RANKING · 2000 CENSUS · 87 SHOWN OF 87

Most sparsely populated, Minnesota counties · 2000

Minnesota counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 87 counties in Minnesota that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Lake of the Woods County, MNMN3,7703+0%

02Cook County, MNMN5,5224+0%

03Koochiching County, MNMN11,5875+0%

04Kittson County, MNMN4,0315+0%

05Lake County, MNMN10,7465+0%

06Marshall County, MNMN8,7986+0%

07Traverse County, MNMN3,1307+0%

08Aitkin County, MNMN16,2528+0%

09Clearwater County, MNMN8,6478+0%

10Norman County, MNMN6,3369+0%

11Mahnomen County, MNMN5,1539+0%

12Wilkin County, MNMN6,28810+0%

13Roseau County, MNMN15,24610+0%

14Red Lake County, MNMN3,94010+0%

15Lac qui Parle County, MNMN6,70411+0%

16Grant County, MNMN6,08511+0%

17Big Stone County, MNMN5,05412+0%

18Lincoln County, MNMN5,58312+0%

19Murray County, MNMN7,94213+0%

20Cass County, MNMN31,43013+0%

21Yellow Medicine County, MNMN9,47715+0%

22Beltrami County, MNMN47,05516+0%

23Polk County, MNMN30,54516+0%

24Jackson County, MNMN9,85716+0%

25Swift County, MNMN9,76316+0%

26Itasca County, MNMN45,40416+0%

27Pope County, MNMN11,42017+0%

28Renville County, MNMN14,35617+0%

29Stevens County, MNMN9,74718+0%

30Pine County, MNMN30,47219+0%

31Cottonwood County, MNMN11,40519+0%

32Redwood County, MNMN15,26519+0%

33Hubbard County, MNMN22,36920+0%

34Rock County, MNMN9,52420+0%

35Pipestone County, MNMN9,26021+0%

36Pennington County, MNMN13,68622+0%

37Chippewa County, MNMN12,40623+0%

38Faribault County, MNMN13,88823+0%

39Becker County, MNMN35,49723+0%

40Fillmore County, MNMN21,54025+0%

41Wadena County, MNMN14,38826+0%

42Todd County, MNMN26,06026+0%

43Sibley County, MNMN15,35626+0%

44Watonwan County, MNMN11,45927+0%

45Morrison County, MNMN34,62028+0%

46Kanabec County, MNMN16,62829+0%

47Otter Tail County, MNMN61,04129+0%

48Nobles County, MNMN22,33829+0%

49Martin County, MNMN19,44031+0%

50St. Louis County, MNMN200,51832+0%

51Lyon County, MNMN25,68436+0%

52Houston County, MNMN18,40036+0%

53Carlton County, MNMN36,71137+0%

54Meeker County, MNMN23,60337+0%

55Mille Lacs County, MNMN27,75339+0%

56Dodge County, MNMN21,37640+0%

57Wabasha County, MNMN21,53741+0%

58Brown County, MNMN25,51744+0%

59Freeborn County, MNMN30,44046+0%

60Waseca County, MNMN18,68846+0%

61Clay County, MNMN67,73449+0%

62Douglas County, MNMN40,12052+0%

63Kandiyohi County, MNMN44,72052+0%

64Mower County, MNMN40,97154+0%

65Crow Wing County, MNMN69,13255+0%

66Le Sueur County, MNMN29,45357+0%

67Goodhue County, MNMN48,19558+0%

68Nicollet County, MNMN34,27366+0%

69McLeod County, MNMN36,63171+0%

70Isanti County, MNMN44,38672+0%

71Blue Earth County, MNMN70,63475+0%

72Steele County, MNMN37,46478+0%

73Winona County, MNMN50,52380+0%

74Benton County, MNMN41,74484+0%

75Chisago County, MNMN59,14299+0%

76Stearns County, MNMN164,11099+0%

77Rice County, MNMN69,939114+0%

78Wright County, MNMN157,559136+0%

79Sherburne County, MNMN104,194149+0%

80Olmsted County, MNMN166,731190+0%

81Carver County, MNMN114,379198+0%

82Scott County, MNMN159,017251+0%

83Washington County, MNMN286,895523+0%

84Dakota County, MNMN457,710633+0%

85Anoka County, MNMN381,605706+0%

86Hennepin County, MNMN1,284,7842,015+0%

87Ramsey County, MNMN541,6233,357+0%

SHOWING 1–87 OF 87

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