RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 99 SHOWN OF 99

Most sparsely populated, Iowa counties

Iowa counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 99 counties in Iowa that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 99 is 26.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most population gained Most population lost Most densely populated

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01▲1Adams County, IAIA3,6179−19%

02▼1Ringgold County, IAIA4,6429−15%

03Taylor County, IAIA5,83511−16%

04Pocahontas County, IAIA6,81912−21%

05▲1Monona County, IAIA8,53912−15%

06▲1Audubon County, IAIA5,50912−19%

07▲1Fremont County, IAIA6,52213−19%

08▼3Wayne County, IAIA6,738130%

09Adair County, IAIA7,40313−10%

10Decatur County, IAIA7,65514−12%

11Van Buren County, IAIA7,13115−9%

12Kossuth County, IAIA14,32215−17%

13▲1Osceola County, IAIA5,98015−15%

14▼1Greene County, IAIA8,65815−16%

15▲1Ida County, IAIA6,77716−14%

16▼1Palo Alto County, IAIA8,89916−12%

17Sac County, IAIA9,52517−17%

18▲2Calhoun County, IAIA9,56217−14%

19Keokuk County, IAIA9,79717−14%

20▼2Franklin County, IAIA9,86817−8%

21Monroe County, IAIA7,40617−8%

22Guthrie County, IAIA10,78218−5%

23▲1Worth County, IAIA7,33818−7%

24▼1Davis County, IAIA9,23018+8%

25Hancock County, IAIA10,52818−13%

26▲3Cherokee County, IAIA11,36920−13%

27▼1Shelby County, IAIA11,68920−11%

28▼1Howard County, IAIA9,41520−5%

29▼1Lucas County, IAIA8,84721−6%

30▲1Harrison County, IAIA14,62321−7%

31▼1Lyon County, IAIA12,35421+5%

32Clayton County, IAIA16,84522−10%

33▲1Humboldt County, IAIA9,40922−9%

34▲1Wright County, IAIA12,80122−11%

35▲2Clarke County, IAIA9,57422+5%

36▼3Allamakee County, IAIA14,23822−3%

37▼1Mitchell County, IAIA10,65023−2%

38Crawford County, IAIA16,23723−4%

39Cass County, IAIA12,96023−12%

40Emmet County, IAIA9,10723−17%

41▲1Chickasaw County, IAIA11,66323−11%

42▼1Tama County, IAIA16,79623−7%

43Montgomery County, IAIA10,00224−15%

44▲1Butler County, IAIA14,04924−8%

45▲2Appanoose County, IAIA12,07724−12%

46▼2Grundy County, IAIA12,361250%

47▼1O'Brien County, IAIA14,22025−6%

48▲1Winnebago County, IAIA10,25126−13%

49▼1Hamilton County, IAIA14,94426−9%

50▲1Louisa County, IAIA10,41626−15%

51▼1Fayette County, IAIA19,04726−13%

52▲1Page County, IAIA14,85628−12%

53▲1Union County, IAIA11,82928−4%

54▼2Iowa County, IAIA16,50428+5%

55Clay County, IAIA16,20229−7%

56Winneshiek County, IAIA19,73329−7%

57▲1Hardin County, IAIA16,45529−13%

58▲4Floyd County, IAIA14,90130−12%

59Plymouth County, IAIA25,69730+3%

60▲1Jackson County, IAIA19,28830−5%

61▼1Delaware County, IAIA17,67431−4%

62▼5Madison County, IAIA17,27031+23%

63Poweshiek County, IAIA18,36831−2%

64Cedar County, IAIA18,35932+1%

65Mills County, IAIA14,79334+2%

66▲2Jefferson County, IAIA15,29135−6%

67▲3Buena Vista County, IAIA20,449360%

68▲3Carroll County, IAIA20,30336−5%

69▼3Benton County, IAIA26,00436+3%

70▼1Buchanan County, IAIA20,88337−1%

71▼4Jones County, IAIA21,25337+5%

72Mahaska County, IAIA21,88038−2%

73Washington County, IAIA22,66740+10%

74▲3Henry County, IAIA19,34945−5%

75▲1Boone County, IAIA26,79947+2%

76▼2Dickinson County, IAIA18,07748+10%

77▼2Sioux County, IAIA36,77448+16%

78Webster County, IAIA36,83851−8%

79Jasper County, IAIA38,15352+3%

80Bremer County, IAIA25,29658+8%

81Marion County, IAIA34,19262+7%

82Lee County, IAIA32,30662−15%

83Clinton County, IAIA46,00266−8%

84Marshall County, IAIA39,89070+1%

85Cerro Gordo County, IAIA42,37275−9%

86Wapello County, IAIA35,21082−2%

87▲1Des Moines County, IAIA38,07792−10%

88▲2Muscatine County, IAIA41,853960%

89Pottawattamie County, IAIA92,99698+6%

90▼3Warren County, IAIA57,331101+41%

91Woodbury County, IAIA106,649122+3%

92Dubuque County, IAIA99,381163+11%

93▲1Story County, IAIA101,291177+27%

94▼1Dallas County, IAIA118,457201+191%

95Black Hawk County, IAIA131,532232+3%

96Johnson County, IAIA160,044261+44%

97Linn County, IAIA232,028324+21%

98Scott County, IAIA175,259383+10%

99Polk County, IAIA516,546902+38%

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES