RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 87 SHOWN OF 87

Most sparsely populated, Minnesota counties

Minnesota counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 87 counties in Minnesota that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 87 is 27.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Lake of the Woods County, MNMN3,7703−17%

02Kittson County, MNMN4,0314−24%

03▲1Koochiching County, MNMN11,5874−19%

04▼1Cook County, MNMN5,5224+7%

05Marshall County, MNMN8,7985−13%

06Lake County, MNMN10,7465−3%

07Traverse County, MNMN3,1305−24%

08Norman County, MNMN6,3367−15%

09▲2Wilkin County, MNMN6,2888−12%

10▼1Clearwater County, MNMN8,6479+3%

11▲1Lac qui Parle County, MNMN6,7049−17%

12▼2Aitkin County, MNMN16,2529+6%

13Red Lake County, MNMN3,9409−8%

14Roseau County, MNMN15,2469−7%

15Mahnomen County, MNMN5,1539−1%

16Big Stone County, MNMN5,05410−13%

17Lincoln County, MNMN5,58310−13%

18Grant County, MNMN6,08511−3%

19Murray County, MNMN7,94211−13%

20Yellow Medicine County, MNMN9,47712−14%

21Swift County, MNMN9,76313−18%

22Jackson County, MNMN9,85714−13%

23▲1Renville County, MNMN14,35615−16%

24▲1Polk County, MNMN30,54515−3%

25▼2Cass County, MNMN31,43016+16%

26Pope County, MNMN11,42017+2%

27Itasca County, MNMN45,40417+3%

28Stevens County, MNMN9,74717−3%

29Redwood County, MNMN15,26517−9%

30Cottonwood County, MNMN11,40518−6%

31Beltrami County, MNMN47,05519+19%

32Faribault County, MNMN13,88819−14%

33Rock County, MNMN9,52420−2%

34Pipestone County, MNMN9,26020−6%

35▲1Chippewa County, MNMN12,40621−5%

36▼1Pine County, MNMN30,47222+15%

37Pennington County, MNMN13,68622+1%

38Hubbard County, MNMN22,36924+22%

39Fillmore County, MNMN21,54025+2%

40Sibley County, MNMN15,356260%

41Watonwan County, MNMN11,45926−4%

42Wadena County, MNMN14,38827+5%

43▲1Becker County, MNMN35,49727+18%

44▲1Martin County, MNMN19,44027−11%

45▼2Todd County, MNMN26,06028+7%

46Morrison County, MNMN34,62031+9%

47Otter Tail County, MNMN61,04131+7%

48▲1Nobles County, MNMN22,33831+7%

49▼1Kanabec County, MNMN16,62832+11%

50St. Louis County, MNMN200,518320%

51Houston County, MNMN18,40033−7%

52Lyon County, MNMN25,68436+1%

53Meeker County, MNMN23,60339+4%

54Wabasha County, MNMN21,537410%

55▲1Brown County, MNMN25,51742−5%

56▼1Carlton County, MNMN36,71143+16%

57Freeborn County, MNMN30,44043−7%

58Waseca County, MNMN18,68844−4%

59Mille Lacs County, MNMN27,75348+24%

60Dodge County, MNMN21,37649+21%

61Kandiyohi County, MNMN44,72056+9%

62Mower County, MNMN40,97158+6%

63Douglas County, MNMN40,12063+22%

64▲1Goodhue County, MNMN48,19564+9%

65▼1Clay County, MNMN67,73465+32%

66Le Sueur County, MNMN29,45366+16%

67Crow Wing County, MNMN69,13269+25%

68McLeod County, MNMN36,63175+5%

69Nicollet County, MNMN34,27376+15%

70Winona County, MNMN50,52381+1%

71Steele County, MNMN37,46487+11%

72Blue Earth County, MNMN70,63494+26%

73Isanti County, MNMN44,386102+42%

74Benton County, MNMN41,744102+22%

75Stearns County, MNMN164,110122+23%

76Rice County, MNMN69,939141+23%

77Chisago County, MNMN59,142143+44%

78Wright County, MNMN157,559238+75%

79Sherburne County, MNMN104,194241+62%

80Olmsted County, MNMN166,731255+34%

81Carver County, MNMN114,379323+63%

82Scott County, MNMN159,017447+78%

83Washington County, MNMN286,895746+43%

84Dakota County, MNMN457,710814+29%

85Anoka County, MNMN381,605904+28%

86Hennepin County, MNMN1,284,7842,319+15%

87Ramsey County, MNMN541,6233,557+6%

SHOWING 1–87 OF 87

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU POPULATION ESTIMATES