RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 99 SHOWN OF 99

Most sparsely populated, Iowa counties · 2010

Iowa counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 99 counties in Iowa that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most densely populated Best broadband access Worst broadband access

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Adams County, IAIA3,61710−10%

02Ringgold County, IAIA4,64210−6%

03Taylor County, IAIA5,83512−9%

04Wayne County, IAIA6,73812−5%

05Pocahontas County, IAIA6,81913−16%

06Monona County, IAIA8,53913−8%

07Adair County, IAIA7,40313−7%

08Audubon County, IAIA5,50914−10%

09Fremont County, IAIA6,52215−7%

10Van Buren County, IAIA7,13116−3%

11Decatur County, IAIA7,65516−3%

12Kossuth County, IAIA14,32216−9%

13Osceola County, IAIA5,98016−8%

14Greene County, IAIA8,65816−10%

15Ida County, IAIA6,77716−10%

16Palo Alto County, IAIA8,89917−7%

17Calhoun County, IAIA9,56217−13%

18Davis County, IAIA9,23017+2%

19Sac County, IAIA9,52518−10%

20Keokuk County, IAIA9,79718−8%

21Franklin County, IAIA9,86818−0%

22Monroe County, IAIA7,40618−1%

23Guthrie County, IAIA10,78219−4%

24Worth County, IAIA7,33819−4%

25Lyon County, IAIA12,35420−2%

26Hancock County, IAIA10,52820−6%

27Howard County, IAIA9,41520−4%

28Shelby County, IAIA11,68921−8%

29Lucas County, IAIA8,84721−6%

30Cherokee County, IAIA11,36921−7%

31Harrison County, IAIA14,62321−5%

32Clarke County, IAIA9,57422+2%

33Allamakee County, IAIA14,23822−2%

34Humboldt County, IAIA9,40923−5%

35Wright County, IAIA12,80123−8%

36Mitchell County, IAIA10,65023−1%

37Clayton County, IAIA16,84523−3%

38Crawford County, IAIA16,23724+1%

39Tama County, IAIA16,79625−2%

40Chickasaw County, IAIA11,66325−5%

41Cass County, IAIA12,96025−5%

42Grundy County, IAIA12,36125+1%

43O'Brien County, IAIA14,22025−5%

44Montgomery County, IAIA10,00225−9%

45Butler County, IAIA14,04926−3%

46Appanoose County, IAIA12,07726−6%

47Emmet County, IAIA9,10726−7%

48Winnebago County, IAIA10,25127−7%

49Hamilton County, IAIA14,94427−5%

50Iowa County, IAIA16,50428+4%

51Madison County, IAIA17,27028+12%

52Louisa County, IAIA10,41628−7%

53Fayette County, IAIA19,04729−5%

54Plymouth County, IAIA25,69729+1%

55Clay County, IAIA16,20229−4%

56Union County, IAIA11,82930+2%

57Page County, IAIA14,85630−6%

58Winneshiek County, IAIA19,73331−1%

59Delaware County, IAIA17,67431−3%

60Hardin County, IAIA16,45531−7%

61Jackson County, IAIA19,28831−2%

62Cedar County, IAIA18,35932+2%

63Poweshiek County, IAIA18,36832+1%

64Floyd County, IAIA14,90133−4%

65Mills County, IAIA14,79334+4%

66Buena Vista County, IAIA20,44935−1%

67Jones County, IAIA21,25336+2%

68Benton County, IAIA26,00436+3%

69Carroll County, IAIA20,30337−3%

70Buchanan County, IAIA20,88337−1%

71Washington County, IAIA22,66738+5%

72Jefferson County, IAIA15,29139+4%

73Mahaska County, IAIA21,88039+0%

74Dickinson County, IAIA18,07744+1%

75Sioux County, IAIA36,77444+7%

76Boone County, IAIA26,79946+0%

77Henry County, IAIA19,34946−1%

78Jasper County, IAIA38,15350−1%

79Webster County, IAIA36,83853−6%

80Bremer County, IAIA25,29656+4%

81Marion County, IAIA34,19260+4%

82Lee County, IAIA32,30669−6%

83Clinton County, IAIA46,00271−2%

84Marshall County, IAIA39,89071+3%

85Cerro Gordo County, IAIA42,37278−5%

86Warren County, IAIA57,33181+14%

87Wapello County, IAIA35,21082−1%

88Des Moines County, IAIA38,07797−5%

89Muscatine County, IAIA41,85398+2%

90Pottawattamie County, IAIA92,99698+6%

91Dallas County, IAIA118,457112+62%

92Woodbury County, IAIA106,649117−2%

93Dubuque County, IAIA99,381154+5%

94Story County, IAIA101,291156+12%

95Johnson County, IAIA160,044214+18%

96Black Hawk County, IAIA131,532232+2%

97Linn County, IAIA232,028295+10%

98Scott County, IAIA175,259361+4%

99Polk County, IAIA516,546752+15%

SHOWING 1–99 OF 99

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