RANKING · 1990 CENSUS · 102 SHOWN OF 102

Most sparsely populated, Illinois counties · 1990

Illinois counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 102 counties in Illinois that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Pope County, ILIL3,67212−1%

02Schuyler County, ILIL6,65717+4%

03Brown County, ILIL6,40119−16%

04Hamilton County, ILIL7,85920−1%

05Calhoun County, ILIL4,30021+5%

06Pike County, ILIL14,23121+1%

07Henderson County, ILIL5,98421−1%

08Gallatin County, ILIL4,61621+7%

09Jasper County, ILIL9,03221+5%

10Scott County, ILIL4,86623+2%

11Stark County, ILIL5,31923+3%

12Wayne County, ILIL15,88224+1%

13Washington County, ILIL13,56427−1%

14Hancock County, ILIL16,80327+6%

15Iroquois County, ILIL26,15028−2%

16Greene County, ILIL11,31328+4%

17Fayette County, ILIL20,79029−4%

18Hardin County, ILIL3,58829+8%

19Shelby County, ILIL20,57629−3%

20Ford County, ILIL13,21629+0%

21Mason County, ILIL12,41130+1%

22Mercer County, ILIL15,22931+2%

23Cumberland County, ILIL10,20831−5%

24Clay County, ILIL12,79331−1%

25Edgar County, ILIL16,32331−1%

26Clark County, ILIL15,11432−6%

27Johnson County, ILIL13,36333−12%

28Marshall County, ILIL11,47333−3%

29White County, ILIL13,25033+7%

30Edwards County, ILIL5,89833+7%

31Warren County, ILIL16,22235+2%

32Piatt County, ILIL16,79135−5%

33Menard County, ILIL11,86336−11%

34Cass County, ILIL12,46336−2%

35Putnam County, ILIL5,61936−6%

36Jo Daviess County, ILIL21,59436−2%

37Livingston County, ILIL35,05738−1%

38Carroll County, ILIL15,41938+1%

39Pulaski County, ILIL4,82038+2%

40Bond County, ILIL16,95939−15%

41Bureau County, ILIL32,51041+1%

42Moultrie County, ILIL14,37141−2%

43De Witt County, ILIL15,11842−2%

44Union County, ILIL16,65643−4%

45Lawrence County, ILIL13,79043+3%

46Montgomery County, ILIL28,07644+0%

47Crawford County, ILIL18,64844−5%

48Fulton County, ILIL32,90144−0%

49Alexander County, ILIL4,57045+11%

50Richland County, ILIL15,21946+2%

51Douglas County, ILIL19,88047−2%

52Lee County, ILIL32,91447−5%

53Perry County, ILIL20,16048−7%

54Christian County, ILIL33,44349−3%

55Logan County, ILIL27,18250−1%

56Macoupin County, ILIL43,74855−3%

57Jersey County, ILIL21,16056−5%

58Monroe County, ILIL34,84058−19%

59Wabash County, ILIL10,90759+1%

60McDonough County, ILIL25,91660+7%

61Randolph County, ILIL29,92160+2%

62Ogle County, ILIL51,39961−10%

63Woodford County, ILIL38,11162−8%

64Henry County, ILIL48,09562+0%

65Massac County, ILIL13,50262−3%

66Morgan County, ILIL32,51564−1%

67Jefferson County, ILIL36,14765−8%

68Effingham County, ILIL34,51966−7%

69Saline County, ILIL22,77270−1%

70Clinton County, ILIL37,12872−4%

71Marion County, ILIL36,38273−0%

72Adams County, ILIL64,26777−3%

73Grundy County, ILIL54,05277−14%

74Knox County, ILIL47,76779+1%

75Stephenson County, ILIL43,22085−2%

76Whiteside County, ILIL54,12188−1%

77LaSalle County, ILIL107,77394−4%

78Vermilion County, ILIL71,25998+5%

79Franklin County, ILIL36,91699+3%

80Coles County, ILIL46,607102−3%

81Jackson County, ILIL52,501105+2%

82McLean County, ILIL171,419109−14%

83Boone County, ILIL53,568110−26%

84Kendall County, ILIL145,470123−28%

85DeKalb County, ILIL101,835123−12%

86Williamson County, ILIL67,225137−6%

87Kankakee County, ILIL105,525142−7%

88Champaign County, ILIL209,972174−4%

89Tazewell County, ILIL130,049191−4%

90Macon County, ILIL99,300202+2%

91Sangamon County, ILIL194,170205−6%

92Peoria County, ILIL178,553296−0%

93McHenry County, ILIL317,751304−30%

94Rock Island County, ILIL141,869348−0%

95Madison County, ILIL263,110348−4%

96St. Clair County, ILIL250,708400+3%

97Will County, ILIL712,253427−29%

98Winnebago County, ILIL283,674493−9%

99Kane County, ILIL525,757611−21%

100Lake County, ILIL719,3391,164−20%

101DuPage County, ILIL934,2982,384−14%

102Cook County, ILIL5,194,6255,403−5%

SHOWING 1–102 OF 102

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