RANKING · 2020 CENSUS · 500 SHOWN OF 3,135

Most sparsely populated, US counties · 2020

US counties with the fewest residents per square mile (2023). Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska leads at 0. 3,135 counties qualify in total. Alaska carries 12 of the top 25 entries.

Flip the list · Most densely populated, US counties →

All statesAll rankings

SAME RANKING BYCities States Metros

YEAR1990 2000 2010 2020 2025

RANKPLACESTATEPOPPOPULATION DENSITYVS 2000

01Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AKAK5,0280−18%

02Lake and Peninsula, AKAK1,3570−19%

03Yakutat, AKAK6720−18%

04Loving County, TXTX520−4%

05Copper River Census Area, AKAK2,6660–

06North Slope, AKAK10,5820+49%

07Denali, AKAK1,6160−14%

08Esmeralda County, NVNV7290−25%

09Northwest Arctic, AKAK7,0950+8%

10Kenedy County, TXTX3190−15%

11Garfield County, MTMT1,1480−8%

12Dillingham Census Area, AKAK4,4830−1%

13Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AKAK7,2700+10%

14King County, TXTX1920−26%

15Petroleum County, MTMT5480+1%

16Harding County, NMNM6170−19%

17Terrell County, TXTX7020−30%

18Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AKAK2,2710–

19Lincoln County, NVNV4,3200+8%

20Carter County, MTMT1,3830+4%

21Nome Census Area, AKAK9,8300+9%

22Eureka County, NVNV1,8670+12%

23Clark County, IDID7830−23%

24Bethel Census Area, AKAK18,3910+17%

25McPherson County, NENE3690−25%

26Aleutians East, AKAK3,4790+27%

27Kusilvak Census Area, AKAK7,9320–

28Harding County, SDSD1,3310−3%

29Powder River County, MTMT1,7811−9%

30Catron County, NMNM3,8271+1%

31McMullen County, TXTX5441−29%

32Sioux County, NENE1,1881−23%

33Culberson County, TXTX2,2671−26%

34Slope County, NDND6281−8%

35Blaine County, NENE4581−26%

36Arthur County, NENE3961−2%

37Prairie County, MTMT1,1121−9%

38McCone County, MTMT1,7201−13%

39Edwards County, TXTX1,3701−34%

40Hudspeth County, TXTX3,4331−4%

41Golden Valley County, MTMT8441−21%

42Borden County, TXTX5671−13%

43Hinsdale County, COCO7531−0%

44De Baca County, NMNM1,6471−24%

45Harney County, OROR7,3801−1%

46Chugach Census Area, AKAK6,5531–

47Treasure County, MTMT7281−11%

48Grant County, NENE5611−18%

49Meagher County, MTMT2,1371−0%

50Kiowa County, COCO1,4121−11%

51Phillips County, MTMT4,2031−8%

52Billings County, NDND1,0711+6%

53Wrangell, AKAK2,0071–

54Kent County, TXTX6741−12%

55Wheeler County, OROR1,4721−6%

56Jackson County, COCO1,2111−13%

57Custer County, IDID4,6361−2%

58Jeff Davis County, TXTX1,7111−10%

59Haines, AKAK2,0681−13%

60Roberts County, TXTX8671−7%

61Banner County, NENE6861−18%

62Cherry County, NENE5,5611−11%

63Thomas County, NENE6391−8%

64Niobrara County, WYWY2,3411+2%

65Jones County, SDSD9131−23%

66Garfield County, UTUT5,2561+7%

67Cheyenne County, COCO1,7131−22%

68Hooker County, NENE6861−9%

69Perkins County, SDSD2,8531−16%

70Mineral County, COCO9101+4%

71Keya Paha County, NENE7921−22%

72Camas County, IDID1,3161+9%

73Lake County, OROR8,1871+10%

74Wayne County, UTUT2,5871−1%

75White Pine County, NVNV8,6611−1%

76Haakon County, SDSD1,8021−15%

77Lander County, NVNV5,8721−1%

78Wibaux County, MTMT8851−12%

79Union County, NMNM3,8441−2%

80Motley County, TXTX1,0431−25%

81Loup County, NENE5701−15%

82Judith Basin County, MTMT2,1621−13%

83Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AKAK5,7771–

84Garden County, NENE1,8041−18%

85Pershing County, NVNV6,4211−1%

86Crockett County, TXTX2,7691−24%

87Butte County, IDID2,7831−11%

88Daniels County, MTMT1,6121−18%

89Petersburg, AKAK3,3941–

90Oldham County, TXTX1,7831−20%

91Aleutians West Census Area, AKAK5,2401−4%

92Hayes County, NENE8211−20%

93Mineral County, NVNV4,4071−10%

94Hidalgo County, NMNM3,9291−30%

95Ziebach County, SDSD2,3891−4%

96Glasscock County, TXTX1,1281−21%

97Cimarron County, OKOK2,0591−27%

98Rock County, NENE1,2591−28%

99Logan County, NENE6691−7%

100Sheridan County, NDND1,2961−26%

101Daggett County, UTUT9341+2%

102Wheeler County, NENE7891−13%

103Stonewall County, TXTX1,1861−26%

104Liberty County, MTMT1,9571−9%

105Baca County, COCO3,3471−22%

106Grant County, NDND2,2061−19%

107Sully County, SDSD1,4791−7%

108Irion County, TXTX1,4631−15%

109Wheatland County, MTMT2,1001−8%

110Hyde County, SDSD1,1911−24%

111Mellette County, SDSD2,1371−8%

112Guadalupe County, NMNM4,3431−5%

113Chouteau County, MTMT5,8651−1%

114Sterling County, TXTX1,3491−2%

115Jackson County, SDSD2,6662−4%

116Cottle County, TXTX1,2242−28%

117Valley County, MTMT7,3852−1%

118Brewster County, TXTX9,4582+8%

119Owyhee County, IDID12,6612+12%

120Foard County, TXTX1,0442−32%

121Throckmorton County, TXTX1,5542−22%

122Corson County, SDSD3,7812−7%

123Presidio County, TXTX5,4332−16%

124Briscoe County, TXTX1,4742−20%

125Grant County, OROR7,0752−9%

126Alpine County, CACA1,0432−0%

127Greeley County, KSKS1,1822−16%

128Wallace County, KSKS1,4412−14%

129Gilliam County, OROR1,9712+4%

130Rosebud County, MTMT8,2532−11%

131Blaine County, MTMT6,8602+0%

132Beaverhead County, MTMT10,0432+2%

133Golden Valley County, NDND1,8082−10%

134Divide County, NDND2,1102−4%

135Lemhi County, IDID8,4742+2%

136Bristol Bay, AKAK8472−33%

137Kidder County, NDND2,3932−13%

138Sublette County, WYWY8,9292+47%

139Humboldt County, NVNV17,2672+7%

140Dundy County, NENE1,5682−28%

141San Juan County, COCO8132+26%

142Carbon County, WYWY14,0132−7%

143San Juan County, UTUT14,5422+1%

144Inyo County, CACA18,1582+6%

145Schleicher County, TXTX2,2452−16%

146Campbell County, SDSD1,3772−23%

147Fallon County, MTMT2,9592+7%

148Logan County, NDND1,8592−19%

149Piute County, UTUT1,5092+0%

150Millard County, UTUT14,0572+5%

151Washington County, COCO4,7322−2%

152Granite County, MTMT3,6582+17%

153Kane County, UTUT8,5972+27%

154Idaho County, IDID17,8742+7%

155Kodiak Island, AKAK12,3872−6%

156Dickens County, TXTX1,6922−36%

157Sweet Grass County, MTMT3,7622+2%

158Burke County, NDND2,1322−2%

159Hodgeman County, KSKS1,6192−17%

160Saguache County, COCO6,7322+8%

161Rio Blanco County, COCO6,6832+9%

162Armstrong County, TXTX1,8432−14%

163Johnson County, WYWY8,9082+19%

164Dunn County, NDND4,0582+14%

165Clark County, KSKS1,9002−17%

166Stanley County, SDSD3,0182+8%

167Sheridan County, NENE4,8092−17%

168Towner County, NDND2,0402−25%

169Sheridan County, MTMT3,4362−14%

170McPherson County, SDSD2,3472−17%

171Comanche County, KSKS1,6732−14%

172Faulk County, SDSD2,1782−20%

173Mora County, NMNM4,0512−19%

174Menard County, TXTX1,9562−17%

175Dolores County, COCO2,4662+26%

176Emmons County, NDND3,2152−24%

177Hand County, SDSD3,1212−16%

178Lane County, KSKS1,5082−27%

179Hettinger County, NDND2,4922−8%

180Lincoln County, COCO5,6452−7%

181Emery County, UTUT10,1772−10%

182Modoc County, CACA8,4262−8%

183Adams County, NDND2,2752−15%

184Lyman County, SDSD3,6942−5%

185Sherman County, OROR2,0512−3%

186Dewey County, SDSD5,4192−12%

187Kinney County, TXTX3,1282−7%

188Hot Springs County, WYWY4,6002−5%

189Sutton County, TXTX3,2032−17%

190Wallowa County, OROR7,5952+2%

191Brown County, NENE2,8262−18%

192Rawlins County, KSKS2,4312−14%

193Madison County, MTMT10,0262+26%

194Rich County, UTUT2,6872+28%

195Cavalier County, NDND3,4972−23%

196Socorro County, NMNM15,8382−8%

197Ness County, KSKS2,6173−22%

198Crook County, WYWY7,8523+22%

199Steele County, NDND1,7973−20%

200Hamilton County, KSKS2,5003−6%

201Musselshell County, MTMT5,5823+5%

202Gove County, KSKS2,6313−11%

203Cheyenne County, KSKS2,6043−17%

204Logan County, KSKS2,6613−9%

205Bowman County, NDND2,7623−8%

206Frontier County, NENE2,6553−19%

207Toole County, MTMT5,2113−6%

208McIntosh County, NDND2,4513−25%

209Oliver County, NDND1,8983−9%

210Renville County, NDND2,3313−13%

211Big Horn County, MTMT12,7523+4%

212Grand County, UTUT9,7903+14%

213Fergus County, MTMT11,8253−4%

214Upton County, TXTX3,1313−3%

215Graham County, KSKS2,3713−18%

216Sheridan County, KSKS2,4273−13%

217Beaver County, UTUT7,3013+18%

218Teton County, MTMT6,4963−3%

219Sierra County, NMNM11,3953−13%

220Beaver County, OKOK4,8823−14%

221Moffat County, COCO13,1223+1%

222Nye County, NVNV57,3363+59%

223Costilla County, COCO3,6793−4%

224Weston County, WYWY6,8403+3%

225McHenry County, NDND5,1303−11%

226Bennett County, SDSD3,3073−5%

227Skagway, AKAK1,1043–

228Potter County, SDSD2,3773−8%

229Ketchikan Gateway, AKAK13,5493−1%

230Reagan County, TXTX3,1663+2%

231Collingsworth County, TXTX2,4873−17%

232Lake of the Woods County, MNMN3,7703−17%

233Sitka, AKAK8,3193−4%

234Hamilton County, NYNY5,0063−5%

235Powell County, MTMT7,1573−3%

236Wichita County, KSKS2,0313−15%

237Sherman County, TXTX2,7813−13%

238Roger Mills County, OKOK3,2593+0%

239Quay County, NMNM8,4543−14%

240Ellis County, OKOK3,6133−8%

241Las Animas County, COCO14,3913−4%

242Stanton County, KSKS1,9863−13%

243Nelson County, NDND2,9633−19%

244Decatur County, KSKS2,7163−20%

245Elko County, NVNV54,8153+19%

246Wells County, NDND3,7293−22%

247Custer County, MTMT12,0343+1%

248Harper County, OKOK3,1723−8%

249Trego County, KSKS2,7403−15%

250Jerauld County, SDSD1,6543−28%

251Garfield County, NENE1,7103−5%

252Pecos County, TXTX14,5603−10%

253Malheur County, OROR32,2613−0%

254Hall County, TXTX2,7373−25%

255Morrill County, NENE4,4043−16%

256Valley County, IDID12,8313+54%

257Adams County, IDID5,0133+26%

258Garfield County, WAWA2,4163−5%

259Jewell County, KSKS2,8303−23%

260Converse County, WYWY13,8243+14%

261Perkins County, NENE2,8493−11%

262Issaquena County, MSMS1,2633−41%

263Griggs County, NDND2,2393−16%

264Ferry County, WAWA7,5173−1%

265Kit Carson County, COCO7,0693−12%

266Lipscomb County, TXTX2,9553+0%

267Cochran County, TXTX2,5463−32%

268Colfax County, NMNM12,1843−13%

269Chase County, KSKS2,5723−15%

270Boyd County, NENE1,6743−26%

271Concho County, TXTX3,6073−17%

272Sierra County, CACA3,0983−9%

273Shackelford County, TXTX3,1973−6%

274Kiowa County, KSKS2,4323−25%

275Kimble County, TXTX4,4383−4%

276Washakie County, WYWY7,5973−7%

277Juab County, UTUT13,5673+43%

278Tripp County, SDSD5,7083−13%

279Donley County, TXTX3,2134−15%

280Edmunds County, SDSD4,0224−9%

281Clearwater County, IDID9,1184−2%

282Sioux County, NDND3,6674−4%

283LaMoure County, NDND4,1354−13%

284Coke County, TXTX3,4124−15%

285Kimball County, NENE3,3914−16%

286Pondera County, MTMT6,0724−8%

287Kenai Peninsula, AKAK61,9514+18%

288Big Horn County, WYWY12,0244+1%

289Hartley County, TXTX4,9044−3%

290La Paz County, AZAZ16,7114−16%

291Hitchcock County, NENE2,4674−16%

292Morton County, KSKS2,4704−23%

293Mineral County, MTMT5,1854+17%

294Eddy County, NDND2,3294−15%

295Barber County, KSKS4,0834−20%

296Hemphill County, TXTX3,0834+1%

297Bent County, COCO5,7164−6%

298Dawson County, MTMT8,6924−1%

299Keweenaw County, MIMI2,1864−11%

300Oneida County, IDID5,0854+11%

301Bottineau County, NDND6,2844−11%

302Kittson County, MNMN4,0314−20%

303Greeley County, NENE2,1544−19%

304Elk County, KSKS2,4584−24%

305Cook County, MNMN5,5224+8%

306Aurora County, SDSD2,8014−10%

307Koochiching County, MNMN11,5874−16%

308Pierce County, NDND3,8384−15%

309Osborne County, KSKS3,2854−21%

310Gregory County, SDSD4,0374−17%

311Knox County, TXTX3,1924−21%

312Real County, TXTX2,7454−9%

313Caribou County, IDID7,2524−4%

314Smith County, KSKS3,5664−21%

315Baylor County, TXTX3,4724−15%

316Boise County, IDID8,5454+14%

317Clark County, SDSD4,0314−7%

318Fall River County, SDSD7,4674−6%

319Miner County, SDSD2,2814−20%

320Sweetwater County, WYWY41,2674+12%

321Fisher County, TXTX3,6924−15%

322Lincoln County, KSKS2,8614−18%

323Sanborn County, SDSD2,3884−13%

324Custer County, NENE10,5004−11%

325Rush County, KSKS2,8454−17%

326Gosper County, NENE1,8034−12%

327Buffalo County, SDSD1,8024−4%

328Platte County, WYWY8,6344−2%

329Meade County, KSKS3,8524−12%

330Grant County, OKOK4,0674−19%

331Deuel County, NENE1,8624−12%

332Lincoln County, NMNM19,8444+4%

333Holt County, NENE10,0674−12%

334Yuma County, COCO9,8964+1%

335Spink County, SDSD6,1554−15%

336Piscataquis County, MEME17,4094−3%

337Mason County, TXTX3,9904+6%

338Jim Hogg County, TXTX4,5554−8%

339Lincoln County, IDID5,6034+27%

340Park County, WYWY31,1714+15%

341Fremont County, WYWY39,4644+10%

342Huerfano County, COCO7,0114−13%

343Benson County, NDND5,7594−14%

344Mono County, CACA12,5054+3%

345Matanuska-Susitna, AKAK118,6664+81%

346Chase County, NENE3,7184−4%

347Cameron Parish, LALA4,7184−44%

348Sedgwick County, COCO2,2474−12%

349Dickey County, NDND4,8954−13%

350Ontonagon County, MIMI5,8234−26%

351La Salle County, TXTX6,5174+14%

352Dewey County, OKOK4,2074−5%

353Sanders County, MTMT14,0624+21%

354Torrance County, NMNM16,1004−11%

355Sargent County, NDND3,7114−12%

356Columbia County, WAWA4,1415−3%

357Butte County, SDSD10,8565+13%

358Kearny County, KSKS3,8885−12%

359Roosevelt County, MTMT10,2425+2%

360Glacier County, MTMT13,4635+4%

361McLean County, NDND9,7405+5%

362Harmon County, OKOK2,3275−24%

363Edwards County, KSKS2,6405−16%

364Lincoln County, WAWA11,9825+7%

365Dallam County, TXTX7,5085+14%

366Lincoln County, WYWY21,1805+34%

367Stillwater County, MTMT9,4455+9%

368Shoshone County, IDID14,1305−4%

369Franklin County, NENE2,7955−19%

370San Saba County, TXTX5,7875−7%

371Trinity County, CACA15,7205+24%

372Marshall County, MNMN8,7985−11%

373Hardeman County, TXTX3,2925−25%

374Carbon County, MTMT11,4665+10%

375Marshall County, SDSD4,4265−6%

376Stafford County, KSKS4,0055−15%

377Churchill County, NVNV25,8515+6%

378Lake County, MNMN10,7465−1%

379Greenlee County, AZAZ9,3125+12%

380Gunnison County, COCO17,4395+21%

381Sherman County, NENE2,9245−11%

382Greenwood County, KSKS5,8265−22%

383Chautauqua County, KSKS3,3215−22%

384Day County, SDSD5,4845−13%

385McKenzie County, NDND15,1925+156%

386Custer County, SDSD9,4315+14%

387Foster County, NDND3,2125−10%

388Mountrail County, NDND9,3955+48%

389Highland County, VAVA2,3185−12%

390Baker County, OROR16,6585−0%

391Floyd County, TXTX4,8815−30%

392Lincoln County, MTMT22,3285+4%

393Wheeler County, TXTX4,7735−6%

394Duval County, TXTX9,4025−25%

395Richland County, MTMT11,3776+19%

396Rooks County, KSKS4,6466−13%

397Harlan County, NENE3,0006−19%

398Reeves County, TXTX12,1386+12%

399Power County, IDID8,2466+5%

400Sherman County, KSKS5,7636−12%

401Goshen County, WYWY12,6406−0%

402Phillips County, KSKS4,7286−17%

403Hill County, MTMT16,1676−2%

404Broadwater County, MTMT8,4936+54%

405Crosby County, TXTX4,8526−27%

406Martin County, TXTX5,2846+10%

407Hansford County, TXTX4,9446−2%

408San Miguel County, NMNM26,2606−10%

409Conejos County, COCO7,5296−11%

410Teton County, WYWY23,3336+28%

411Traverse County, MNMN3,1306−19%

412Dawes County, NENE7,8586−10%

413Apache County, AZAZ64,4456−5%

414Pawnee County, NENE2,5106−18%

415Webster County, NENE3,3366−16%

416Luce County, MIMI6,3396−24%

417Crane County, TXTX4,5546+17%

418Mills County, TXTX4,5806−13%

419Cibola County, NMNM26,8076+6%

420Haskell County, TXTX5,4996−11%

421Morrow County, OROR12,6026+11%

422Duchesne County, UTUT20,8566+36%

423Coleman County, TXTX7,9156−17%

424Pembina County, NDND6,5686−20%

425Park County, MTMT18,2146+10%

426Washington County, KSKS5,5336−15%

427Norton County, KSKS5,2886−8%

428Kingsbury County, SDSD5,2846−11%

429Woodson County, KSKS3,1186−18%

430San Miguel County, COCO7,7536+22%

431Lynn County, TXTX6,0176−15%

432Carson County, TXTX5,8056−11%

433Custer County, COCO5,5906+34%

434Brule County, SDSD5,2786−2%

435Furnas County, NENE4,5246−13%

436Dimmit County, TXTX8,0246−16%

437Gray County, KSKS5,6527−4%

438Garza County, TXTX4,5107+19%

439Republic County, KSKS4,6407−20%

440Oglala Lakota County, SDSD13,3387–

441Bear Lake County, IDID6,7277−1%

442Haskell County, KSKS3,5997−12%

443Douglas County, SDSD2,8887−18%

444Alfalfa County, OKOK5,6497−7%

445Phillips County, COCO4,4207+1%

446Ransom County, NDND5,6177−3%

447Woods County, OKOK8,4437−5%

448Todd County, SDSD8,8637+3%

449Kalawao County, HIHI827−44%

450Harper County, KSKS5,3707−16%

451Schoolcraft County, MIMI8,1877−10%

452Tensas Parish, LALA3,7007−37%

453Rio Arriba County, NMNM39,8327−2%

454Deuel County, SDSD4,4087−5%

455Shannon County, MOMO7,2857−16%

456Siskiyou County, CACA42,0137−1%

457Jefferson County, OKOK5,4317−22%

458Grant County, NMNM27,2527−9%

459Nuckolls County, NENE4,1007−19%

460Valley County, NENE4,0947−13%

461McCulloch County, TXTX7,4727−7%

462Scott County, KSKS4,8157+1%

463Fremont County, IDID14,2087+13%

464Lassen County, CACA28,1177−3%

465Stevens County, KSKS4,9847−4%

466Washington County, IDID11,5837+5%

467Skamania County, WAWA12,6697+22%

468Barnes County, NDND10,5737−8%

469Jefferson County, MTMT13,3297+20%

470Prowers County, COCO11,8847−17%

471Antelope County, NENE6,3527−16%

472Lewis County, IDID3,7047−6%

473Thomas County, KSKS7,7257−3%

474Norman County, MNMN6,3367−13%

475Worth County, MOMO1,9147−17%

476Knox County, MOMO3,7287−14%

477Zavala County, TXTX9,0377−17%

478Hyde County, NCNC4,5547−21%

479Brooks County, TXTX6,5798−11%

480Walworth County, SDSD5,2178−11%

481Crowley County, COCO5,6778+7%

482Calhoun County, ARAR4,6328−17%

483Reynolds County, MOMO5,9928−9%

484Russell County, KSKS6,5818−9%

485Knox County, NENE8,3358−10%

486Nance County, NENE3,2908−16%

487Morris County, KSKS5,3488−12%

488Pushmataha County, OKOK10,8078−7%

489Plumas County, CACA18,5838−5%

490Coconino County, AZAZ144,3688+25%

491Mercer County, MOMO3,4048−6%

492Swisher County, TXTX6,7038−17%

493Boone County, NENE5,3558−14%

494Roosevelt County, NMNM18,6158+7%

495Keith County, NENE8,1008−6%

496Cheyenne County, NENE9,5288−4%

497Park County, COCO18,3148+20%

498Uintah County, UTUT38,2788+41%

499Bath County, VAVA4,0768−17%

500Ottawa County, KSKS5,7448−7%

SHOWING 1–500 OF 3,135

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Download CSV (full list, 3,135 rows)

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

Frequently asked

Which county has the lowest population density?

Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska ranks #1 with 0 (2020 American Community Survey).

What are the top 5 counties by population density?

Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, Lake and Peninsula, Alaska, Yakutat, Alaska, Loving County, Texas, Copper River Census Area, Alaska.

How many counties are in this ranking?

3,135 counties qualify after filtering for population minimums and data availability. The ranking covers 2020 ACS 5-year data.

How is population density measured?

Residents per square mile of land area. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020).