RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 93 SHOWN OF 93

Most sparsely populated, Nebraska counties · 2020

Nebraska counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 93 counties in Nebraska that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

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YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01McPherson County, NENE3690−25%

02Sioux County, NENE1,1881−23%

03Blaine County, NENE4581−26%

04Arthur County, NENE3961−2%

05Grant County, NENE5611−18%

06Banner County, NENE6861−18%

07Cherry County, NENE5,5611−11%

08Thomas County, NENE6391−8%

09Hooker County, NENE6861−9%

10Keya Paha County, NENE7921−22%

11Loup County, NENE5701−15%

12Garden County, NENE1,8041−18%

13Hayes County, NENE8211−20%

14Rock County, NENE1,2591−28%

15Logan County, NENE6691−7%

16Wheeler County, NENE7891−13%

17Dundy County, NENE1,5682−28%

18Sheridan County, NENE4,8092−17%

19Brown County, NENE2,8262−18%

20Frontier County, NENE2,6553−19%

21Garfield County, NENE1,7103−5%

22Morrill County, NENE4,4043−16%

23Perkins County, NENE2,8493−11%

24Boyd County, NENE1,6743−26%

25Kimball County, NENE3,3914−16%

26Hitchcock County, NENE2,4674−16%

27Greeley County, NENE2,1544−19%

28Custer County, NENE10,5004−11%

29Gosper County, NENE1,8034−12%

30Deuel County, NENE1,8624−12%

31Holt County, NENE10,0674−12%

32Chase County, NENE3,7184−4%

33Franklin County, NENE2,7955−19%

34Sherman County, NENE2,9245−11%

35Harlan County, NENE3,0006−19%

36Dawes County, NENE7,8586−10%

37Pawnee County, NENE2,5106−18%

38Webster County, NENE3,3366−16%

39Furnas County, NENE4,5246−13%

40Nuckolls County, NENE4,1007−19%

41Valley County, NENE4,0947−13%

42Antelope County, NENE6,3527−16%

43Knox County, NENE8,3358−10%

44Nance County, NENE3,2908−16%

45Boone County, NENE5,3558−14%

46Keith County, NENE8,1008−6%

47Cheyenne County, NENE9,5288−4%

48Thayer County, NENE4,8429−17%

49Fillmore County, NENE5,45810−16%

50Box Butte County, NENE10,49410−11%

51Clay County, NENE6,17011−13%

52Cedar County, NENE8,37311−13%

53Howard County, NENE6,53811−1%

54Dixon County, NENE5,60212−12%

55Polk County, NENE5,27012−8%

56Jefferson County, NENE7,07013−13%

57Pierce County, NENE7,37813−7%

58Kearney County, NENE6,79013−3%

59Lincoln County, NENE33,30314+0%

60Stanton County, NENE5,74414−9%

61Burt County, NENE6,67814−14%

62Johnson County, NENE5,21814+18%

63Richardson County, NENE7,53014−17%

64Butler County, NENE8,50714−5%

65Red Willow County, NENE10,30715−7%

66Merrick County, NENE7,90516−7%

67Cuming County, NENE8,82316−12%

68Phelps County, NENE8,99417−8%

69Thurston County, NENE6,75217−6%

70Nemaha County, NENE7,10217−7%

71Hamilton County, NENE9,67817+0%

72Wayne County, NENE10,02022−2%

73Dawson County, NENE24,45224−1%

74York County, NENE14,56425−3%

75Saline County, NENE14,99625+3%

76Gage County, NENE21,71125−6%

77Colfax County, NENE10,93426+1%

78Otoe County, NENE16,53126+3%

79Saunders County, NENE23,70230+12%

80Seward County, NENE18,03231+7%

81Cass County, NENE27,65748+9%

82Scotts Bluff County, NENE35,58649−2%

83Platte County, NENE35,64951+8%

84Buffalo County, NENE51,17252+19%

85Washington County, NENE21,30254+11%

86Adams County, NENE31,07155+0%

87Madison County, NENE36,10662+1%

88Dodge County, NENE38,05770+3%

89Dakota County, NENE21,68782+7%

90Hall County, NENE63,633115+17%

91Lancaster County, NENE334,049385+29%

92Sarpy County, NENE208,303801+55%

93Douglas County, NENE606,4601,790+26%

SHOWING 1–93 OF 93

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