RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 58 SHOWN OF 58

Most sparsely populated, California counties · 2010

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, CACA1,0432−3%

02Inyo County, CACA18,1582+3%

03Modoc County, CACA8,4262+3%

04Sierra County, CACA3,0983−9%

05Trinity County, CACA15,7204+6%

06Mono County, CACA12,5055+10%

07Siskiyou County, CACA42,0137+1%

08Lassen County, CACA28,1178+3%

09Plumas County, CACA18,5838−4%

10Mariposa County, CACA16,91813+7%

11Colusa County, CACA21,83619+14%

12Glenn County, CACA28,14121+6%

13Tehama County, CACA64,66522+13%

14Tuolumne County, CACA53,16025+2%

15Mendocino County, CACA88,12225+2%

16Del Norte County, CACA26,41028+4%

17Humboldt County, CACA131,64738+6%

18San Benito County, CACA70,08240+4%

19Imperial County, CACA181,41142+23%

20Calaveras County, CACA46,60545+12%

21Shasta County, CACA181,64847+9%

22Lake County, CACA67,77252+11%

23Amador County, CACA41,87664+9%

24Madera County, CACA167,92771+23%

25San Luis Obispo County, CACA282,36782+9%

26Tulare County, CACA485,14692+20%

27San Bernardino County, CACA2,224,091101+19%

28Nevada County, CACA101,911103+7%

29Kern County, CACA927,068103+27%

30El Dorado County, CACA192,323106+16%

31Kings County, CACA154,327110+18%

32Yuba County, CACA88,691114+20%

33Monterey County, CACA433,729126+3%

34Merced County, CACA297,260132+21%

35Butte County, CACA209,211134+8%

36Santa Barbara County, CACA442,065155+6%

37Fresno County, CACA1,035,456156+16%

38Sutter County, CACA98,787157+20%

39Napa County, CACA132,949182+10%

40Yolo County, CACA224,410198+19%

41Placer County, CACA442,081248+40%

42Riverside County, CACA2,544,916304+42%

43Sonoma County, CACA486,444307+6%

44Stanislaus County, CACA557,719344+15%

45Ventura County, CACA830,851447+9%

46Marin County, CACA253,694485+2%

47San Joaquin County, CACA823,815492+22%

48Solano County, CACA455,376503+5%

49Santa Cruz County, CACA258,852589+3%

50San Diego County, CACA3,282,248735+10%

51Santa Clara County, CACA1,914,3911,380+6%

52Contra Costa County, CACA1,170,0701,463+11%

53Sacramento County, CACA1,618,4601,470+16%

54San Mateo County, CACA743,5681,602+2%

55Alameda County, CACA1,636,6302,048+5%

56Los Angeles County, CACA9,694,9342,418+3%

57Orange County, CACA3,149,5073,797+6%

58San Francisco County, CACA826,07917,243+4%

SHOWING 1–58 OF 58

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