# County statistics of the United States

In 45 of the 50 states of the United States, the county is used for the level of local government immediately below the state itself. Louisiana uses parishes, and Alaska uses boroughs. In Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, some or all counties within states have no governments of their own; the counties continue to exist as legal entities, however, and are used by states for some administrative functions and by the United States Census bureau for statistical analysis. There are 3,242 counties and county equivalent administrative units in total, including the District of Columbia and 100 county-equivalents in the U.S. territories.
There are 41 independent cities in the United States. In Virginia, any municipality that is incorporated as a city legally becomes independent of any county. Where indicated, the statistics below do not include Virginia's 38 independent cities.
In Alaska, most of the land area of the state has no county-level government. Those parts of the state are divided by the United States Census Bureau into census areas, which are not the same as boroughs. The state's largest statistical division by area is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, which is larger than any of the state's boroughs. Although Anchorage is called a municipality, it is considered a consolidated city and borough.
There are 100 county-equivalents in the territories of the United States: they are the 3 districts and 2 atolls of American Samoa, all of Guam (Guam as one single county-equivalent), the 4 municipalities in the Northern Mariana Islands, the 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico, the 3 main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the 9 islands in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands. All of these territorial county-equivalents are defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

## Count

This is the number of counties and county-equivalents for each state, the District of Columbia, the 5 inhabited territories of the United States, and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
Lists of counties and county equivalents by number per political division:
| Count | State, federal district or territory | Notes |
| 254 | Texas | The most counties of any U.S. state |
| 159 | Georgia | |
| 133 | Virginia | 95 counties and 38 independent cities |
| 120 | Kentucky | |
| 115 | Missouri | 114 counties and 1 independent city |
| 105 | Kansas | |
| 102 | Illinois | |
| 100 | North Carolina | |
| 99 | Iowa | |
| 95 | Tennessee | |
| 93 | Nebraska | |
| 92 | Indiana | |
| 88 | Ohio | |
| 87 | Minnesota | |
| 83 | Michigan | |
| 82 | Mississippi | |
| 78 | Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico has no counties. The 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 77 | Oklahoma | |
| 75 | Arkansas | |
| 72 | Wisconsin | |
| 67 | Alabama | |
| 67 | Florida | |
| 67 | Pennsylvania | |
| 66 | South Dakota | |
| 64 | Colorado | |
| 64 | Louisiana | Louisiana has no counties. The 64 parishes of Louisiana are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 62 | New York | New York City is a sui generis jurisdiction, in which the city government consists of 5 boroughs each coterminous with a county of the State of New York |
| 58 | California | |
| 56 | Montana | |
| 55 | West Virginia | |
| 53 | North Dakota | |
| 46 | South Carolina | |
| 44 | Idaho | |
| 39 | Washington | |
| 36 | Oregon | |
| 33 | New Mexico | |
| 30 | Alaska | Alaska has no counties. The following areas in Alaska are counted as county-equivalents: the 19 organized boroughs and, in its Unorganized Borough, 11 designated census areas |
| 29 | Utah | |
| 24 | Maryland | 23 counties and 1 independent city |
| 23 | Wyoming | |
| 21 | New Jersey | |
| 17 | Nevada | 16 counties and 1 independent city |
| 16 | Maine | |
| 15 | Arizona | |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 8 of the 14 counties in Massachusetts were disincorporated in the 1990s and early 2000s; local government in these areas consists of cities and towns. One of the remaining 6 counties is a consolidated town-county |
| 14 | Vermont | |
| 10 | New Hampshire | |
| 9 | U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands does not have counties. The 9 islands in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 9 | Connecticut | The U.S. Census Bureau uses Connecticut's nine planning regions instead of its eight historic counties for statistical purposes. |
| 5 | American Samoa | The 3 districts and 2 unorganized atolls of American Samoa are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau. American Samoa locally has 14 "counties", but these "counties" are not counted as counties by the U.S. Census Bureau (they are treated as "minor civil divisions") |
| 5 | Hawaii | |
| 5 | Rhode Island | Counties in Rhode Island have no governmental functions; local government is provided by eight cities and thirty-one towns |
| 4 | Northern Mariana Islands | The Northern Mariana Islands has no counties. The 4 municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 3 | Delaware | The fewest counties of any U.S. state |
| 3 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | The U.S. Virgin Islands has no counties. The 3 main islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau |
| 1 | District of Columbia | The District of Columbia has no counties; the District of Columbia is considered both a state-equivalent and a county equivalent for statistical purposes |
| 1 | Guam | Guam has no counties; Guam is considered both a state-equivalent and a county-equivalent for statistical purposes by the U.S. Census Bureau (similar to the District of Columbia) |
* Total (50 states and District of Columbia): 3,143 (3,007 counties and 136 county equivalents)
* Total (50 states, District of Columbia and territories): 3,243 (3,007 counties and 236 county equivalents)
* Average number of counties per state (not including D.C. and the territories): 62.84
* Average number of counties per state (including D.C. and the territories): 56.8947368421

## Population
### Nationwide population extremes

These rankings include county equivalents.
Largest population counties nationwide (2021 Census estimate) :
| Rank | County | Population |
| 1 | Los Angeles County, California | 9,829,544 |
| 2 | Cook County, Illinois | 5,173,146 |
| 3 | Harris County, Texas | 4,728,030 |
| 4 | Maricopa County, Arizona | 4,496,588 |
| 5 | San Diego County, California | 3,286,069 |
| 6 | Orange County, California | 3,167,809 |
| 7 | Miami-Dade County, Florida | 2,662,777 |
| 8 | Kings County, New York | 2,641,052 |
| 9 | Dallas County, Texas | 2,586,050 |
| 10 | Riverside County, California | 2,458,395 |
| 11 | Queens County, New York | 2,331,143 |
| 12 | Clark County, Nevada | 2,292,476 |
Smallest population counties in the 50 states and District of Columbia (2021 Census estimate) :
| Rank | County | Population |
| 1 | Loving County, Texas | 57 |
| 2 | Kalawao County, Hawaii | 82 |
| 3 | King County, Texas | 258 |
| 4 | Kenedy County, Texas | 340 |
| 5 | McPherson County, Nebraska | 379 |
| 6 | Arthur County, Nebraska | 439 |
| 7 | Blaine County, Nebraska | 461 |
| 8 | Petroleum County, Montana | 519 |
| 9 | Grant County, Nebraska | 579 |
| 10 | Loup County, Nebraska | 604 |
| 11 | McMullen County, Texas | 608 |
| 12 | Borden County, Texas | 617 |
The following is a list of the least populous counties and county-equivalents in all U.S. territory. Note that the only entity on this list with a permanent human population is Swains Island, American Samoa. The first 8 counties (county-equivalents) are uninhabited, while the 10th on the list (Palmyra Atoll) has a small non-permanent human population whose maximum capacity is 20 people.
Smallest population counties in all U.S. territory (2020 Census) :
| Rank | County | Population |
| 1 | Baker Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 2 | Howland Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 3 | Jarvis Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 4 | Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 5 | Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 6 | Navassa Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 |
| 7 | Northern Islands Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands | 0 |
| 8 | Rose Atoll, American Samoa | 0 |
| 9 | Swains Island, American Samoa | 17 |
| 10 | Palmyra Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 20 |
* Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California, the most populous county in the United States
* Swains Island, American Samoa — the least-populous inhabited county or county-equivalent in the United States
* Loving County, Texas, the least populous county in the main 50-states in the United States.

### Population per state or territory

Most and least populous counties per state/territory (2021 Census estimate) :
| State, federal district, or territory | Least populous | Population | Most populous | Population |
| Alabama | Greene | 7,629 | Jefferson | 667,820 |
| Alaska | Yakutat | 704 | Anchorage | 288,121 |
| American Samoa | Rose Atoll | 0 | Western District | 31,819 |
| Arizona | Greenlee | 9,404 | Maricopa | 4,496,588 |
| Arkansas | Calhoun | 4,741 | Pulaski | 397,821 |
| California | Alpine | 1,235 | Los Angeles | 9,829,544 |
| Colorado | San Juan | 733 | El Paso | 737,867 |
| Connecticut | Windham | 116,418 | Fairfield | 959,768 |
| Delaware | Kent | 184,149 | New Castle | 571,708 |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia | 670,050 | District of Columbia | 670,050 |
| Florida | Liberty | 7,900 | Miami-Dade | 2,662,777 |
| Georgia | Taliaferro | 1,558 | Fulton | 1,065,334 |
| Guam | Guam | 153,835 | Guam | 153,835 |
| Hawaii | Kalawao | 82 | Honolulu | 1,000,890 |
| Idaho | Clark | 792 | Ada | 511,931 |
| Illinois | Hardin | 3,650 | Cook | 5,173,146 |
| Indiana | Ohio | 5,978 | Marion | 971,102 |
| Iowa | Adams | 3,641 | Polk | 496,844 |
| Kansas | Greeley | 1,304 | Johnson | 613,219 |
| Kentucky | Robertson | 2,257 | Jefferson | 777,874 |
| Louisiana | Tensas | 4,043 | East Baton Rouge | 453,301 |
| Maine | Piscataquis | 17,165 | Cumberland | 305,231 |
| Maryland | Kent | 19,270 | Montgomery | 1,054,827 |
| Massachusetts | Nantucket | 14,491 | Middlesex | 1,614,742 |
| Michigan | Keweenaw | 2,107 | Wayne | 1,774,816 |
| Minnesota | Traverse | 3,286 | Hennepin | 1,267,416 |
| Mississippi | Issaquena | 1,280 | Hinds | 222,679 |
| Missouri | Worth | 1,983 | St. Louis | 997,187 |
| Montana | Petroleum | 519 | Yellowstone | 167,146 |
| Nebraska | McPherson | 379 | Douglas | 585,008 |
| Nevada | Esmeralda | 743 | Clark | 2,292,476 |
| New Hampshire | Coos | 31,268 | Hillsborough | 422,937 |
| New Jersey | Salem | 65,046 | Bergen | 953,819 |
| New Mexico | Harding | 639 | Bernalillo | 674,393 |
| New York | Hamilton | 5,119 | Kings | 2,641,052 |
| North Carolina | Tyrrell | 3,254 | Wake | 1,150,204 |
| North Dakota | Slope | 690 | Cass | 186,562 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Islands Municipality | 7 | Saipan Municipality | 43,385 |
| Ohio | Vinton | 12,696 | Franklin | 1,321,414 |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron | 2,248 | Oklahoma | 798,575 |
| Oregon | Wheeler | 1,451 | Multnomah | 803,377 |
| Pennsylvania | Cameron | 4,459 | Philadelphia | 1,576,251 |
| Puerto Rico | Culebra Municipality | 1,792 | San Juan Municipality | 342,259 |
| Rhode Island | Bristol | 50,818 | Providence | 658,221 |
| South Carolina | Allendale | 7,858 | Greenville | 533,834 |
| South Dakota | Jones | 879 | Minnehaha | 199,685 |
| Tennessee | Pickett | 5,079 | Shelby | 924,454 |
| Texas | Loving | 57 | Harris | 4,728,030 |
| U.S. Minor Outlying Islands* | 6 entities | 0 | Wake Island | 100 |
| Utah | Daggett | 976 | Salt Lake | 1,186,421 |
| Vermont | Essex | 5,925 | Chittenden | 168,865 |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | Saint John Island | 3,881 | Saint Thomas Island | 42,261 |
| Virginia | Highland | 2,226 | Fairfax | 1,139,720 |
| Washington | Garfield | 2,286 | King | 2,269,675 |
| West Virginia | Wirt | 5,063 | Kanawha | 177,952 |
| Wisconsin | Menominee | 4,289 | Milwaukee | 928,059 |
| Wyoming | Niobrara | 2,438 | Laramie | 100,863 |

## Area
### Nationwide land area extremes

The largest counties and county-equivalents are organized boroughs and the census areas of Alaska with the top two being Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area (145,504.79 sq mi or 376,855.7 km$^2$) and North Slope Borough (88,695.41 sq mi or 229,720.1 km$^2$). The smallest counties and county equivalents (in the 50 states) are the independent cities of Virginia with the extreme being Falls Church at 2.05 sq mi (5.3 km$^2$; 1,310 acres). If the U.S. territories are included, the smallest county-equivalent is Kingman Reef, with a land area of 0.012 square miles (3.1 ha; 7.7 acres).
The following two tables exclude county-equivalents:
Largest counties by land area nationwide (excluding county-equivalents) :
| Rank | County | Land area (sq mi) | Land area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | San Bernardino County, California | 20,056.94 | 51,947.24 |
| 2 | Coconino County, Arizona | 18,618.89 | 48,222.70 |
| 3 | Nye County, Nevada | 18,181.92 | 47,090.96 |
| 4 | Elko County, Nevada | 17,169.83 | 44,469.66 |
| 5 | Mohave County, Arizona | 13,311.08 | 34,475.54 |
| 6 | Apache County, Arizona | 11,197.52 | 29,001.44 |
| 7 | Lincoln County, Nevada | 10,633.20 | 27,539.86 |
| 8 | Sweetwater County, Wyoming | 10,426.65 | 27,004.90 |
| 9 | Inyo County, California | 10,180.88 | 26,368.36 |
| 10 | Harney County, Oregon | 10,133.17 | 26,244.79 |
Smallest counties by land area nationwide (excluding county-equivalents) :
| Rank | County | Land area (sq mi) | Land area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | Kalawao County, Hawaii | 11.99 | 31.05 |
| 2 | New York County, New York | 22.83 | 59.13 |
| 3 | Bristol County, Rhode Island | 24.16 | 62.57 |
| 4 | Arlington County, Virginia | 25.97 | 67.26 |
| 5 | Broomfield County, Colorado | 33.03 | 85.55 |
| 6 | Bronx County, New York | 42.10 | 109.04 |
| 7 | Nantucket County, Massachusetts | 44.97 | 116.47 |
| 8 | Hudson County, New Jersey | 46.19 | 119.63 |
| 9 | San Francisco County, California | 46.87 | 121.39 |
| 10 | Suffolk County, Massachusetts | 58.15 | 150.61 |
The following two tables include county-equivalents:
Largest counties by land area nationwide (including county-equivalents) :
| Rank | County | Land area (sq mi) | Land area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska | 145,899.69 | 377,868.5 |
| 2 | North Slope Borough, Alaska | 88.817.12 | 230,035.3 |
| 3 | Bethel Census Area, Alaska | 40.633.31 | 105,239.8 |
| 4 | Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska | 35,898.34 | 92,976.3 |
| 5 | Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska | 34,319.1 | 88,886 |
| 6 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska | 24,814.86 | 64,270.2 |
| 7 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska | 24,681.54 | 63,924.9 |
| 8 | Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska | 23,781.96 | 61,595.0 |
| 9 | Nome Census Area, Alaska | 23,000.91 | 59,572 |
| 10 | San Bernardino County, California | 20,052.5 | 51,936 |
Smallest counties by land area nationwide (including county-equivalents) :
| Rank | County | Land area (sq mi) | Land area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| 2 | Rose Atoll, American Samoa | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| 3 | Baker Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0.5 | 1.4 |
| 4 | Howland Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0.6 | 1.6 |
| 5 | Swains Island, American Samoa | 1 | 2.6 |
| 6 | Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 1.1 | 2.8 |
| 7 | Jarvis Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 1.7 | 4.5 |
| 8 | Navassa Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 2.08 | 5.4 |
| 9 | Independent City of Falls Church, Virginia | 2.1 | 5.44 |
| 10 | Midway Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 2.4 | 6.2 |
Smallest counties by land area in the 50 states and District of Columbia (including county-equivalents) :
| Rank | County | Land area (sq mi) | Land area (km$^2$) |
| 1 | Independent City of Falls Church, Virginia | 2.1 | 5.4 |
| 2 | Independent City of Lexington, Virginia | 2.5 | 6.5 |
| 3 | Independent City of Manassas Park, Virginia | 2.5 | 6.5 |
| 4 | Independent City of Covington, Virginia | 4 | 10 |
| 5 | Independent City of Fairfax, Virginia | 6 | 16 |
| 6 | Independent City of Buena Vista, Virginia | 7 | 18 |
| 7 | Independent City of Emporia, Virginia | 7 | 18 |
| 8 | Independent City of Norton, Virginia | 7 | 18 |
| 9 | Independent City of Colonial Heights, Virginia | 8 | 21 |
| 10 | Independent City of Franklin, Virginia | 8 | 21 |
| 11 | Independent City of Galax, Virginia | 8 | 21 |
* Largest county or county-equivalent: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska
* Largest true county: San Bernardino County, California
* Smallest county or county-equivalent: Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
* Smallest county or county-equivalent in the 50 states: Independent City of Falls Church, Virginia
* Smallest true county: Kalawao County, Hawaii
* San Bernardino County, California, the largest county in the United States by land area (excluding county-equivalents)
* Kalawao County, Hawaii, the smallest county in the United States by land area (excluding county-equivalents)
* Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, the largest county or county-equivalent by land area in the United States
* Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, the smallest county or county-equivalent by land area in the United States
* Falls Church, Virginia, the smallest county-equivalent in the 50 states by land area

### Smallest, largest, and average area per state and territory

The following is a list of counties and county-equivalents showing the average size of each state/territory's counties, the smallest county (or equivalent) in each state/territory, and the largest county (or equivalent) in each state/territory. States/territories on the list are arranged by the average land area of their counties. Though not on the list, the North Slope Borough is the largest independently incorporated county equivalent. The Unorganized Borough is substantially larger, but is an extension of the State of Alaska government and not independently incorporated.
Also note that the smallest land area with county-level governance in the U.S. is Falls Church, Virginia, but it is an independent city and not a county or part of one. Kingman Reef is the smallest county-equivalent in all U.S. territory (though it has no government). Kalawao County, Hawaii is the smallest true county by land area.

## Population density
### Most densely populated

Data presented below is based on U.S. Census department data from 2010. Calculations are made by dividing the population by the land area. All county equivalents are included. This list includes the 50 most densely-populated counties and county-equivalents in the 50 states and District of Columbia, plus the 9 highest-density municipalities (county-equivalents) of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is the only U.S. territory with population densities (of county-equivalents) high enough to be on this list. Note that many of these high-density counties are coterminous with large cities (for example San Francisco and Philadelphia) or are independent cities in Virginia (as well as Baltimore and St. Louis) which are considered county-equivalents.
| Rank | County name | Principal cities | Pop/sq mi | Pop/km$^2$ |
| 1 | New York County, New York | Manhattan, New York City | 69,468 | 26,822 |
| 2 | Kings County, New York | Brooklyn, New York City | 35,369 | 13,656 |
| 3 | Bronx County, New York | The Bronx, New York City | 32,903 | 12,704 |
| 4 | Queens County, New York | Queens, New York City | 20,554 | 7,936 |
| 5 | City and County of San Francisco, California | San Francisco | 17,179 | 6,633 |
| 6 | Hudson County, New Jersey | Hoboken, Jersey City | 13,732 | 5,302 |
| 7 | Suffolk County, Massachusetts | Boston | 12,417 | 4,794 |
| 8 | Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 11,379 | 4,394 |
| 9 | Washington, District of Columbia | | 9,857 | 3,806 |
| 10 | Alexandria, Virginia | | 9,314 | 3,596 |
| 11 | Arlington County, Virginia | Arlington | 8,853 | 3,520 |
| 12 | San Juan Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 8,262 | 3,190 |
| 13 | Richmond County, New York | Staten Island, New York City | 8,030 | 3,101 |
| 14 | City of Baltimore, Maryland | | 7,672 | 2,962 |
| 15 | Essex County, New Jersey | Newark | 6,212 | 2,398 |
| 16 | Falls Church, Virginia | | 6,170 | 2,382 |
| 17 | Cataño Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 5,809 | 2,243 |
| 18 | Manassas Park, Virginia | | 5,633 | 2,175 |
| 19 | Cook County, Illinois | Chicago | 5,495 | 2,122 |
| 20 | Union County, New Jersey | Elizabeth | 5,216 | 2,014 |
| 21 | City of Saint Louis, Missouri | | 5,157 | 1,991 |
| 22 | Nassau County, New York | Hempstead, western Long Island | 4,705 | 1,817 |
| 23 | Bayamón Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 4,695 | 1,813 |
| 24 | Norfolk, Virginia | | 4,486 | 1,732 |
| 25 | Charlottesville, Virginia | | 4,242 | 1,638 |
| 26 | Milwaukee County, Wisconsin | Milwaukee | 3,926 | 1,516 |
| 27 | Denver County, Colorado | Denver | 3,923 | 1,515 |
| 28 | Carolina Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 3,900 | 1,506 |
| 29 | Bergen County, New Jersey | Northern New Jersey suburbs of New York City | 3,884 | 1,500 |
| 30 | Toa Baja Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 3,856 | 1,489 |
| 31 | Manassas, Virginia | | 3,828 | 1,478 |
| 32 | Orange County, California | Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine | 3,808 | 1,470 |
| 33 | Fairfax City, Virginia | | 3,617 | 1,396 |
| 34 | Trujillo Alto Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 3,604 | 1,392 |
| 35 | Guaynabo Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 3,551 | 1,371 |
| 36 | Richmond, Virginia | | 3,415 | 1,318 |
| 37 | Pinellas County, Florida | St. Petersburg | 3,348 | 1,292 |
| 38 | Ramsey County, Minnesota | St. Paul | 3,342 | 1,290 |
| 39 | Delaware County, Pennsylvania | Southwest Philadelphia suburbs | 3,039 | 1,173 |
| 40 | Wayne County, Michigan | Detroit | 2,974 | 1,148 |
| 41 | Portsmouth, Virginia | | 2,839 | 1,096 |
| 42 | Winchester, Virginia | | 2,838 | 1,096 |
| 43 | Lexington, Virginia | | 2,820 | 1,089 |
| 44 | Harrisonburg, Virginia | | 2,808 | 1,084 |
| 45 | Cuyahoga County, Ohio | Cleveland | 2,800 | 1,081 |
| 46 | DuPage County, Illinois | Western Chicago suburbs | 2,800 | 1,081 |
| 47 | Fairfax County, Virginia | Washington, D.C. suburbs | 2,767 | 1,068 |
| 48 | Toa Alta Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 2,742 | 1,058 |
| 49 | Dallas County, Texas | Dallas | 2,718 | 1,049 |
| 50 | Passaic County, New Jersey | Paterson | 2,715 | 1,048 |
| 51 | Hampton, Virginia | | 2,674 | 1,032 |
| 52 | Newport News, Virginia | | 2,634 | 1,017 |
| 53 | Middlesex County, New Jersey | New Brunswick, Edison | 2,622 | 1,012 |
| 54 | DeKalb County, Georgia | Atlanta suburbs and small part of Atlanta | 2,586 | 998 |
| 55 | Caguas Municipality, Puerto Rico | | 2,439 | 942 |
| 56 | Los Angeles County, California | Los Angeles | 2,420 | 934 |
| 57 | Harris County, Texas | Houston | 2,402 | 928 |
| 58 | Fredericksburg, Virginia | | 2,326 | 898 |
| 59 | Camden County, New Jersey | Camden | 2,322 | 896 |

### Least densely populated

This list was generated by dividing the population by the land area. All county equivalents are included. The list is dominated by just a few states: Alaska, Montana, and Texas together comprise about two-thirds of the entries. The Unorganized Borough is not included here as a unit, but its census areas (non-governmental entities) are. If the census areas were removed from the list, the Unorganized Borough would rank fourteenth with a density of 0.38 per square mile (0.15/km$^2$).
The 8 uninhabited county-equivalents in the U.S. territories are listed at the top of the table — these are technically the least-densely populated counties/county-equivalents in the United States, but since they have no people, they are listed unranked.
Counties with lowest population densities :
| Rank | County name | Pop/sq mi | Pop/km$^2$ |
| — | Baker Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Howland Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Jarvis Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Johnston Atoll, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Navassa Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Northern Islands Municipality, Northern Mariana Islands | 0 | 0 |
| — | Rose Atoll, American Samoa | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| 2 | Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska | 0.06 | 0.02 |
| 3 | Yakutat Borough, Alaska | 0.08 | 0.03 |
| 4 | North Slope Borough, Alaska | 0.10 | 0.04 |
| 5 | Loving County, Texas | 0.12 | 0.04 |
| 6 | Denali Borough, Alaska | 0.14 | 0.05 |
| 7 | Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska | 0.21 | 0.08 |
| 8 | Esmeralda County, Nevada | 0.21 | 0.08 |
| 9 | Garfield County, Montana | 0.25 | 0.10 |
| 10 | Dillingham Census Area, Alaska | 0.26 | 0.10 |
| 11 | Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska | 0.28 | 0.10 |
| 12 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska | 0.28 | 0.11 |
| 13 | Kenedy County, Texas | 0.28 | 0.11 |
| 14 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska | 0.28 | 0.11 |
| 15 | Petroleum County, Montana | 0.29 | 0.11 |
| 16 | King County, Texas | 0.31 | 0.12 |
| 17 | Harding County, New Mexico | 0.32 | 0.12 |
| 18 | Carter County, Montana | 0.34 | 0.13 |
| 19 | Nome Census Area, Alaska | 0.41 | 0.16 |
| 20 | Terrell County, Texas | 0.41 | 0.16 |
| 21 | Bethel Census Area, Alaska | 0.41 | 0.16 |
| 22 | Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska | 0.43 | 0.16 |
| 23 | Aleutians East Borough, Alaska | 0.45 | 0.17 |
| 24 | Harding County, South Dakota | 0.47 | 0.18 |
| 25 | Eureka County, Nevada | 0.47 | 0.18 |
| 26 | Lincoln County, Nevada | 0.50 | 0.19 |
| 27 | Powder River County, Montana | 0.52 | 0.20 |
| 28 | Catron County, New Mexico | 0.53 | 0.20 |
| 29 | Clark County, Idaho | 0.55 | 0.21 |
| 30 | Slope County, North Dakota | 0.59 | 0.23 |
| 31 | McMullen County, Texas | 0.62 | 0.24 |
| 32 | McPherson County, Nebraska | 0.62 | 0.24 |
| 33 | Culberson County, Texas | 0.62 | 0.24 |
| 34 | Sioux County, Nebraska | 0.63 | 0.24 |
| 35 | Arthur County, Nebraska | 0.64 | 0.24 |
| 36 | McCone County, Montana | 0.65 | 0.25 |
| 37 | Blaine County, Nebraska | 0.67 | 0.26 |
| 38 | Prairie County, Montana | 0.67 | 0.26 |
| 39 | Billings County, North Dakota | 0.68 | 0.26 |
| 40 | Borden County, Texas | 0.71 | 0.27 |
| 41 | Harney County, Oregon | 0.73 | 0.28 |
| 42 | Treasure County, Montana | 0.73 | 0.28 |
| 43 | Golden Valley County, Montana | 0.75 | 0.29 |
| 44 | Hinsdale County, Colorado | 0.75 | 0.29 |
| 45 | Hudspeth County, Texas | 0.76 | 0.29 |
| 46 | Meagher County, Montana | 0.79 | 0.30 |
| 47 | Kiowa County, Colorado | 0.79 | 0.30 |
| 48 | Grant County, Nebraska | 0.79 | 0.30 |
| 49 | Mineral County, Colorado | 0.81 | 0.31 |
| 50 | Phillips County, Montana | 0.82 | 0.31 |

### Population density per state and territory

Data presented below is based on U.S. Census Bureau data from 2010. Calculations are made by dividing the population by the land area. All county equivalents are included.
Excluding the census areas of Alaska, Lake and Peninsula Borough is the least densely populated county equivalent with 0.069/sq mi (0.027/km$^2$).
The District of Columbia and Guam each only have one county-equivalent, so their most/least densely-populated county is the same.
| State federal district or territory | Least densely populated county | Population density | Most densely populated county | Population density |
| Alabama | Wilcox County | 13.13/sq mi (5.07/km$^2$) | Jefferson County | 592.53/sq mi (228.78/km$^2$) |
| Alaska | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 0.03/sq mi (0.012/km$^2$) | Anchorage Municipality | 171.19/sq mi (66.10/km$^2$) |
| American Samoa | Rose Atoll | 0.00/sq mi (0/km$^2$) | Western District | 1,139.00/sq mi (439.77/km$^2$) |
| Arizona | La Paz County | 4.55/sq mi (1.76/km$^2$) | Maricopa County | 414.89/sq mi (160.19/km$^2$) |
| Arkansas | Calhoun County | 8.53/sq mi (3.29/km$^2$) | Pulaski County | 503.77/sq mi (194.51/km$^2$) |
| California | Alpine County | 1.59/sq mi (0.61/km$^2$) | San Francisco County | 17,179.15/sq mi (6,632.91/km$^2$) |
| Colorado | Hinsdale County | 0.75/sq mi (0.29/km$^2$) | Denver County | 3,922.59/sq mi (1,514.52/km$^2$) |
| Connecticut | Litchfield County | 206.31/sq mi (79.66/km$^2$) | Fairfield County | 1,467.18/sq mi (566.48/km$^2$) |
| Delaware | Sussex County | 210.60/sq mi (81.31/km$^2$) | New Castle County | 1,263.18/sq mi (487.72/km$^2$) |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia | 9,857.20/sq mi (3,805.89/km$^2$) | District of Columbia | 9,857.20/sq mi (3,805.89/km$^2$) |
| Florida | Liberty County | 10.01/sq mi (3.86/km$^2$) | Pinellas County | 3,347.50/sq mi (1,292.48/km$^2$) |
| Georgia | Clinch County | 8.49/sq mi (3.28/km$^2$) | DeKalb County | 2,585.72/sq mi (998.35/km$^2$) |
| Guam | Guam | 759.60/sq mi (293.28/km$^2$) | Guam | 759.60/sq mi (293.28/km$^2$) |
| Hawaii | Kalawao County | 7.50/sq mi (2.90/km$^2$) | Honolulu County | 1,586.71/sq mi (612.63/km$^2$) |
| Idaho | Clark County | 0.55/sq mi (0.21/km$^2$) | Ada County | 372.76/sq mi (143.92/km$^2$) |
| Illinois | Pope County | 12.12/sq mi (4.68/km$^2$) | Cook County | 5,495.11/sq mi (2,121.67/km$^2$) |
| Indiana | Benton County | 21.78/sq mi (8.41/km$^2$) | Marion County | 2,279.57/sq mi (880.15/km$^2$) |
| Iowa | Adams County | 9.51/sq mi (3.67/km$^2$) | Polk County | 750.51/sq mi (289.77/km$^2$) |
| Kansas | Greeley County | 1.60/sq mi (0.62/km$^2$) | Johnson County | 1,149.57/sq mi (443.85/km$^2$) |
| Kentucky | Hickman County | 20.23/sq mi (7.81/km$^2$) | Jefferson County | 1,948.11/sq mi (752.17/km$^2$) |
| Louisiana | Cameron Parish | 5.32/sq mi (2.05/km$^2$) | Orleans Parish | 2,029.41/sq mi (783.56/km$^2$) |
| Maine | Piscataquis County | 4.42/sq mi (1.71/km$^2$) | Cumberland County | 337.23/sq mi (130.21/km$^2$) |
| Maryland | Garrett County | 46.51/sq mi (17.96/km$^2$) | City of Baltimore | 7,671.51/sq mi (2,961.99/km$^2$) |
| Massachusetts | Franklin County | 102.05/sq mi (39.40/km$^2$) | Suffolk County | 12,416.78/sq mi (4,794.15/km$^2$) |
| Michigan | Keweenaw County | 3.99/sq mi (1.54/km$^2$) | Wayne County | 2,974.42/sq mi (1,148.43/km$^2$) |
| Minnesota | Lake of the Woods County | 3.11/sq mi (1.20/km$^2$) | Ramsey County | 3,341.64/sq mi (1,290.21/km$^2$) |
| Mississippi | Issaquena County | 3.40/sq mi (1.31/km$^2$) | DeSoto County | 338.66/sq mi (130.76/km$^2$) |
| Missouri | Worth County | 8.14/sq mi (3.14/km$^2$) | City of St. Louis | 5,157.48/sq mi (1,991.31/km$^2$) |
| Montana | Garfield County | 0.25/sq mi (0.097/km$^2$) | Yellowstone County | 56.19/sq mi (21.70/km$^2$) |
| Nebraska | McPherson County | 0.63/sq mi (0.24/km$^2$) | Douglas County | 1,574.37/sq mi (607.87/km$^2$) |
| Nevada | Esmeralda County | 0.21/sq mi (0.081/km$^2$) | Carson City | 382.09/sq mi (147.53/km$^2$) |
| New Hampshire | Coos County | 18.41/sq mi (7.11/km$^2$) | Hillsborough County | 457.37/sq mi (176.59/km$^2$) |
| New Jersey | Salem County | 199.10/sq mi (76.87/km$^2$) | Hudson County | 13,731.61/sq mi (5,301.80/km$^2$) |
| New Mexico | Harding County | 0.32/sq mi (0.12/km$^2$) | Bernalillo County | 570.76/sq mi (220.37/km$^2$) |
| New York | Hamilton County | 2.81/sq mi (1.08/km$^2$) | New York County | 69,468.42/sq mi (26,821.91/km$^2$) |
| North Carolina | Hyde County | 9.48/sq mi (3.66/km$^2$) | Mecklenburg County | 1,755.54/sq mi (677.82/km$^2$) |
| North Dakota | Billings County | 0.68/sq mi (0.26/km$^2$) | Cass County | 84.86/sq mi (32.76/km$^2$) |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Islands Municipality | 0.00/sq mi (0/km$^2$) | Saipan Municipality | 1,050.80/sq mi (405.72/km$^2$) |
| Ohio | Monroe County | 32.12/sq mi (12.40/km$^2$) | Cuyahoga County | 2,799.95/sq mi (1,081.07/km$^2$) |
| Oklahoma | Cimarron County | 1.34/sq mi (0.52/km$^2$) | Tulsa County | 1,058.14/sq mi (408.55/km$^2$) |
| Oregon | Harney County | 0.73/sq mi (0.28/km$^2$) | Multnomah County | 1,704.93/sq mi (658.28/km$^2$) |
| Pennsylvania | Cameron County | 12.83/sq mi (4.95/km$^2$) | Philadelphia County | 11,379.49/sq mi (4,393.65/km$^2$) |
| Puerto Rico | Culebra Municipality | 156.40/sq mi (60.39/km$^2$) | San Juan Municipality | 8,262.30/sq mi (3,190.09/km$^2$) |
| Rhode Island | Washington County | 385.67/sq mi (148.91/km$^2$) | Bristol County | 2,064.00/sq mi (796.91/km$^2$) |
| South Carolina | Allendale County | 25.53/sq mi (9.86/km$^2$) | Greenville County | 574.72/sq mi (221.90/km$^2$) |
| South Dakota | Harding County | 0.47/sq mi (0.18/km$^2$) | Minnehaha County | 209.95/sq mi (81.06/km$^2$) |
| Tennessee | Perry County | 19.08/sq mi (7.37/km$^2$) | Davidson County | 1,243.33/sq mi (480.05/km$^2$) |
| Texas | Loving County | 0.12/sq mi (0.046/km$^2$) | Dallas County | 2,718.00/sq mi (1,049.43/km$^2$) |
| U.S. Minor Outlying Islands | 6 entities | 0.00/sq mi (0/km$^2$) | Wake Island | 39.80/sq mi (15.37/km$^2$) |
| Utah | Garfield County | 0.99/sq mi (0.38/km$^2$) | Salt Lake County | 1,387.14/sq mi (535.58/km$^2$) |
| Vermont | Essex County | 9.50/sq mi (3.67/km$^2$) | Chittenden County | 291.74/sq mi (112.64/km$^2$) |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | Saint John Island | 211.80/sq mi (81.78/km$^2$) | Saint Thomas Island | 1,649.10/sq mi (636.72/km$^2$) |
| Virginia | Highland County | 5.59/sq mi (2.16/km$^2$) | Alexandria City | 9,314.30/sq mi (3,596.27/km$^2$) |
| Washington | Garfield County | 3.18/sq mi (1.23/km$^2$) | King County | 912.87/sq mi (352.46/km$^2$) |
| West Virginia | Pocahontas County | 9.27/sq mi (3.58/km$^2$) | Ohio County | 419.98/sq mi (162.16/km$^2$) |
| Wisconsin | Iron County | 7.80/sq mi (3.01/km$^2$) | Milwaukee County | 3,925.95/sq mi (1,515.82/km$^2$) |
| Wyoming | Niobrara County | 0.94/sq mi (0.36/km$^2$) | Laramie County | 34.15/sq mi (13.19/km$^2$) |