RANKING · 2025 ESTIMATES · 93 SHOWN OF 93

Most sparsely populated, Nebraska counties

Nebraska counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2025). This list covers the 93 counties in Nebraska that qualify, ranked against each other statewide. The median across all 93 is 8.

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SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01McPherson County, NENE3690−31%

02▲2Arthur County, NENE3961−11%

03▼1Sioux County, NENE1,1881−19%

04▼1Blaine County, NENE4581−21%

05Grant County, NENE5611−25%

06▲2Thomas County, NENE6391−12%

07▼1Banner County, NENE6861−16%

08▼1Cherry County, NENE5,5611−10%

09Hooker County, NENE6861−12%

10▲1Loup County, NENE5701−20%

11▼1Keya Paha County, NENE7921−19%

12Garden County, NENE1,8041−21%

13Hayes County, NENE8211−23%

14▲1Logan County, NENE6691−14%

15▼1Rock County, NENE1,2591−28%

16Wheeler County, NENE7891−11%

17Dundy County, NENE1,5682−32%

18Sheridan County, NENE4,8092−22%

19Brown County, NENE2,8262−20%

20Frontier County, NENE2,6553−14%

21Garfield County, NENE1,7103−10%

22Morrill County, NENE4,4043−19%

23▲1Boyd County, NENE1,6743−31%

24▼1Perkins County, NENE2,8493−11%

25▲1Hitchcock County, NENE2,4673−21%

26▼1Kimball County, NENE3,3914−17%

27Greeley County, NENE2,1544−21%

28▲1Gosper County, NENE1,8034−16%

29▼1Custer County, NENE10,5004−11%

30▲2Chase County, NENE3,7184−9%

31Holt County, NENE10,0674−13%

32▼2Deuel County, NENE1,8624−11%

33Franklin County, NENE2,7955−22%

34Sherman County, NENE2,9245−12%

35Harlan County, NENE3,0005−21%

36Dawes County, NENE7,8586−13%

37▲1Webster County, NENE3,3366−18%

38▼1Pawnee County, NENE2,5106−19%

39Furnas County, NENE4,5246−15%

40Nuckolls County, NENE4,1007−19%

41Valley County, NENE4,0947−12%

42Antelope County, NENE6,3527−15%

43▲1Nance County, NENE3,2907−19%

44▼1Knox County, NENE8,3358−11%

45▲1Keith County, NENE8,1008−9%

46▼1Boone County, NENE5,3558−14%

47Cheyenne County, NENE9,5288−3%

48Thayer County, NENE4,8428−20%

49Fillmore County, NENE5,4589−18%

50Box Butte County, NENE10,49410−14%

51Clay County, NENE6,17011−12%

52Cedar County, NENE8,37311−13%

53Howard County, NENE6,538110%

54Dixon County, NENE5,60212−12%

55Polk County, NENE5,27012−7%

56Jefferson County, NENE7,07012−15%

57Pierce County, NENE7,37813−6%

58▲1Lincoln County, NENE33,30313−4%

59▼1Kearney County, NENE6,79013−1%

60Stanton County, NENE5,74413−11%

61Burt County, NENE6,67814−14%

62▲1Richardson County, NENE7,53014−21%

63▼1Johnson County, NENE5,21814+16%

64▲1Red Willow County, NENE10,30714−10%

65▼1Butler County, NENE8,50715−3%

66▲1Cuming County, NENE8,82315−14%

67▼1Merrick County, NENE7,90516−4%

68Phelps County, NENE8,99417−8%

69Thurston County, NENE6,75217−6%

70Nemaha County, NENE7,10217−6%

71Hamilton County, NENE9,67818+3%

72Wayne County, NENE10,02023+2%

73Dawson County, NENE24,452240%

74York County, NENE14,564250%

75▲1Gage County, NENE21,71125−6%

76▼1Saline County, NENE14,99626+8%

77Colfax County, NENE10,93427+5%

78Otoe County, NENE16,53127+7%

79▲1Seward County, NENE18,03232+9%

80▼1Saunders County, NENE23,70232+20%

81▲1Scotts Bluff County, NENE35,58648−4%

82▼1Cass County, NENE27,65750+14%

83Platte County, NENE35,64953+13%

84Buffalo County, NENE51,17253+21%

85Washington County, NENE21,30255+13%

86Adams County, NENE31,071550%

87Madison County, NENE36,10663+2%

88Dodge County, NENE38,05772+5%

89Dakota County, NENE21,68782+7%

90Hall County, NENE63,633116+19%

91Lancaster County, NENE334,049399+33%

92Sarpy County, NENE208,303875+70%

93Douglas County, NENE606,4601,858+31%

SHOWING 1–93 OF 93

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