RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 87 SHOWN OF 87

Most sparsely populated, Minnesota counties · 2000

Minnesota counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2000). 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 1990

01Lake of the Woods County, MNMN3,7703+11%

02Cook County, MNMN5,5224+34%

03Koochiching County, MNMN11,5875−12%

04Kittson County, MNMN4,0315−8%

05Lake County, MNMN10,7465+6%

06Marshall County, MNMN8,7986−8%

07Traverse County, MNMN3,1307−7%

08Aitkin County, MNMN16,2528+23%

09Clearwater County, MNMN8,6478+1%

10Norman County, MNMN6,3369−7%

11Mahnomen County, MNMN5,1539+3%

12Wilkin County, MNMN6,28810−5%

13Roseau County, MNMN15,24610+9%

14Red Lake County, MNMN3,94010−5%

15Lac qui Parle County, MNMN6,70411−10%

16Grant County, MNMN6,08511+1%

17Big Stone County, MNMN5,05412−7%

18Lincoln County, MNMN5,58312−7%

19Murray County, MNMN7,94213−5%

20Cass County, MNMN31,43013+25%

21Yellow Medicine County, MNMN9,47715−5%

22Beltrami County, MNMN47,05516+15%

23Polk County, MNMN30,54516−3%

24Jackson County, MNMN9,85716−4%

25Swift County, MNMN9,76316+11%

26Itasca County, MNMN45,40416+8%

27Pope County, MNMN11,42017+5%

28Renville County, MNMN14,35617−3%

29Stevens County, MNMN9,74718−5%

30Pine County, MNMN30,47219+25%

31Cottonwood County, MNMN11,40519−4%

32Redwood County, MNMN15,26519−3%

33Hubbard County, MNMN22,36920+23%

34Rock County, MNMN9,52420−1%

35Pipestone County, MNMN9,26021−6%

36Pennington County, MNMN13,68622+2%

37Chippewa County, MNMN12,40623−1%

38Faribault County, MNMN13,88823−4%

39Becker County, MNMN35,49723+8%

40Fillmore County, MNMN21,54025+2%

41Wadena County, MNMN14,38826+4%

42Todd County, MNMN26,06026+5%

43Sibley County, MNMN15,35626+7%

44Watonwan County, MNMN11,45927+2%

45Morrison County, MNMN34,62028+7%

46Kanabec County, MNMN16,62829+17%

47Otter Tail County, MNMN61,04129+13%

48Nobles County, MNMN22,33829+4%

49Martin County, MNMN19,44031−5%

50St. Louis County, MNMN200,51832+1%

51Lyon County, MNMN25,68436+3%

52Houston County, MNMN18,40036+7%

53Carlton County, MNMN36,71137+8%

54Meeker County, MNMN23,60337+9%

55Mille Lacs County, MNMN27,75339+20%

56Dodge County, MNMN21,37640+13%

57Wabasha County, MNMN21,53741+9%

58Brown County, MNMN25,517440%

59Freeborn County, MNMN30,44046−1%

60Waseca County, MNMN18,68846+8%

61Clay County, MNMN67,73449+2%

62Douglas County, MNMN40,12052+14%

63Kandiyohi County, MNMN44,72052+6%

64Mower County, MNMN40,97154+3%

65Crow Wing County, MNMN69,13255+25%

66Le Sueur County, MNMN29,45357+9%

67Goodhue County, MNMN48,19558+8%

68Nicollet County, MNMN34,27366+6%

69McLeod County, MNMN36,63171+9%

70Isanti County, MNMN44,38672+21%

71Blue Earth County, MNMN70,63475+4%

72Steele County, MNMN37,46478+10%

73Winona County, MNMN50,52380+5%

74Benton County, MNMN41,74484+13%

75Chisago County, MNMN59,14299+35%

76Stearns County, MNMN164,11099+12%

77Rice County, MNMN69,939114+15%

78Wright County, MNMN157,559136+31%

79Sherburne County, MNMN104,194149+54%

80Olmsted County, MNMN166,731190+17%

81Carver County, MNMN114,379198+47%

82Scott County, MNMN159,017251+55%

83Washington County, MNMN286,895523+38%

84Dakota County, MNMN457,710633+29%

85Anoka County, MNMN381,605706+22%

86Hennepin County, MNMN1,284,7842,015+8%

87Ramsey County, MNMN541,6233,357+5%

SHOWING 1–87 OF 87

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UPDATED 2026-09-11 · DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU DECENNIAL CENSUS