RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 102 SHOWN OF 102

Most sparsely populated, Illinois counties · 2020

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, ILIL3,67210−15%

02Gallatin County, ILIL4,61615−23%

03Schuyler County, ILIL6,65716−4%

04Henderson County, ILIL5,98417−22%

05Calhoun County, ILIL4,30017−13%

06Pike County, ILIL14,23118−15%

07Hamilton County, ILIL7,85918−7%

08Stark County, ILIL5,31919−15%

09Jasper County, ILIL9,03219−8%

10Scott County, ILIL4,86620−11%

11Brown County, ILIL6,40120−10%

12Hardin County, ILIL3,58821−24%

13Greene County, ILIL11,31322−19%

14Hancock County, ILIL16,80322−12%

15Alexander County, ILIL4,57022−45%

16Wayne County, ILIL15,88223−6%

17Iroquois County, ILIL26,15024−14%

18Mason County, ILIL12,41124−18%

19Washington County, ILIL13,56424−9%

20Pulaski County, ILIL4,82026−29%

21Edgar County, ILIL16,32327−14%

22Shelby County, ILIL20,57628−8%

23Ford County, ILIL13,21628−5%

24Mercer County, ILIL15,22928−7%

25White County, ILIL13,25028−10%

26Edwards County, ILIL5,89828−10%

27Clay County, ILIL12,79328−9%

28Fayette County, ILIL20,79030−1%

29Cumberland County, ILIL10,20830−7%

30Marshall County, ILIL11,47330−11%

31Clark County, ILIL15,11431−9%

32Warren County, ILIL16,22231−10%

33Livingston County, ILIL35,05734−10%

34Cass County, ILIL12,46335−5%

35Putnam County, ILIL5,61935−7%

36Carroll County, ILIL15,41935−6%

37Jo Daviess County, ILIL21,59437−1%

38Piatt County, ILIL16,79138+2%

39Bureau County, ILIL32,51038−6%

40Johnson County, ILIL13,36339+3%

41Fulton County, ILIL32,90139−12%

42De Witt County, ILIL15,11839−8%

43Menard County, ILIL11,86339−2%

44Montgomery County, ILIL28,07640−8%

45Lawrence County, ILIL13,79041−1%

46Union County, ILIL16,65642−6%

47Crawford County, ILIL18,64842−9%

48Moultrie County, ILIL14,37143+2%

49Richland County, ILIL15,21944−2%

50Bond County, ILIL16,95944−5%

51Logan County, ILIL27,18245−10%

52McDonough County, ILIL25,91646−17%

53Lee County, ILIL32,91447−5%

54Douglas County, ILIL19,88047−1%

55Perry County, ILIL20,16047−9%

56Christian County, ILIL33,44348−4%

57Wabash County, ILIL10,90751−12%

58Macoupin County, ILIL43,74852−8%

59Randolph County, ILIL29,92152−11%

60Morgan County, ILIL32,51558−10%

61Jersey County, ILIL21,16058−1%

62Massac County, ILIL13,50260−7%

63Henry County, ILIL48,09560−3%

64Saline County, ILIL22,77263−11%

65Jefferson County, ILIL36,14765−7%

66Marion County, ILIL36,38266−10%

67Ogle County, ILIL51,39968+1%

68Knox County, ILIL47,76770−11%

69Effingham County, ILIL34,51972+1%

70Woodford County, ILIL38,11173+8%

71Adams County, ILIL64,26777−4%

72Clinton County, ILIL37,12878+4%

73Stephenson County, ILIL43,22079−9%

74Whiteside County, ILIL54,12181−8%

75Vermilion County, ILIL71,25983−12%

76Monroe County, ILIL34,84091+27%

77Jackson County, ILIL52,50191−11%

78Coles County, ILIL46,60792−12%

79Franklin County, ILIL36,91692−3%

80LaSalle County, ILIL107,77397−2%

81Grundy County, ILIL54,052126+40%

82McLean County, ILIL171,419144+14%

83Kankakee County, ILIL105,525159+4%

84DeKalb County, ILIL101,835159+13%

85Williamson County, ILIL67,225160+10%

86Macon County, ILIL99,300179−9%

87Boone County, ILIL53,568190+28%

88Tazewell County, ILIL130,049203+2%

89Champaign County, ILIL209,972207+15%

90Sangamon County, ILIL194,170226+4%

91Peoria County, ILIL178,553294−1%

92Rock Island County, ILIL141,869338−3%

93Madison County, ILIL263,110372+3%

94St. Clair County, ILIL250,708391+1%

95Kendall County, ILIL145,470412+142%

96McHenry County, ILIL317,751514+19%

97Winnebago County, ILIL283,674556+2%

98Will County, ILIL712,253833+39%

99Kane County, ILIL525,757995+28%

100Lake County, ILIL719,3391,610+11%

101DuPage County, ILIL934,2982,846+3%

102Cook County, ILIL5,194,6255,583−2%

SHOWING 1–102 OF 102

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