | 574.9 |
| 20 | Wayne County, UT | UT | 1 | 2,557 | 2,461.1 |
| 21 | Washington County, KS | KS | 6.2 | 5,519 | 894.8 |
| 22 | Washington County, ID | ID | 7.5 | 10,866 | 1,452.9 |
| 23 | Washington County, CO | CO | 1.9 | 4,839 | 2,518.1 |
| 24 | Washakie County, WY | WY | 3.4 | 7,708 | 2,238.7 |
| 25 | Walworth County, SD | SD | 7.5 | 5,298 | 707.5 |
| 26 | Wallowa County, OR | OR | 2.4 | 7,532 | 3,145.9 |
| 27 | Wallace County, KS | KS | 1.6 | 1,459 | 913.7 |
| 28 | Valley County, NE | NE | 7.2 | 4,094 | 568.1 |
| 29 | Valley County, MT | MT | 1.5 | 7,540 | 4,926.1 |
| 30 | Valley County, ID | ID | 3.3 | 12,136 | 3,665.1 |
| 31 | Upton County, TX | TX | 2.6 | 3,227 | 1,241.3 |
| 32 | Union County, NM | NM | 1.1 | 4,039 | 3,825.1 |
| 33 | Tripp County, SD | SD | 3.5 | 5,607 | 1,612.3 |
| 34 | Trinity County, CA | CA | 5 | 15,886 | 3,179.3 |
| 35 | Trego County, KS | KS | 3.1 | 2,778 | 889.5 |
| 36 | Treasure County, MT | MT | 0.8 | 761 | 977.8 |
| 37 | Traverse County, MN | MN | 5.7 | 3,279 | 573.9 |
| 38 | Towner County, ND | ND | 2.1 | 2,113 | 1,025.1 |
| 39 | Torrance County, NM | NM | 4.6 | 15,290 | 3,345.2 |
| 40 | Toole County, MT | MT | 2.6 | 5,028 | 1,914.9 |
| 41 | Todd County, SD | SD | 6.7 | 9,293 | 1,388.6 |
| 42 | Tillman County, OK | OK | 8 | 6,967 | 871.1 |
| 43 | Throckmorton County, TX | TX | 1.7 | 1,589 | 912.6 |
| 44 | Thomas County, NE | NE | 0.9 | 626 | 712.6 |
| 45 | Thomas County, KS | KS | 7.4 | 7,913 | 1,074.7 |
| 46 | Teton County, WY | WY | 5.8 | 23,358 | 3,996.8 |
| 47 | Teton County, MT | MT | 2.8 | 6,291 | 2,271.6 |
| 48 | Terrell County, TX | TX | 0.4 | 851 | 2,358 |
| 49 | Tensas Parish, LA | LA | 6.6 | 3,992 | 603.3 |
| 50 | Swisher County, TX | TX | 7.8 | 6,981 | 890.2 |
| 51 | Sweetwater County, WY | WY | 4 | 41,786 | 10,427 |
| 52 | Sweet Grass County, MT | MT | 2 | 3,713 | 1,855.5 |
| 53 | Sutton County, TX | TX | 2.3 | 3,306 | 1,453.9 |
| 54 | Sully County, SD | SD | 1.5 | 1,481 | 1,006.7 |
| 55 | Sublette County, WY | WY | 1.8 | 8,806 | 4,886.5 |
| 56 | Stonewall County, TX | TX | 1.4 | 1,244 | 916.3 |
| 57 | Stillwater County, MT | MT | 5 | 9,052 | 1,796.5 |
| 58 | Stevens County, KS | KS | 7.2 | 5,212 | 727.3 |
| 59 | Sterling County, TX | TX | 1.5 | 1,389 | 923.4 |
| 60 | Steele County, ND | ND | 2.4 | 1,731 | 712.1 |
| 61 | Stanton County, KS | KS | 3 | 2,018 | 680.4 |
| 62 | Stanley County, SD | SD | 2.1 | 3,012 | 1,444.4 |
| 63 | Stafford County, KS | KS | 5.1 | 4,004 | 792 |
| 64 | Spink County, SD | SD | 4.2 | 6,283 | 1,503.5 |
| 65 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK | AK | 0.3 | 6,936 | 24,832.3 |
| 66 | Socorro County, NM | NM | 2.5 | 16,308 | 6,646.4 |
| 67 | Smith County, KS | KS | 4 | 3,579 | 895.5 |
| 68 | Slope County, ND | ND | 0.7 | 795 | 1,215.3 |
| 69 | Skamania County, WA | WA | 7.4 | 12,276 | 1,658.3 |
| 70 | Skagway Municipality, AK | AK | 3 | 1,308 | 442.9 |
| 71 | Sitka City and Borough, AK | AK | 2.9 | 8,393 | 2,870.1 |
| 72 | Siskiyou County, CA | CA | 7 | 43,834 | 6,278.8 |
| 73 | Sioux County, NE | NE | 0.6 | 1,197 | 2,066.7 |
| 74 | Sioux County, ND | ND | 3.5 | 3,789 | 1,094.1 |
| 75 | Sierra County, NM | NM | 2.8 | 11,511 | 4,181.2 |
| 76 | Sierra County, CA | CA | 2.9 | 2,731 | 953.2 |
| 77 | Shoshone County, ID | ID | 5.1 | 13,580 | 2,637.4 |
| 78 | Sherman County, TX | TX | 2.6 | 2,434 | 922.9 |
| 79 | Sherman County, OR | OR | 2.3 | 1,908 | 823.6 |
| 80 | Sherman County, NE | NE | 5.3 | 2,974 | 565.9 |
| 81 | Sherman County, KS | KS | 5.6 | 5,919 | 1,056.1 |
| 82 | Sheridan County, NE | NE | 2.1 | 5,058 | 2,440.2 |
| 83 | Sheridan County, ND | ND | 1.4 | 1,327 | 972.2 |
| 84 | Sheridan County, MT | MT | 2.2 | 3,677 | 1,676.9 |
| 85 | Sheridan County, KS | KS | 2.7 | 2,442 | 896 |
| 86 | Shannon County, MO | MO | 7.1 | 7,137 | 1,003.8 |
| 87 | Shackelford County, TX | TX | 3.5 | 3,169 | 914.3 |
| 88 | Sedgwick County, CO | CO | 4.3 | 2,346 | 548 |
| 89 | Scott County, KS | KS | 7.1 | 5,071 | 717.6 |
| 90 | Schoolcraft County, MI | MI | 6.9 | 8,093 | 1,171.9 |
| 91 | Schleicher County, TX | TX | 1.9 | 2,426 | 1,310.6 |
| 92 | Sargent County, ND | ND | 4.5 | 3,822 | 858.5 |
| 93 | Sanders County, MT | MT | 4.7 | 12,936 | 2,760.4 |
| 94 | Sanborn County, SD | SD | 4.2 | 2,370 | 569.2 |
| 95 | San Saba County, TX | TX | 5.1 | 5,802 | 1,135.3 |
| 96 | San Miguel County, NM | NM | 5.7 | 27,036 | 4,721.5 |
| 97 | San Miguel County, CO | CO | 6.2 | 8,026 | 1,286.7 |
| 98 | San Juan County, UT | UT | 1.8 | 14,466 | 7,823.8 |
| 99 | San Juan County, CO | CO | 1.8 | 690 | 387.5 |
| 100 | Saguache County, CO | CO | 2.1 | 6,511 | 3,168.6 |
| 101 | Russell County, KS | KS | 7.6 | 6,717 | 886.3 |
| 102 | Rush County, KS | KS | 4.1 | 2,957 | 717.8 |
| 103 | Rosebud County, MT | MT | 1.6 | 8,236 | 5,008.1 |
| 104 | Roosevelt County, NM | NM | 7.8 | 19,002 | 2,446.1 |
| 105 | Roosevelt County, MT | MT | 4.5 | 10,665 | 2,354.6 |
| 106 | Rooks County, KS | KS | 5.5 | 4,869 | 890.5 |
| 107 | Roger Mills County, OK | OK | 3 | 3,378 | 1,141.1 |
| 108 | Rock County, NE | NE | 1.3 | 1,335 | 1,008.3 |
| 109 | Roberts County, TX | TX | 0.8 | 785 | 924.1 |
| 110 | Rio Blanco County, CO | CO | 2 | 6,518 | 3,221 |
| 111 | Rio Arriba County, NM | NM | 6.9 | 40,165 | 5,860.9 |
| 112 | Richland County, MT | MT | 5.4 | 11,329 | 2,084.6 |
| 113 | Rich County, UT | UT | 2.5 | 2,588 | 1,028.8 |
| 114 | Reynolds County, MO | MO | 7.5 | 6,058 | 808.5 |
| 115 | Republic County, KS | KS | 6.5 | 4,662 | 717.4 |
| 116 | Renville County, ND | ND | 2.6 | 2,277 | 877.2 |
| 117 | Reeves County, TX | TX | 5 | 13,219 | 2,635.4 |
| 118 | Real County, TX | TX | 4 | 2,821 | 699.2 |
| 119 | Reagan County, TX | TX | 2.8 | 3,259 | 1,175.3 |
| 120 | Rawlins County, KS | KS | 2.4 | 2,533 | 1,069.4 |
| 121 | Ransom County, ND | ND | 6.6 | 5,662 | 862.5 |
| 122 | Quay County, NM | NM | 3 | 8,616 | 2,874 |
| 123 | Pushmataha County, OK | OK | 7.7 | 10,787 | 1,395.5 |
| 124 | Prowers County, CO | CO | 7.3 | 11,931 | 1,638.4 |
| 125 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AK | AK | 1.1 | 5,730 | 5,267.6 |
| 126 | Presidio County, TX | TX | 1.6 | 6,043 | 3,855.3 |
| 127 | Prairie County, MT | MT | 0.7 | 1,251 | 1,736.6 |
| 128 | Power County, ID | ID | 5.7 | 8,018 | 1,403.8 |
| 129 | Powell County, MT | MT | 3 | 7,029 | 2,326 |
| 130 | Powder River County, MT | MT | 0.5 | 1,762 | 3,298.2 |
| 131 | Potter County, SD | SD | 2.8 | 2,430 | 861.1 |
| 132 | Pondera County, MT | MT | 3.7 | 6,012 | 1,624.6 |
| 133 | Plumas County, CA | CA | 7.7 | 19,607 | 2,553.1 |
| 134 | Platte County, WY | WY | 4.1 | 8,606 | 2,081.5 |
| 135 | Piute County, UT | UT | 2.2 | 1,705 | 758.2 |
| 136 | Piscataquis County, ME | ME | 4.3 | 17,125 | 3,960.8 |
| 137 | Pierce County, ND | ND | 3.9 | 3,961 | 1,018.3 |
| 138 | Phillips County, MT | MT | 0.8 | 4,224 | 5,140.4 |
| 139 | Phillips County, KS | KS | 5.5 | 4,874 | 885.9 |
| 140 | Phillips County, CO | CO | 6.5 | 4,491 | 687.9 |
| 141 | Petroleum County, MT | MT | 0.2 | 401 | 1,655.6 |
| 142 | Petersburg Borough, AK | AK | 1.2 | 3,394 | 2,900.9 |
| 143 | Pershing County, NV | NV | 1.1 | 6,505 | 6,036.6 |
| 144 | Perkins County, SD | SD | 1.1 | 3,058 | 2,870.5 |
| 145 | Perkins County, NE | NE | 3.2 | 2,835 | 883.3 |
| 146 | Pembina County, ND | ND | 6.1 | 6,787 | 1,118.5 |
| 147 | Pecos County, TX | TX | 3.1 | 14,983 | 4,763.8 |
| 148 | Pawnee County, NE | NE | 5.9 | 2,539 | 431.1 |
| 149 | Park County, WY | WY | 4.3 | 30,109 | 6,939 |
| 150 | Park County, MT | MT | 6.2 | 17,484 | 2,802.5 |
| 151 | Owyhee County, ID | ID | 1.6 | 12,284 | 7,668.2 |
| 152 | Osborne County, KS | KS | 3.9 | 3,473 | 892.5 |
| 153 | Ontonagon County, MI | MI | 4.5 | 5,870 | 1,311 |
| 154 | Oneida County, ID | ID | 3.9 | 4,681 | 1,199 |
| 155 | Oliver County, ND | ND | 2.5 | 1,821 | 722.4 |
| 156 | Oldham County, TX | TX | 1.4 | 2,097 | 1,500.5 |
| 157 | Oglala Lakota County, SD | SD | 6.5 | 13,587 | 2,093.6 |
| 158 | Nye County, NV | NV | 2.9 | 53,207 | 18,181.9 |
| 159 | Nuckolls County, NE | NE | 7.1 | 4,089 | 575.2 |
| 160 | Norton County, KS | KS | 6.1 | 5,392 | 878 |
| 161 | Northwest Arctic Borough, AK | AK | 0.2 | 7,611 | 35,671.7 |
| 162 | North Slope Borough, AK | AK | 0.1 | 10,891 | 88,792.8 |
| 163 | Norman County, MN | MN | 7.3 | 6,411 | 872.8 |
| 164 | Nome Census Area, AK | AK | 0.4 | 9,925 | 22,969.7 |
| 165 | Niobrara County, WY | WY | 0.9 | 2,415 | 2,626 |
| 166 | Ness County, KS | KS | 2.5 | 2,659 | 1,074.7 |
| 167 | Nelson County, ND | ND | 3.1 | 3,015 | 981.8 |
| 168 | Nance County, NE | NE | 7.6 | 3,342 | 441.6 |
| 169 | Musselshell County, MT | MT | 2.7 | 5,068 | 1,869 |
| 170 | Mountrail County, ND | ND | 5.2 | 9,567 | 1,825.2 |
| 171 | Motley County, TX | TX | 1.3 | 1,267 | 989.6 |
| 172 | Morton County, KS | KS | 3.6 | 2,647 | 729.7 |
| 173 | Morrow County, OR | OR | 6 | 12,249 | 2,030.5 |
| 174 | Morris County, KS | KS | 7.7 | 5,388 | 695.3 |
| 175 | Morrill County, NE | NE | 3.2 | 4,544 | 1,423.7 |
| 176 | Mora County, NM | NM | 2.2 | 4,176 | 1,926.2 |
| 177 | Mono County, CA | CA | 4.3 | 13,169 | 3,048.9 |
| 178 | Moffat County, CO | CO | 2.8 | 13,258 | 4,743.2 |
| 179 | Modoc County, CA | CA | 2.2 | 8,646 | 3,948.2 |
| 180 | Mineral County, NV | NV | 1.2 | 4,557 | 3,751.3 |
| 181 | Mineral County, MT | MT | 3.9 | 4,796 | 1,219.6 |
| 182 | Mineral County, CO | CO | 0.9 | 799 | 875.8 |
| 183 | Miner County, SD | SD | 4 | 2,299 | 570.2 |
| 184 | Mills County, TX | TX | 6 | 4,499 | 748.2 |
| 185 | Millard County, UT | UT | 1.9 | 13,179 | 6,785.5 |
| 186 | Mercer County, ND | ND | 8 | 8,341 | 1,042.8 |
| 187 | Mercer County, MO | MO | 7.7 | 3,501 | 453.8 |
| 188 | Menard County, TX | TX | 2.2 | 1,964 | 902 |
| 189 | Mellette County, SD | SD | 1.6 | 2,043 | 1,307.3 |
| 190 | Meagher County, MT | MT | 0.8 | 1,979 | 2,391.9 |
| 191 | Meade County, KS | KS | 4 | 3,949 | 978.1 |
| 192 | McPherson County, SD | SD | 2 | 2,278 | 1,136.7 |
| 193 | McPherson County, NE | NE | 0.5 | 463 | 859.3 |
| 194 | McMullen County, TX | TX | 0.5 | 623 | 1,139.8 |
| 195 | McLean County, ND | ND | 4.6 | 9,807 | 2,110.3 |
| 196 | McKenzie County, ND | ND | 5.2 | 14,280 | 2,760.1 |
| 197 | McIntosh County, ND | ND | 2.6 | 2,512 | 974.6 |
| 198 | McHenry County, ND | ND | 2.8 | 5,264 | 1,873.9 |
| 199 | McCulloch County, TX | TX | 7.1 | 7,565 | 1,065.6 |
| 200 | McCone County, MT | MT | 0.7 | 1,818 | 2,642.2 |
| 201 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK | AK | 4.5 | 110,677 | 24,707.3 |
| 202 | Mason County, TX | TX | 4.3 | 3,951 | 928.8 |
| 203 | Martin County, TX | TX | 5.7 | 5,230 | 915 |
| 204 | Marshall County, SD | SD | 5.2 | 4,355 | 838.1 |
| 205 | Marshall County, MN | MN | 5 | 8,961 | 1,775.1 |
| 206 | Malheur County, OR | OR | 3.2 | 31,701 | 9,887.7 |
| 207 | Madison County, MT | MT | 2.5 | 8,975 | 3,588.2 |
| 208 | Lynn County, TX | TX | 6.4 | 5,667 | 891.9 |
| 209 | Lyman County, SD | SD | 2.3 | 3,717 | 1,642.3 |
| 210 | Luce County, MI | MI | 7 | 6,325 | 899.1 |
| 211 | Loving County, TX | TX | 0.1 | 54 | 668.8 |
| 212 | Loup County, NE | NE | 1 | 564 | 563.3 |
| 213 | Logan County, NE | NE | 1.4 | 812 | 570.7 |
| 214 | Logan County, ND | ND | 1.9 | 1,848 | 992.6 |
| 215 | Logan County, KS | KS | 2.5 | 2,720 | 1,073 |
| 216 | Lipscomb County, TX | TX | 3.2 | 2,964 | 932.2 |
| 217 | Lincoln County, WY | WY | 4.9 | 20,158 | 4,075.3 |
| 218 | Lincoln County, WA | WA | 4.9 | 11,271 | 2,310.6 |
| 219 | Lincoln County, NV | NV | 0.4 | 4,452 | 10,633.4 |
| 220 | Lincoln County, NM | NM | 4.2 | 20,227 | 4,831.1 |
| 221 | Lincoln County, MT | MT | 5.7 | 20,656 | 3,612.6 |
| 222 | Lincoln County, KS | KS | 4.1 | 2,924 | 719.4 |
| 223 | Lincoln County, ID | ID | 4.4 | 5,276 | 1,201.4 |
| 224 | Lincoln County, CO | CO | 2.2 | 5,561 | 2,577.7 |
| 225 | Liberty County, MT | MT | 1.4 | 1,968 | 1,430 |
| 226 | Lewis County, ID | ID | 7.6 | 3,649 | 478.8 |
| 227 | Lemhi County, ID | ID | 1.8 | 8,166 | 4,563.7 |
| 228 | Lassen County, CA | CA | 6.9 | 31,177 | 4,541.4 |
| 229 | Las Animas County, CO | CO | 3 | 14,392 | 4,772.9 |
| 230 | Lane County, KS | KS | 2.1 | 1,497 | 717.4 |
| 231 | Lander County, NV | NV | 1 | 5,745 | 5,519.2 |
| 232 | LaMoure County, ND | ND | 3.6 | 4,107 | 1,146 |
| 233 | Lake of the Woods County, MN | MN | 2.9 | 3,800 | 1,297.7 |
| 234 | Lake County, OR | OR | 1 | 8,254 | 8,138.6 |
| 235 | Lake County, MN | MN | 5.2 | 10,911 | 2,109.1 |
| 236 | Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK | AK | 0 | 1,007 | 23,831 |
| 237 | La Salle County, TX | TX | 4.7 | 6,946 | 1,486.7 |
| 238 | La Paz County, AZ | AZ | 3.7 | 16,605 | 4,496.6 |
| 239 | Kusilvak Census Area, AK | AK | 0.5 | 8,277 | 17,078 |
| 240 | Koochiching County, MN | MN | 3.8 | 11,950 | 3,104.7 |
| 241 | Kodiak Island Borough, AK | AK | 1.9 | 12,878 | 6,689.5 |
| 242 | Knox County, TX | TX | 3.9 | 3,322 | 850.6 |
| 243 | Knox County, NE | NE | 7.5 | 8,362 | 1,108.2 |
| 244 | Knox County, MO | MO | 7.5 | 3,760 | 504 |
| 245 | Kittson County, MN | MN | 3.8 | 4,163 | 1,099 |
| 246 | Kit Carson County, CO | CO | 3.2 | 7,015 | 2,160.8 |
| 247 | Kiowa County, KS | KS | 3.4 | 2,422 | 722.6 |
| 248 | Kiowa County, CO | CO | 0.8 | 1,356 | 1,767.8 |
| 249 | Kinney County, TX | TX | 2.3 | 3,140 | 1,360.5 |
| 250 | Kingsbury County, SD | SD | 6.3 | 5,210 | 832.2 |
| 251 | King County, TX | TX | 0.2 | 189 | 910.9 |
| 252 | Kimble County, TX | TX | 3.5 | 4,355 | 1,251 |
| 253 | Kimball County, NE | NE | 3.5 | 3,348 | 951.9 |
| 254 | Kidder County, ND | ND | 1.8 | 2,374 | 1,351.1 |
| 255 | Keya Paha County, NE | NE | 1.2 | 939 | 772.9 |
| 256 | Keweenaw County, MI | MI | 3.9 | 2,106 | 540.1 |
| 257 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK | AK | 2.9 | 13,870 | 4,857.1 |
| 258 | Kent County, TX | TX | 0.8 | 727 | 902.5 |
| 259 | Kenedy County, TX | TX | 0 | 52 | 1,458.6 |
| 260 | Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK | AK | 3.7 | 59,843 | 16,017.6 |
| 261 | Keith County, NE | NE | 7.8 | 8,239 | 1,062.1 |
| 262 | Kearny County, KS | KS | 4.5 | 3,910 | 870.5 |
| 263 | Kane County, UT | UT | 2 | 7,996 | 3,994.1 |
| 264 | Kalawao County, HI | HI | 3.6 | 43 | 12 |
| 265 | Judith Basin County, MT | MT | 1.1 | 2,053 | 1,869.7 |
| 266 | Juab County, UT | UT | 3.6 | 12,273 | 3,391.8 |
| 267 | Jones County, SD | SD | 1.1 | 1,030 | 969.7 |
| 268 | Johnson County, WY | WY | 2.1 | 8,602 | 4,154.2 |
| 269 | Jim Hogg County, TX | TX | 4.2 | 4,797 | 1,136.2 |
| 270 | Jewell County, KS | KS | 3.2 | 2,909 | 910 |
| 271 | Jerauld County, SD | SD | 3.5 | 1,845 | 526.1 |
| 272 | Jefferson County, OK | OK | 7.1 | 5,377 | 759 |
| 273 | Jefferson County, MT | MT | 7.5 | 12,501 | 1,657 |
| 274 | Jeff Davis County, TX | TX | 0.8 | 1,740 | 2,264.6 |
| 275 | Jackson County, SD | SD | 1.5 | 2,826 | 1,863.9 |
| 276 | Jackson County, CO | CO | 0.9 | 1,422 | 1,613.7 |
| 277 | Issaquena County, MS | MS | 2.7 | 1,095 | 413 |
| 278 | Irion County, TX | TX | 1.4 | 1,432 | 1,051.5 |
| 279 | Inyo County, CA | CA | 1.8 | 18,803 | 10,197.3 |
| 280 | Idaho County, ID | ID | 2 | 17,120 | 8,477.5 |
| 281 | Hyde County, SD | SD | 1.5 | 1,305 | 860.6 |
| 282 | Hyde County, NC | NC | 7.6 | 4,625 | 612.3 |
| 283 | Humboldt County, NV | NV | 1.8 | 17,299 | 9,640.8 |
| 284 | Huerfano County, CO | CO | 4.4 | 6,946 | 1,591 |
| 285 | Hudspeth County, TX | TX | 0.7 | 3,331 | 4,570.5 |
| 286 | Hot Springs County, WY | WY | 2.3 | 4,618 | 2,004.4 |
| 287 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK | AK | 0.4 | 2,313 | 6,560.3 |
| 288 | Hooker County, NE | NE | 0.9 | 613 | 721 |
| 289 | Holt County, NE | NE | 4.2 | 10,093 | 2,411.9 |
| 290 | Hodgeman County, KS | KS | 1.9 | 1,676 | 860 |
| 291 | Hitchcock County, NE | NE | 3.7 | 2,601 | 710 |
| 292 | Hinsdale County, CO | CO | 0.8 | 939 | 1,117.2 |
| 293 | Hill County, MT | MT | 5.6 | 16,260 | 2,899.4 |
| 294 | Highland County, VA | VA | 5.5 | 2,265 | 415.2 |
| 295 | Hidalgo County, NM | NM | 1.2 | 4,097 | 3,438.6 |
| 296 | Hettinger County, ND | ND | 2.2 | 2,453 | 1,132.2 |
| 297 | Hemphill County, TX | TX | 3.7 | 3,311 | 906.3 |
| 298 | Hayes County, NE | NE | 1.2 | 854 | 713.1 |
| 299 | Haskell County, TX | TX | 6 | 5,390 | 903.1 |
| 300 | Haskell County, KS | KS | 6.4 | 3,695 | 577.5 |
| 301 | Hartley County, TX | TX | 3.6 | 5,307 | 1,462 |
| 302 | Harper County, OK | OK | 3.1 | 3,231 | 1,038.6 |
| 303 | Harper County, KS | KS | 6.8 | 5,446 | 801.3 |
| 304 | Harney County, OR | OR | 0.7 | 7,515 | 10,134.4 |
| 305 | Harmon County, OK | OK | 4.6 | 2,452 | 537.3 |
| 306 | Harlan County, NE | NE | 5.4 | 3,006 | 553.5 |
| 307 | Harding County, SD | SD | 0.4 | 1,092 | 2,671.6 |
| 308 | Harding County, NM | NM | 0.4 | 748 | 2,125.5 |
| 309 | Hardeman County, TX | TX | 5.1 | 3,529 | 695.1 |
| 310 | Hanson County, SD | SD | 8 | 3,473 | 434.6 |
| 311 | Hansford County, TX | TX | 5.6 | 5,182 | 919.8 |
| 312 | Hand County, SD | SD | 2.1 | 3,045 | 1,436.6 |
| 313 | Hamilton County, NY | NY | 3 | 5,102 | 1,717.4 |
| 314 | Hamilton County, KS | KS | 2.5 | 2,485 | 996.5 |
| 315 | Hall County, TX | TX | 3.2 | 2,827 | 883.5 |
| 316 | Haines Borough, AK | AK | 0.9 | 2,077 | 2,334.9 |
| 317 | Haakon County, SD | SD | 0.9 | 1,708 | 1,810.5 |
| 318 | Gunnison County, CO | CO | 5.3 | 17,158 | 3,239.1 |
| 319 | Guadalupe County, NM | NM | 1.4 | 4,379 | 3,029.8 |
| 320 | Griggs County, ND | ND | 3.3 | 2,340 | 708.7 |
| 321 | Gregory County, SD | SD | 3.9 | 3,993 | 1,015 |
| 322 | Greenwood County, KS | KS | 5.2 | 5,956 | 1,143.3 |
| 323 | Greenlee County, AZ | AZ | 5.1 | 9,452 | 1,842.8 |
| 324 | Greeley County, NE | NE | 3.9 | 2,211 | 569.8 |
| 325 | Greeley County, KS | KS | 1.7 | 1,296 | 778.4 |
| 326 | Gray County, KS | KS | 6.6 | 5,696 | 868.9 |
| 327 | Grant County, OR | OR | 1.6 | 7,238 | 4,527.8 |
| 328 | Grant County, OK | OK | 4.1 | 4,137 | 1,000.7 |
| 329 | Grant County, NM | NM | 7 | 27,856 | 3,961.2 |
| 330 | Grant County, NE | NE | 0.9 | 695 | 776.7 |
| 331 | Grant County, ND | ND | 1.4 | 2,276 | 1,659.2 |
| 332 | Granite County, MT | MT | 2 | 3,419 | 1,727.2 |
| 333 | Grand County, UT | UT | 2.6 | 9,697 | 3,672.9 |
| 334 | Graham County, KS | KS | 2.7 | 2,406 | 898.5 |
| 335 | Gove County, KS | KS | 2.6 | 2,796 | 1,071.7 |
| 336 | Gosper County, NE | NE | 4.2 | 1,929 | 458.2 |
| 337 | Goshen County, WY | WY | 5.7 | 12,587 | 2,225.6 |
| 338 | Golden Valley County, ND | ND | 1.7 | 1,679 | 1,000.9 |
| 339 | Golden Valley County, MT | MT | 0.7 | 840 | 1,174.4 |
| 340 | Glasscock County, TX | TX | 1.2 | 1,070 | 900.2 |
| 341 | Glacier County, MT | MT | 4.6 | 13,713 | 2,995.2 |
| 342 | Gilliam County, OR | OR | 1.7 | 2,002 | 1,204.7 |
| 343 | Garza County, TX | TX | 6.1 | 5,435 | 893.4 |
| 344 | Garfield County, WA | WA | 3.3 | 2,326 | 710.8 |
| 345 | Garfield County, UT | UT | 1 | 5,170 | 5,179.6 |
| 346 | Garfield County, NE | NE | 3.2 | 1,797 | 569.4 |
| 347 | Garfield County, MT | MT | 0.2 | 938 | 4,676.6 |
| 348 | Garden County, NE | NE | 1 | 1,620 | 1,704.8 |
| 349 | Furnas County, NE | NE | 6.4 | 4,605 | 719.2 |
| 350 | Frontier County, NE | NE | 2.6 | 2,562 | 974.7 |
| 351 | Fremont County, WY | WY | 4.3 | 39,472 | 9,183.6 |
| 352 | Fremont County, ID | ID | 7.4 | 13,701 | 1,864 |
| 353 | Franklin County, NE | NE | 5 | 2,868 | 575.8 |
| 354 | Foster County, ND | ND | 5.3 | 3,372 | 634.1 |
| 355 | Foard County, TX | TX | 1.5 | 1,079 | 704.4 |
| 356 | Floyd County, TX | TX | 5.3 | 5,294 | 992.1 |
| 357 | Fisher County, TX | TX | 4.1 | 3,661 | 899 |
| 358 | Ferry County, WA | WA | 3.3 | 7,326 | 2,203.2 |
| 359 | Fergus County, MT | MT | 2.7 | 11,581 | 4,339.3 |
| 360 | Faulk County, SD | SD | 2.2 | 2,137 | 981.7 |
| 361 | Fallon County, MT | MT | 1.7 | 2,817 | 1,620.6 |
| 362 | Fall River County, SD | SD | 4.1 | 7,179 | 1,739.9 |
| 363 | Eureka County, NV | NV | 0.4 | 1,660 | 4,175.7 |
| 364 | Esmeralda County, NV | NV | 0.3 | 962 | 3,581.9 |
| 365 | Emmons County, ND | ND | 2.2 | 3,269 | 1,508.4 |
| 366 | Emery County, UT | UT | 2.2 | 9,968 | 4,462.6 |
| 367 | Ellis County, OK | OK | 3 | 3,717 | 1,231.5 |
| 368 | Elko County, NV | NV | 3.1 | 53,852 | 17,173.3 |
| 369 | Elk County, KS | KS | 3.8 | 2,464 | 644.3 |
| 370 | Edwards County, TX | TX | 0.7 | 1,392 | 2,117.9 |
| 371 | Edwards County, KS | KS | 4.5 | 2,817 | 621.9 |
| 372 | Edmunds County, SD | SD | 3.6 | 4,033 | 1,126 |
| 373 | Eddy County, ND | ND | 3.7 | 2,319 | 630.2 |
| 374 | Duval County, TX | TX | 5.5 | 9,824 | 1,793.5 |
| 375 | Dunn County, ND | ND | 2 | 4,043 | 2,008.5 |
| 376 | Dundy County, NE | NE | 2 | 1,811 | 919.7 |
| 377 | Duchesne County, UT | UT | 6.2 | 19,932 | 3,235.5 |
| 378 | Douglas County, SD | SD | 6.5 | 2,823 | 431.8 |
| 379 | Donley County, TX | TX | 3.5 | 3,276 | 927 |
| 380 | Dolores County, CO | CO | 2.2 | 2,385 | 1,067.2 |
| 381 | Divide County, ND | ND | 1.7 | 2,174 | 1,261.1 |
| 382 | Dimmit County, TX | TX | 6.4 | 8,507 | 1,328.9 |
| 383 | Dillingham Census Area, AK | AK | 0.3 | 4,780 | 18,335.8 |
| 384 | Dickey County, ND | ND | 4.4 | 4,959 | 1,131.5 |
| 385 | Dickens County, TX | TX | 1.8 | 1,641 | 901.7 |
| 386 | Dewey County, SD | SD | 2.3 | 5,230 | 2,302.4 |
| 387 | Dewey County, OK | OK | 4.4 | 4,433 | 999.6 |
| 388 | Deuel County, SD | SD | 6.9 | 4,318 | 622.7 |
| 389 | Deuel County, NE | NE | 4.2 | 1,865 | 439.8 |
| 390 | Denali Borough, AK | AK | 0.2 | 2,029 | 12,641 |
| 391 | Decatur County, KS | KS | 3.1 | 2,746 | 893.5 |
| 392 | De Baca County, NM | NM | 0.7 | 1,580 | 2,323.1 |
| 393 | Day County, SD | SD | 5.3 | 5,460 | 1,028.5 |
| 394 | Dawson County, MT | MT | 3.7 | 8,874 | 2,371.9 |
| 395 | Dawes County, NE | NE | 5.9 | 8,212 | 1,396.4 |
| 396 | Daniels County, MT | MT | 1.1 | 1,524 | 1,426.3 |
| 397 | Dallam County, TX | TX | 4.8 | 7,180 | 1,503.4 |
| 398 | Daggett County, UT | UT | 1.1 | 747 | 696.5 |
| 399 | Custer County, SD | SD | 5.6 | 8,686 | 1,556.9 |
| 400 | Custer County, NE | NE | 4.1 | 10,544 | 2,575.5 |
| 401 | Custer County, MT | MT | 3.2 | 11,938 | 3,783.3 |
| 402 | Custer County, ID | ID | 0.9 | 4,411 | 4,922.2 |
| 403 | Custer County, CO | CO | 6.9 | 5,073 | 738.6 |
| 404 | Culberson County, TX | TX | 0.6 | 2,181 | 3,812.2 |
| 405 | Crowley County, CO | CO | 7.3 | 5,734 | 787.4 |
| 406 | Crosby County, TX | TX | 5.6 | 5,072 | 900.2 |
| 407 | Crook County, WY | WY | 2.6 | 7,339 | 2,854.5 |
| 408 | Crockett County, TX | TX | 1 | 2,881 | 2,807.3 |
| 409 | Crane County, TX | TX | 5.9 | 4,623 | 785.1 |
| 410 | Cottle County, TX | TX | 1.4 | 1,302 | 900.6 |
| 411 | Costilla County, CO | CO | 2.9 | 3,571 | 1,227.6 |
| 412 | Corson County, SD | SD | 1.6 | 3,859 | 2,469.7 |
| 413 | Copper River Census Area, AK | AK | 0.1 | 2,626 | 24,646.8 |
| 414 | Cook County, MN | MN | 3.9 | 5,633 | 1,452.6 |
| 415 | Converse County, WY | WY | 3.2 | 13,759 | 4,255 |
| 416 | Conejos County, CO | CO | 5.9 | 7,536 | 1,287.4 |
| 417 | Concho County, TX | TX | 3.4 | 3,301 | 983.8 |
| 418 | Comanche County, KS | KS | 2.1 | 1,685 | 788.3 |
| 419 | Columbia County, WA | WA | 4.6 | 3,996 | 868.6 |
| 420 | Collingsworth County, TX | TX | 3 | 2,733 | 918.4 |
| 421 | Colfax County, NM | NM | 3.3 | 12,336 | 3,758 |
| 422 | Coleman County, TX | TX | 6.1 | 7,765 | 1,262.9 |
| 423 | Coke County, TX | TX | 3.6 | 3,315 | 911.6 |
| 424 | Coconino County, AZ | AZ | 7.8 | 144,643 | 18,616.4 |
| 425 | Cochran County, TX | TX | 3.3 | 2,520 | 775.1 |
| 426 | Clearwater County, ID | ID | 3.6 | 8,921 | 2,457.3 |
| 427 | Clark County, SD | SD | 4 | 3,876 | 957.5 |
| 428 | Clark County, KS | KS | 2 | 1,987 | 974.6 |
| 429 | Clark County, ID | ID | 0.4 | 776 | 1,763.1 |
| 430 | Cimarron County, OK | OK | 1.2 | 2,247 | 1,834.8 |
| 431 | Cibola County, NM | NM | 6 | 27,059 | 4,540 |
| 432 | Churchill County, NV | NV | 5.2 | 25,614 | 4,950.2 |
| 433 | Chugach Census Area, AK | AK | 0.7 | 6,964 | 9,575.4 |
| 434 | Chouteau County, MT | MT | 1.5 | 5,888 | 3,972.5 |
| 435 | Cheyenne County, NE | NE | 7.9 | 9,478 | 1,196 |
| 436 | Cheyenne County, KS | KS | 2.6 | 2,628 | 1,019.9 |
| 437 | Cheyenne County, CO | CO | 1 | 1,732 | 1,778.3 |
| 438 | Cherry County, NE | NE | 0.9 | 5,468 | 5,960.1 |
| 439 | Chautauqua County, KS | KS | 5.3 | 3,370 | 638.9 |
| 440 | Chase County, NE | NE | 4.1 | 3,639 | 894.4 |
| 441 | Chase County, KS | KS | 3.3 | 2,579 | 773.1 |
| 442 | Cavalier County, ND | ND | 2.5 | 3,663 | 1,489.1 |
| 443 | Catron County, NM | NM | 0.5 | 3,685 | 6,924.2 |
| 444 | Carter County, MT | MT | 0.4 | 1,361 | 3,340.5 |
| 445 | Carson County, TX | TX | 6.3 | 5,802 | 920.2 |
| 446 | Caribou County, ID | ID | 4 | 7,118 | 1,764.2 |
| 447 | Carbon County, WY | WY | 1.8 | 14,549 | 7,897.7 |
| 448 | Carbon County, MT | MT | 5.3 | 10,877 | 2,047.9 |
| 449 | Campbell County, SD | SD | 2 | 1,481 | 733.7 |
| 450 | Cameron Parish, LA | LA | 4.1 | 5,222 | 1,284.6 |
| 451 | Camas County, ID | ID | 1.1 | 1,155 | 1,074.2 |
| 452 | Calhoun County, AR | AR | 7.5 | 4,717 | 628.6 |
| 453 | Butte County, SD | SD | 4.7 | 10,538 | 2,250 |
| 454 | Butte County, ID | ID | 1.2 | 2,654 | 2,236.5 |
| 455 | Burke County, ND | ND | 2 | 2,163 | 1,103.6 |
| 456 | Buffalo County, SD | SD | 3.7 | 1,757 | 471.4 |
| 457 | Brule County, SD | SD | 6.4 | 5,261 | 817.2 |
| 458 | Brown County, NE | NE | 2.2 | 2,739 | 1,221.4 |
| 459 | Brooks County, TX | TX | 7.4 | 6,987 | 943.4 |
| 460 | Broadwater County, MT | MT | 6.1 | 7,310 | 1,192.4 |
| 461 | Bristol Bay Borough, AK | AK | 1.8 | 878 | 481.4 |
| 462 | Briscoe County, TX | TX | 1.4 | 1,223 | 900 |
| 463 | Brewster County, TX | TX | 1.5 | 9,464 | 6,183.8 |
| 464 | Boyd County, NE | NE | 3.2 | 1,704 | 539.4 |
| 465 | Bowman County, ND | ND | 2.5 | 2,935 | 1,161.8 |
| 466 | Bottineau County, ND | ND | 3.8 | 6,390 | 1,668.9 |
| 467 | Borden County, TX | TX | 0.8 | 723 | 897.4 |
| 468 | Boone County, NE | NE | 7.8 | 5,366 | 686.5 |
| 469 | Boise County, ID | ID | 4.2 | 8,045 | 1,899.4 |
| 470 | Blaine County, NE | NE | 0.5 | 385 | 710.7 |
| 471 | Blaine County, MT | MT | 1.7 | 6,997 | 4,227.5 |
| 472 | Billings County, ND | ND | 0.8 | 948 | 1,148.5 |
| 473 | Big Horn County, WY | WY | 3.7 | 11,737 | 3,137 |
| 474 | Big Horn County, MT | MT | 2.6 | 12,963 | 4,997.8 |
| 475 | Bethel Census Area, AK | AK | 0.5 | 18,487 | 40,660.6 |
| 476 | Bent County, CO | CO | 3.7 | 5,524 | 1,512.8 |
| 477 | Benson County, ND | ND | 4.2 | 5,861 | 1,388.6 |
| 478 | Bennett County, SD | SD | 2.8 | 3,354 | 1,184.6 |
| 479 | Beaverhead County, MT | MT | 1.7 | 9,590 | 5,542.7 |
| 480 | Beaver County, UT | UT | 2.8 | 7,172 | 2,582.9 |
| 481 | Beaver County, OK | OK | 2.8 | 5,041 | 1,814.8 |
| 482 | Bear Lake County, ID | ID | 6.7 | 6,552 | 975.7 |
| 483 | Baylor County, TX | TX | 4 | 3,464 | 867.5 |
| 484 | Bath County, VA | VA | 7.8 | 4,123 | 529.2 |
| 485 | Barnes County, ND | ND | 7.2 | 10,794 | 1,491.6 |
| 486 | Barber County, KS | KS | 3.7 | 4,153 | 1,134.1 |
| 487 | Banner County, NE | NE | 0.9 | 657 | 746 |
| 488 | Baker County, OR | OR | 5.5 | 16,796 | 3,068 |
| 489 | Baca County, CO | CO | 1.4 | 3,460 | 2,555 |
| 490 | Aurora County, SD | SD | 3.6 | 2,573 | 708.5 |
| 491 | Arthur County, NE | NE | 0.8 | 540 | 715.2 |
| 492 | Armstrong County, TX | TX | 2.1 | 1,883 | 909.1 |
| 493 | Apache County, AZ | AZ | 5.9 | 65,680 | 11,198.3 |
| 494 | Antelope County, NE | NE | 7.4 | 6,302 | 857.2 |
| 495 | Alpine County, CA | CA | 2.3 | 1,695 | 738.3 |
| 496 | Alfalfa County, OK | OK | 6.6 | 5,685 | 866.6 |
| 497 | Aleutians West Census Area, AK | AK | 1.2 | 5,178 | 4,393.1 |
| 498 | Aleutians East Borough, AK | AK | 0.5 | 3,423 | 6,986.3 |
| 499 | Adams County, ND | ND | 2.2 | 2,179 | 987.5 |
| 500 | Adams County, ID | ID | 3.4 | 4,599 | 1,362.8 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Kenedy County, TX has the highest people per square mile at 0.04, according to latest Census ACS data. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK and Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK round out the top three.
Mercer County, ND has the lowest people per square mile at 8.00. Tillman County, OK is second-lowest at 8.00.
The median across all 500 states is 3.15. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.