RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 95 SHOWN OF 95

Most sparsely populated, Tennessee counties · 2020

Tennessee counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). This list covers the 95 counties in Tennessee that qualify, ranked against each other statewide.

Flip the list · Most densely populated, US counties →

TennesseeAll states All rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

RELATEDLargest by population Fastest growing Fastest shrinking Most densely populated Best broadband access Worst broadband access

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Perry County, TNTN9,12620+10%

02Wayne County, TNTN16,41622−4%

03Van Buren County, TNTN6,87423+12%

04Stewart County, TNTN14,43930+10%

05Hancock County, TNTN7,07530−2%

06Pickett County, TNTN5,21931+1%

07Clay County, TNTN7,82132−5%

08Haywood County, TNTN17,04234−10%

09Decatur County, TNTN11,82034−3%

10Humphreys County, TNTN19,64636+6%

11Bledsoe County, TNTN15,92037+21%

12Fentress County, TNTN20,32237+11%

13Grundy County, TNTN14,11638−6%

14Jackson County, TNTN12,46638+6%

15Hardeman County, TNTN25,27438−9%

16Benton County, TNTN16,18340−4%

17Morgan County, TNTN22,16040+6%

18Polk County, TNTN18,59240+9%

19Hickman County, TNTN26,21941+12%

20Scott County, TNTN22,67141+3%

21Houston County, TNTN8,47941+2%

22Lake County, TNTN6,24942−12%

23Lewis County, TNTN13,48745+11%

24McNairy County, TNTN26,23646+5%

25Hardin County, TNTN27,98346+5%

26Carroll County, TNTN29,20048−4%

27Giles County, TNTN31,43350+3%

28Moore County, TNTN6,92050+13%

29Overton County, TNTN23,78752+12%

30Crockett County, TNTN14,00652−4%

31Lauderdale County, TNTN24,61753−7%

32Henderson County, TNTN28,51854+9%

33Cannon County, TNTN15,29655+13%

34Obion County, TNTN30,06757−5%

35Weakley County, TNTN33,26157−6%

36Henry County, TNTN32,89657+3%

37Marion County, TNTN29,80458+4%

38Sequatchie County, TNTN17,86160+39%

39Fayette County, TNTN45,07160+46%

40Johnson County, TNTN18,71860+3%

41Chester County, TNTN17,99461+12%

42Lincoln County, TNTN36,85362+13%

43Smith County, TNTN20,98163+12%

44Meigs County, TNTN14,18665+15%

45DeKalb County, TNTN21,87366+15%

46Lawrence County, TNTN46,91472+11%

47Dyer County, TNTN36,32072−1%

48White County, TNTN29,61273+18%

49Monroe County, TNTN49,73073+19%

50Claiborne County, TNTN33,22974+7%

51Franklin County, TNTN45,57977+9%

52Campbell County, TNTN40,29082−1%

53Macon County, TNTN27,66382+24%

54Cocke County, TNTN37,88983+7%

55Gibson County, TNTN51,77984+5%

56Grainger County, TNTN25,73984+14%

57Union County, TNTN21,45089+11%

58Cumberland County, TNTN66,30090+31%

59Marshall County, TNTN38,07191+28%

60Warren County, TNTN43,71795+7%

61Unicoi County, TNTN17,85696+1%

62Trousdale County, TNTN12,623102+60%

63Rhea County, TNTN34,844104+16%

64Bedford County, TNTN55,273106+34%

65Dickson County, TNTN58,662111+26%

66Greene County, TNTN73,831113+12%

67Hawkins County, TNTN59,559116+6%

68McMinn County, TNTN57,404124+9%

69Tipton County, TNTN62,287134+19%

70Coffee County, TNTN62,419135+21%

71Cheatham County, TNTN42,778136+14%

72Roane County, TNTN57,395148+3%

73Robertson County, TNTN80,175153+34%

74Maury County, TNTN118,131165+45%

75Carter County, TNTN57,361165−1%

76Sevier County, TNTN101,342166+38%

77Madison County, TNTN100,790177+8%

78Jefferson County, TNTN60,024199+23%

79Putnam County, TNTN86,612199+28%

80Anderson County, TNTN82,066229+8%

81Loudon County, TNTN63,764239+40%

82Blount County, TNTN143,820242+28%

83Wilson County, TNTN175,033259+66%

84Bradley County, TNTN115,465330+23%

85Sumner County, TNTN215,538371+50%

86Sullivan County, TNTN163,759382+3%

87Hamblen County, TNTN68,843400+11%

88Washington County, TNTN141,199407+24%

89Montgomery County, TNTN249,935408+63%

90Williamson County, TNTN272,061425+96%

91Rutherford County, TNTN386,352551+88%

92Hamilton County, TNTN390,833675+19%

93Knox County, TNTN511,453942+25%

94Shelby County, TNTN910,2261,221+4%

95Davidson County, TNTN745,9041,422+26%

SHOWING 1–95 OF 95

Download CSV (full list, 95 rows)

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