RANKING · 2010 CENSUS · 102 SHOWN OF 102

Most sparsely populated, Illinois counties · 2010

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

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Pope County, ILIL3,67212+1%

02Schuyler County, ILIL6,65717+5%

03Gallatin County, ILIL4,61617−13%

04Henderson County, ILIL5,98419−11%

05Hamilton County, ILIL7,85919−2%

06Jasper County, ILIL9,03220−4%

07Pike County, ILIL14,23120−5%

08Calhoun County, ILIL4,30020+0%

09Stark County, ILIL5,31921−5%

10Scott County, ILIL4,86621−3%

11Brown County, ILIL6,40123−0%

12Wayne County, ILIL15,88223−2%

13Hancock County, ILIL16,80324−5%

14Hardin County, ILIL3,58824−10%

15Greene County, ILIL11,31326−6%

16Washington County, ILIL13,56426−3%

17Iroquois County, ILIL26,15027−5%

18Mason County, ILIL12,41127−9%

19Ford County, ILIL13,21629−1%

20Mercer County, ILIL15,22929−3%

21Shelby County, ILIL20,57629−2%

22Clay County, ILIL12,79329−5%

23White County, ILIL13,25030−5%

24Edgar County, ILIL16,32330−6%

25Edwards County, ILIL5,89830−4%

26Fayette County, ILIL20,79031+2%

27Pulaski County, ILIL4,82031−16%

28Cumberland County, ILIL10,20832−2%

29Clark County, ILIL15,11433−4%

30Warren County, ILIL16,22233−5%

31Marshall County, ILIL11,47333−4%

32Carroll County, ILIL15,41935−8%

33Alexander County, ILIL4,57035−14%

34Cass County, ILIL12,46336−0%

35Johnson County, ILIL13,36337−2%

36Livingston County, ILIL35,05737−2%

37Putnam County, ILIL5,61938−1%

38Jo Daviess County, ILIL21,59438+2%

39Piatt County, ILIL16,79138+2%

40Bureau County, ILIL32,51040−1%

41Menard County, ILIL11,86340+2%

42De Witt County, ILIL15,11842−1%

43Montgomery County, ILIL28,07643−2%

44Fulton County, ILIL32,90143−3%

45Union County, ILIL16,65643−3%

46Moultrie County, ILIL14,37144+4%

47Crawford County, ILIL18,64845−3%

48Richland County, ILIL15,21945+1%

49Lawrence County, ILIL13,79045+9%

50Bond County, ILIL16,95947+1%

51Douglas County, ILIL19,88048+0%

52Logan County, ILIL27,18249−3%

53Christian County, ILIL33,44349−2%

54Lee County, ILIL32,91450−0%

55Perry County, ILIL20,16051−3%

56Wabash County, ILIL10,90753−8%

57McDonough County, ILIL25,91655−1%

58Macoupin County, ILIL43,74855−3%

59Randolph County, ILIL29,92158−1%

60Henry County, ILIL48,09561−1%

61Jersey County, ILIL21,16062+6%

62Morgan County, ILIL32,51562−3%

63Massac County, ILIL13,50265+2%

64Saline County, ILIL22,77266−7%

65Jefferson County, ILIL36,14768−3%

66Marion County, ILIL36,38269−5%

67Ogle County, ILIL51,39971+5%

68Effingham County, ILIL34,51972−0%

69Woodford County, ILIL38,11173+9%

70Knox County, ILIL47,76774−5%

71Adams County, ILIL64,26778−2%

72Clinton County, ILIL37,12880+6%

73Stephenson County, ILIL43,22085−3%

74Whiteside County, ILIL54,12186−4%

75Monroe County, ILIL34,84086+19%

76Vermilion County, ILIL71,25991−3%

77Franklin County, ILIL36,91697+1%

78LaSalle County, ILIL107,773100+2%

79Jackson County, ILIL52,501103+1%

80Coles County, ILIL46,607106+1%

81Grundy County, ILIL54,052120+33%

82McLean County, ILIL171,419143+13%

83Williamson County, ILIL67,225158+8%

84DeKalb County, ILIL101,835167+18%

85Kankakee County, ILIL105,525168+9%

86Macon County, ILIL99,300191−3%

87Boone County, ILIL53,568193+30%

88Champaign County, ILIL209,972202+12%

89Tazewell County, ILIL130,049209+5%

90Sangamon County, ILIL194,170227+5%

91Peoria County, ILIL178,553301+2%

92Rock Island County, ILIL141,869345−1%

93Kendall County, ILIL145,470358+110%

94Madison County, ILIL263,110376+4%

95St. Clair County, ILIL250,708411+5%

96McHenry County, ILIL317,751512+19%

97Winnebago County, ILIL283,674576+6%

98Will County, ILIL712,253811+35%

99Kane County, ILIL525,757992+28%

100Lake County, ILIL719,3391,586+9%

101DuPage County, ILIL934,2982,797+1%

102Cook County, ILIL5,194,6255,497−3%

SHOWING 1–102 OF 102

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