RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 58 SHOWN OF 58

Most sparsely populated, California counties · 1990

California counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 58 counties in California that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Alpine County, CACA1,0432−8%

02Inyo County, CACA18,1582+2%

03Modoc County, CACA8,4262+2%

04Mono County, CACA12,5053−23%

05Sierra County, CACA3,0983−7%

06Trinity County, CACA15,7204+0%

07Lassen County, CACA28,1176−18%

08Siskiyou County, CACA42,0137−2%

09Plumas County, CACA18,5838−5%

10Mariposa County, CACA16,91810−17%

11Colusa County, CACA21,83614−13%

12Tehama County, CACA64,66517−11%

13Glenn County, CACA28,14119−6%

14Tuolumne County, CACA53,16022−11%

15Mendocino County, CACA88,12223−7%

16Del Norte County, CACA26,41023−15%

17Imperial County, CACA181,41126−23%

18San Benito County, CACA70,08226−31%

19Calaveras County, CACA46,60531−21%

20Humboldt County, CACA131,64733−6%

21Shasta County, CACA181,64839−10%

22Lake County, CACA67,77240−13%

23Madera County, CACA167,92741−28%

24Amador County, CACA41,87651−14%

25Tulare County, CACA485,14665−15%

26San Luis Obispo County, CACA282,36766−12%

27Kern County, CACA927,06867−18%

28San Bernardino County, CACA2,224,09171−17%

29Kings County, CACA154,32773−22%

30El Dorado County, CACA192,32374−19%

31Nevada County, CACA101,91182−15%

32Merced County, CACA297,26092−15%

33Yuba County, CACA88,69192−3%

34Sutter County, CACA98,787107−18%

35Monterey County, CACA433,729108−11%

36Butte County, CACA209,211111−10%

37Fresno County, CACA1,035,456112−17%

38Placer County, CACA442,081123−30%

39Santa Barbara County, CACA442,065135−7%

40Yolo County, CACA224,410139−16%

41Napa County, CACA132,949147−11%

42Riverside County, CACA2,544,916162−24%

43Sonoma County, CACA486,444246−15%

44Stanislaus County, CACA557,719248−17%

45San Joaquin County, CACA823,815345−15%

46Ventura County, CACA830,851363−11%

47Solano County, CACA455,376414−14%

48Marin County, CACA253,694442−7%

49Santa Cruz County, CACA258,852516−10%

50San Diego County, CACA3,282,248593−11%

51Sacramento County, CACA1,618,4601,079−15%

52Contra Costa County, CACA1,170,0701,121−15%

53Santa Clara County, CACA1,914,3911,160−11%

54San Mateo County, CACA743,5681,448−8%

55Alameda County, CACA1,636,6301,735−11%

56Los Angeles County, CACA9,694,9342,183−7%

57Orange County, CACA3,149,5073,040−15%

58San Francisco County, CACA826,07915,502−7%

SHOWING 1–58 OF 58

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UPDATED 2026-06-02 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR ESTIMATES