RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 102 SHOWN OF 102

Most sparsely populated, Illinois counties · 2000

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+0%

02Schuyler County, ILIL6,65716+0%

03Hamilton County, ILIL7,85920+0%

04Gallatin County, ILIL4,61620+0%

05Calhoun County, ILIL4,30020+0%

06Jasper County, ILIL9,03220+0%

07Pike County, ILIL14,23121+0%

08Henderson County, ILIL5,98422+0%

09Stark County, ILIL5,31922+0%

10Scott County, ILIL4,86622+0%

11Brown County, ILIL6,40123+0%

12Wayne County, ILIL15,88224+0%

13Hancock County, ILIL16,80325+0%

14Washington County, ILIL13,56427+0%

15Hardin County, ILIL3,58827+0%

16Greene County, ILIL11,31327+0%

17Iroquois County, ILIL26,15028+0%

18Ford County, ILIL13,21629+0%

19Mason County, ILIL12,41130+0%

20Shelby County, ILIL20,57630+0%

21Mercer County, ILIL15,22930+0%

22Fayette County, ILIL20,79030+0%

23White County, ILIL13,25031+0%

24Clay County, ILIL12,79331+0%

25Edwards County, ILIL5,89831+0%

26Edgar County, ILIL16,32332+0%

27Cumberland County, ILIL10,20833+0%

28Clark County, ILIL15,11434+0%

29Marshall County, ILIL11,47334+0%

30Warren County, ILIL16,22235+0%

31Cass County, ILIL12,46336+0%

32Pulaski County, ILIL4,82037+0%

33Jo Daviess County, ILIL21,59437+0%

34Piatt County, ILIL16,79137+0%

35Carroll County, ILIL15,41937+0%

36Johnson County, ILIL13,36337+0%

37Putnam County, ILIL5,61938+0%

38Livingston County, ILIL35,05738+0%

39Menard County, ILIL11,86340+0%

40Alexander County, ILIL4,57041+0%

41Bureau County, ILIL32,51041+0%

42Lawrence County, ILIL13,79042+0%

43De Witt County, ILIL15,11842+0%

44Moultrie County, ILIL14,37143+0%

45Montgomery County, ILIL28,07644+0%

46Fulton County, ILIL32,90144+0%

47Union County, ILIL16,65644+0%

48Richland County, ILIL15,21945+0%

49Crawford County, ILIL18,64846+0%

50Bond County, ILIL16,95946+0%

51Douglas County, ILIL19,88048+0%

52Lee County, ILIL32,91450+0%

53Christian County, ILIL33,44350+0%

54Logan County, ILIL27,18250+0%

55Perry County, ILIL20,16052+0%

56McDonough County, ILIL25,91656+0%

57Macoupin County, ILIL43,74857+0%

58Wabash County, ILIL10,90758+0%

59Jersey County, ILIL21,16059+0%

60Randolph County, ILIL29,92159+0%

61Henry County, ILIL48,09562+0%

62Massac County, ILIL13,50264+0%

63Morgan County, ILIL32,51564+0%

64Woodford County, ILIL38,11167+0%

65Ogle County, ILIL51,39967+0%

66Jefferson County, ILIL36,14770+0%

67Saline County, ILIL22,77270+0%

68Effingham County, ILIL34,51972+0%

69Monroe County, ILIL34,84072+0%

70Marion County, ILIL36,38273+0%

71Clinton County, ILIL37,12875+0%

72Knox County, ILIL47,76778+0%

73Adams County, ILIL64,26780+0%

74Stephenson County, ILIL43,22087+0%

75Whiteside County, ILIL54,12189+0%

76Grundy County, ILIL54,05290+0%

77Vermilion County, ILIL71,25993+0%

78Franklin County, ILIL36,91695+0%

79LaSalle County, ILIL107,77398+0%

80Jackson County, ILIL52,501102+0%

81Coles County, ILIL46,607105+0%

82McLean County, ILIL171,419127+0%

83DeKalb County, ILIL101,835141+0%

84Williamson County, ILIL67,225146+0%

85Boone County, ILIL53,568149+0%

86Kankakee County, ILIL105,525153+0%

87Kendall County, ILIL145,470170+0%

88Champaign County, ILIL209,972180+0%

89Macon County, ILIL99,300198+0%

90Tazewell County, ILIL130,049199+0%

91Sangamon County, ILIL194,170218+0%

92Peoria County, ILIL178,553296+0%

93Rock Island County, ILIL141,869349+0%

94Madison County, ILIL263,110362+0%

95St. Clair County, ILIL250,708389+0%

96McHenry County, ILIL317,751431+0%

97Winnebago County, ILIL283,674543+0%

98Will County, ILIL712,253601+0%

99Kane County, ILIL525,757778+0%

100Lake County, ILIL719,3391,453+0%

101DuPage County, ILIL934,2982,758+0%

102Cook County, ILIL5,194,6255,690+0%

SHOWING 1–102 OF 102

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