RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 58 SHOWN OF 58

Most sparsely populated, California counties · 2020

California counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2020). This list covers the 58 counties in California that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 58 is 112.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Alpine County, CACA1,04320%

02Inyo County, CACA18,1582+6%

03Modoc County, CACA8,4262−8%

04Sierra County, CACA3,0983−9%

05Mono County, CACA12,5054+3%

06Trinity County, CACA15,7205+24%

07Siskiyou County, CACA42,0137−1%

08Lassen County, CACA28,1177−3%

09Plumas County, CACA18,5838−5%

10Mariposa County, CACA16,918120%

11Colusa County, CACA21,83619+16%

12Glenn County, CACA28,14122+9%

13Tehama County, CACA64,66522+17%

14Tuolumne County, CACA53,16025+2%

15Mendocino County, CACA88,12226+6%

16Del Norte County, CACA26,41028+1%

17Humboldt County, CACA131,64738+8%

18Imperial County, CACA181,41143+26%

19Calaveras County, CACA46,60544+12%

20San Benito County, CACA70,08246+21%

21Shasta County, CACA181,64848+12%

22Lake County, CACA67,77254+17%

23Amador County, CACA41,87668+15%

24Madera County, CACA167,92773+27%

25San Luis Obispo County, CACA282,36786+14%

26Tulare County, CACA485,14698+29%

27Nevada County, CACA101,911107+11%

28San Bernardino County, CACA2,224,091109+28%

29Kings County, CACA154,327110+18%

30Kern County, CACA927,068112+37%

31El Dorado County, CACA192,323112+22%

32Yuba County, CACA88,691129+35%

33Butte County, CACA209,211129+4%

34Monterey County, CACA433,729134+9%

35Merced County, CACA297,260145+34%

36Santa Barbara County, CACA442,065164+12%

37Sutter County, CACA98,787165+26%

38Fresno County, CACA1,035,456169+26%

39Napa County, CACA132,949184+11%

40Yolo County, CACA224,410214+28%

41Placer County, CACA442,081288+63%

42Sonoma County, CACA486,444310+7%

43Riverside County, CACA2,544,916335+56%

44Stanislaus County, CACA557,719370+24%

45Ventura County, CACA830,851458+12%

46Marin County, CACA253,694504+6%

47Solano County, CACA455,376552+15%

48San Joaquin County, CACA823,815560+38%

49Santa Cruz County, CACA258,852609+6%

50San Diego County, CACA3,282,248783+17%

51Santa Clara County, CACA1,914,3911,500+15%

52Contra Costa County, CACA1,170,0701,626+23%

53Sacramento County, CACA1,618,4601,642+30%

54San Mateo County, CACA743,5681,704+8%

55Alameda County, CACA1,636,6302,281+17%

56Los Angeles County, CACA9,694,9342,466+5%

57Orange County, CACA3,149,5074,020+12%

58San Francisco County, CACA826,07918,714+13%

SHOWING 1–58 OF 58

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS