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.[1][2][3] 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.

Texas has 254 counties, the most of any state
Delaware has three counties, the fewest of any state

Lists of counties and county equivalents by number per political division:

Count State,
federal district
or territory 		Notes
254 Texas Texas The most counties of any U.S. state
159 Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia
133 Virginia Virginia 95 counties and 38 independent cities
120 Kentucky Kentucky
115 Missouri Missouri 114 counties and 1 independent city
105 Kansas Kansas
102 Illinois Illinois
100 North Carolina North Carolina
99 Iowa Iowa
95 Tennessee Tennessee
93 Nebraska Nebraska
92 Indiana Indiana
88 Ohio Ohio
87 Minnesota Minnesota
83 Michigan Michigan
82 Mississippi Mississippi
78 Puerto Rico 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 Oklahoma
75 Arkansas Arkansas
72 Wisconsin Wisconsin
67 Alabama Alabama
67 Florida Florida
67 Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
66 South Dakota South Dakota
64 Colorado Colorado
64 Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana has no counties. The 64 parishes of Louisiana are counted as county-equivalents by the U.S. Census Bureau
62 New York (state) 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 New York State
58 California California
56 Montana Montana
55 West Virginia West Virginia
53 North Dakota North Dakota
46 South Carolina South Carolina
44 Idaho Idaho
39 Washington (state) Washington
36 Oregon Oregon
33 New Mexico New Mexico
30 Alaska 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 Utah
24 Maryland Maryland 23 counties and 1 independent city
23 Wyoming Wyoming
21 New Jersey New Jersey
17 Nevada Nevada 16 counties and 1 independent city
16 Maine Maine
15 Arizona Arizona
14 Massachusetts 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 Vermont
10 New Hampshire New Hampshire
9 United States 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 Connecticut The U.S. Census Bureau uses Connecticut's nine planning regions instead of its eight historic counties for statistical purposes.
5 American Samoa 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”)[2]
5 Hawaii Hawaii
5 Rhode Island 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 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 Delaware The fewest counties of any U.S. state
3 United States Virgin Islands 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 Washington, D.C. 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[4]
1 Guam 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)[2]

Population

Nationwide population extremes

Main article: List of United States counties and county equivalents

These rankings include county equivalents.

Largest population counties nationwide
(2021 Census estimate)[5]
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)[5]
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.[6]

Smallest population counties in all U.S. territory
(2020 Census)[7]
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 [note 3]


Population per state or territory

See also: List of the most populous counties by U.S. state
Most and least populous counties per state/territory (2021 Census estimate)[8]
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 [note 4] 670,050 District of Columbia 670,050
 Florida Liberty 7,900 Miami-Dade 2,662,777
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Taliaferro 1,558 Fulton 1,065,334
 Guam Guam [note 5] 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
United States U.S. Minor Outlying Islands* 6 entities [note 6] 0 Wake Island 100 [note 7]
 Utah Daggett 976 Salt Lake 1,186,421
 Vermont Essex 5,925 Chittenden 168,865
United States Virgin Islands 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

See also: List of the largest counties in the United States by area

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 km2) and North Slope Borough (88,695.41 sq mi or 229,720.1 km2). 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 km2; 1,310 acres).[8] 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).[9]

The following two tables exclude county-equivalents:

Largest counties by land area nationwide (excluding county-equivalents)[8]
Rank County Land area
(sq mi) 		Land area
(km2)
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)[8]
Rank County Land area
(sq mi) 		Land area
(km2)
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: [note 8]

Largest counties by land area nationwide (including county-equivalents)
Rank County Land area
(sq mi) 		Land area
(km2)
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
(km2)
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, largest, and average area per state and territory

See also: List of U.S. states by area

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.[A]

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.

Smallest, largest and average land areas for counties and county-equivalents by state and territory[10]
State
federal district
or territory 		Avg. county land area, sq. mi. (km2) Smallest county Area, sq. mi. (km2) Largest county area, sq. mi. (km2)
The 50 states & D.C. 1,124.09 (2,911.4)[note 9] Independent City of Falls Church, Virginia 2.0 (5.2) Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska[note 10] 145,505 (376,860)
The 50 states, D.C.
& U.S. territories 		1,090.69 (2,824.9)[note 11] Kingman Reef, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands 0.01 (0.026) Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska 145,505 (376,860)
 Alaska 8,545.7 (22,133) Skagway Municipality 452.3 (1,171) Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 145,505 (376,860)
 Arizona 7,572.9 (19,614) Santa Cruz County 1,236.9 (3,204) Coconino County 18,618.8 (48,222)
 Nevada 6,457.7 (16,725) City of Carson City 144.6 (375) Nye County 18,181.9 (47,091)
 Wyoming 4,221.4 (10,933) Hot Springs County 2,004.0 (5,190) Sweetwater County 10,426.6 (27,005)
 New Mexico 3,675.7 (9,520) Los Alamos County 109.1 (283) Catron County 6,923.6 (17,932)
 Utah 2,833.4 (7,338) Davis County 298.7 (774) San Juan County 7,819.9 (20,253)
 California 2,685.8 (6,956) San Francisco County 46.8 (121) San Bernardino County 20,056.9 (51,947)
 Oregon 2,666.3 (6,906) Multnomah County 431.3 (1,117) Harney County 10,133.1 (26,245)
 Montana 2,599.0 (6,731) Silver Bow County 718.4 (1,861) Beaverhead County 5,541.6 (14,353)
 Maine 1,927.7 (4,993) Sagadahoc County 253.6 (657) Aroostook County 6,671.3 (17,279)
 Idaho 1,878.3 (4,865) Payette County 406.8 (1,054) Idaho County 8,477.3 (21,956)
 Washington 1,704.0 (4,413) San Juan County 173.9 (450) Okanogan County 5,267.9 (13,644)
 Colorado 1,619.4 (4,194) Broomfield County 33.0 (85) Las Animas County 4,772.6 (12,361)
 North Dakota 1,301.9 (3,372) Eddy County 630.1 (1,632) McKenzie County 2,760.3 (7,149)
 Hawaii 1,284.5 (3,327) Kalawao County 11.9 (31) Hawaii County 4,028.4 (10,434)
 South Dakota 1,148.7 (2,975) Clay County 412.1 (1,067) Meade County 3,470.9 (8,990)
 Texas 1,028.5 (2,664) Rockwall County 127.0 (329) Brewster County 6,183.7 (16,016)
 Minnesota 915.2 (2,370) Ramsey County 152.2 (394) St. Louis County 6,247.4 (16,181)
 New Hampshire 895.3 (2,319) Strafford County 368.9 (955) Coos County 1,794.6 (4,648)
 Oklahoma 890.8 (2,307) Marshall County 371.0 (961) Osage County 2,246.3 (5,818)
 Nebraska 826.1 (2,140) Sarpy County 238.9 (619) Cherry County 5,960.4 (15,437)
 Florida 800.4 (2,073) Union County 243.5 (631) Collier County 1,998.3 (5,176)
 Kansas 778.7 (2,017) Wyandotte County 151.6 (393) Butler County 1,429.8 (3,703)
 Alabama 767.4 (1,988) Etowah County 534.9 (1,385) Baldwin County 1,589.7 (4,117)
 New York 760.1 (1,969) New York County 22.8 (59) St. Lawrence County 2,680.3 (6,942)
 Wisconsin 752.2 (1,948) Pepin County 231.9 (601) Marathon County 1,544.9 (4,001)
 Arkansas 693.8 (1,797) Lafayette County 528.2 (1,368) Union County 1,039.2 (2,692)
 Michigan 681.2 (1,764) Benzie County 319.7 (828) Marquette County 1,808.4 (4,684)
 Louisiana 675.1 (1,749) Orleans Parish 169.4 (439) Vernon Parish 1,327.9 (3,439)
 Pennsylvania 667.8 (1,730) Montour County 130.2 (337) Lycoming County 1,228.5 (3,182)
 Vermont 658.3 (1,705) Grand Isle County 81.8 (212) Windsor County 969.3 (2,510)
 South Carolina 653.5 (1,693) McCormick County 359.1 (930) Horry County 1,133.9 (2,937)
 Delaware 649.5 (1,682) New Castle County 426.2 (1,104) Sussex County 936.0 (2,424)
 Connecticut 605.3 (1,568) Middlesex County 369.3 (956) Litchfield County 920.5 (2,384)
 Missouri 597.8 (1,548) City of St. Louis 61.9 (160) Texas County 1,177.2 (3,049)
 Mississippi 572.2 (1,482) Alcorn County 400.0 (1,036) Yazoo County 922.9 (2,390)
 Iowa 564.2 (1,461) Dickinson County 380.6 (986) Kossuth County 972.7 (2,519)
 Massachusetts 557.1 (1,443) Nantucket County 44.9 (116) Worcester County 1,510.7 (3,913)
 Illinois 544.3 (1,410) Putnam County 160.1 (415) McLean County 1,183.3 (3,065)
 North Carolina 486.2 (1,259) Chowan County 172.4 (447) Robeson County 949.2 (2,458)
 Ohio 464.3 (1,203) Lake County 227.4 (589) Ashtabula County 701.9 (1,818)
 West Virginia 437.1 (1,132) Hancock County 82.6 (214) Randolph County 1,039.6 (2,693)
 Tennessee 434.1 (1,124) Trousdale County 114.1 (296) Shelby County 763.1 (1,976)
 Maryland 404.5 (1,048) City of Baltimore 80.9 (210) Frederick County 660.2 (1,710)
 Indiana 389.4 (1,009) Ohio County 86.1 (223) Allen County 657.3 (1,702)
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 361.7 (937) Clarke County 119.2 (309) Ware County 892.4 (2,311)
 New Jersey 350.2 (907) Hudson County 46.1 (119) Burlington County 798.5 (2,068)
 Kentucky 329.1 (852) Robertson County 99.9 (259) Pike County 786.8 (2,038)
 Virginia 294.7 (763) Independent City of Falls Church 2.0 (5.2) Pittsylvania County 968.9 (2,509)
 Guam 210 (540) Guam 210 (540) Guam 210 (540)
 Rhode Island 206.8 (536) Bristol County 24.1 (62) Providence County 409.5 (1,061)
 District of Columbia 61.05 (158.1) District of Columbia 61.05 (158.1) District of Columbia 61.05 (158.1)
 Puerto Rico 45.06 (116.7) Cataño Municipality 4.84 (12.5) Arecibo Municipality 125.95 (326.2)
 Northern Mariana Islands 44.75 (115.9) Rota Municipality 32.97 (85.4) Northern Islands Municipality 59.75 (154.8)
 U.S. Virgin Islands 44.57 (115.4) Saint John 20 (52) Saint Croix 84 (220)
 American Samoa 15.4 (40) Rose Atoll 0.083 (0.21) Western District 28.87 (74.8)
United States U.S. Minor Outlying Islands 1.46 (3.8) Kingman Reef 0.01 (0.026) Palmyra Atoll 4.59 (11.9)

Population density

New York County, New York (Manhattan), the most densely populated county in the United States. At the top and top-left (beyond the East River) is Kings County (Brooklyn), the second-most densely populated county in the United States.

Most densely populated

See also: List of United States cities by population density

Data presented below is based on U.S. Census department data from 2010.[10] 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 Pop/sq mi Pop/km2
1 New York County, New York 69,468 26,822
2 Kings County, New York 35,369 13,656
3 Bronx County, New York 32,903 12,704
4 Queens County, New York 20,554 7,936
5 City and County of San Francisco, California 17,179 6,633
6 Hudson County, New Jersey 13,732 5,302
7 Suffolk County, Massachusetts 12,417 4,794
8 Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania 11,379 4,394
9 Washington, District of Columbia 9,857 3,806
10 Alexandria, Virginia 9,314 3,596
11 Arlington County, Virginia 8,853 3,520
12 San Juan Municipality, Puerto Rico 8,262 3,190
13 Richmond County, New York 8,030 3,101
14 City of Baltimore, Maryland 7,672 2,962
15 Essex County, New Jersey 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 5,495 2,122
20 Union County, New Jersey 5,216 2,014
21 City of Saint Louis, Missouri 5,157 1,991
22 Nassau County, New York 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 3,926 1,516
27 Denver County, Colorado 3,923 1,515
28 Carolina Municipality, Puerto Rico 3,900 1,506
29 Bergen County, New Jersey 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 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 3,348 1,292
38 Ramsey County, Minnesota 3,342 1,290
39 Delaware County, Pennsylvania 3,039 1,173
40 Wayne County, Michigan 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 2,800 1,081
46 DuPage County, Illinois 2,800 1,081
47 Fairfax County, Virginia 2,767 1,068
48 Toa Alta Municipality, Puerto Rico 2,742 1,058
49 Dallas County, Texas 2,718 1,049
50 Passaic County, New Jersey 2,715 1,048
51 Hampton, Virginia 2,674 1,032
52 Newport News, Virginia 2,634 1,017
53 Middlesex County, New Jersey 2,622 1,012
54 DeKalb County, Georgia 2,586 998
55 Caguas Municipality, Puerto Rico 2,439 942
56 Los Angeles County, California 2,420 934
57 Harris County, Texas 2,402 928
58 Fredericksburg, Virginia 2,326 898
59 Camden County, New Jersey 2,322 896

Least densely populated

Baker Island, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands — one of the 8 county-equivalents with zero people

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/km2).

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[10]
Rank County name Pop/sq mi Pop/km2
— 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.[10] 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/km2).

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/km2) Jefferson County 592.53/sq mi (228.78/km2)
 Alaska Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 0.03/sq mi (0.012/km2) Anchorage Municipality 171.19/sq mi (66.10/km2)
 American Samoa Rose Atoll [note 12] 0.00/sq mi (0/km2) Western District 1,139.00/sq mi (439.77/km2)
 Arizona La Paz County 4.55/sq mi (1.76/km2) Maricopa County 414.89/sq mi (160.19/km2)
 Arkansas Calhoun County 8.53/sq mi (3.29/km2) Pulaski County 503.77/sq mi (194.51/km2)
 California Alpine County 1.59/sq mi (0.61/km2) San Francisco County 17,179.15/sq mi (6,632.91/km2)
 Colorado Hinsdale County 0.75/sq mi (0.29/km2) Denver County 3,922.59/sq mi (1,514.52/km2)
 Connecticut Litchfield County 206.31/sq mi (79.66/km2) Fairfield County 1,467.18/sq mi (566.48/km2)
 Delaware Sussex County 210.60/sq mi (81.31/km2) New Castle County 1,263.18/sq mi (487.72/km2)
 District of Columbia District of Columbia 9,857.20/sq mi (3,805.89/km2) District of Columbia 9,857.20/sq mi (3,805.89/km2)
 Florida Liberty County 10.01/sq mi (3.86/km2) Pinellas County 3,347.50/sq mi (1,292.48/km2)
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia Clinch County 8.49/sq mi (3.28/km2) DeKalb County 2,585.72/sq mi (998.35/km2)
 Guam Guam 759.60/sq mi (293.28/km2) Guam 759.60/sq mi (293.28/km2)
 Hawaii Kalawao County 7.50/sq mi (2.90/km2) Honolulu County 1,586.71/sq mi (612.63/km2)
 Idaho Clark County 0.55/sq mi (0.21/km2) Ada County 372.76/sq mi (143.92/km2)
 Illinois Pope County 12.12/sq mi (4.68/km2) Cook County 5,495.11/sq mi (2,121.67/km2)
 Indiana Benton County 21.78/sq mi (8.41/km2) Marion County 2,279.57/sq mi (880.15/km2)
 Iowa Adams County 9.51/sq mi (3.67/km2) Polk County 750.51/sq mi (289.77/km2)
 Kansas Greeley County 1.60/sq mi (0.62/km2) Johnson County 1,149.57/sq mi (443.85/km2)
 Kentucky Hickman County 20.23/sq mi (7.81/km2) Jefferson County 1,948.11/sq mi (752.17/km2)
 Louisiana Cameron Parish 5.32/sq mi (2.05/km2) Orleans Parish 2,029.41/sq mi (783.56/km2)
 Maine Piscataquis County 4.42/sq mi (1.71/km2) Cumberland County 337.23/sq mi (130.21/km2)
 Maryland Garrett County 46.51/sq mi (17.96/km2) City of Baltimore 7,671.51/sq mi (2,961.99/km2)
 Massachusetts Franklin County 102.05/sq mi (39.40/km2) Suffolk County 12,416.78/sq mi (4,794.15/km2)
 Michigan Keweenaw County 3.99/sq mi (1.54/km2) Wayne County 2,974.42/sq mi (1,148.43/km2)
 Minnesota Lake of the Woods County 3.11/sq mi (1.20/km2) Ramsey County 3,341.64/sq mi (1,290.21/km2)
 Mississippi Issaquena County 3.40/sq mi (1.31/km2) DeSoto County 338.66/sq mi (130.76/km2)
 Missouri Worth County 8.14/sq mi (3.14/km2) City of St. Louis 5,157.48/sq mi (1,991.31/km2)
 Montana Garfield County 0.25/sq mi (0.097/km2) Yellowstone County 56.19/sq mi (21.70/km2)
 Nebraska McPherson County 0.63/sq mi (0.24/km2) Douglas County 1,574.37/sq mi (607.87/km2)
 Nevada Esmeralda County 0.21/sq mi (0.081/km2) Carson City 382.09/sq mi (147.53/km2)
 New Hampshire Coos County 18.41/sq mi (7.11/km2) Hillsborough County 457.37/sq mi (176.59/km2)
 New Jersey Salem County 199.10/sq mi (76.87/km2) Hudson County 13,731.61/sq mi (5,301.80/km2)
 New Mexico Harding County 0.32/sq mi (0.12/km2) Bernalillo County 570.76/sq mi (220.37/km2)
 New York Hamilton County 2.81/sq mi (1.08/km2) New York County 69,468.42/sq mi (26,821.91/km2)
 North Carolina Hyde County 9.48/sq mi (3.66/km2) Mecklenburg County 1,755.54/sq mi (677.82/km2)
 North Dakota Billings County 0.68/sq mi (0.26/km2) Cass County 84.86/sq mi (32.76/km2)
 Northern Mariana Islands Northern Islands Municipality [note 13] 0.00/sq mi (0/km2) Saipan Municipality 1,050.80/sq mi (405.72/km2)
 Ohio Monroe County 32.12/sq mi (12.40/km2) Cuyahoga County 2,799.95/sq mi (1,081.07/km2)
 Oklahoma Cimarron County 1.34/sq mi (0.52/km2) Tulsa County 1,058.14/sq mi (408.55/km2)
 Oregon Harney County 0.73/sq mi (0.28/km2) Multnomah County 1,704.93/sq mi (658.28/km2)
 Pennsylvania Cameron County 12.83/sq mi (4.95/km2) Philadelphia County 11,379.49/sq mi (4,393.65/km2)
 Puerto Rico Culebra Municipality 156.40/sq mi (60.39/km2) San Juan Municipality 8,262.30/sq mi (3,190.09/km2)
 Rhode Island Washington County 385.67/sq mi (148.91/km2) Bristol County 2,064.00/sq mi (796.91/km2)
 South Carolina Allendale County 25.53/sq mi (9.86/km2) Greenville County 574.72/sq mi (221.90/km2)
 South Dakota Harding County 0.47/sq mi (0.18/km2) Minnehaha County 209.95/sq mi (81.06/km2)
 Tennessee Perry County 19.08/sq mi (7.37/km2) Davidson County 1,243.33/sq mi (480.05/km2)
 Texas Loving County 0.12/sq mi (0.046/km2) Dallas County 2,718.00/sq mi (1,049.43/km2)
United States U.S. Minor Outlying Islands 6 entities [note 14] 0.00/sq mi (0/km2) Wake Island 39.80/sq mi (15.37/km2)
 Utah Garfield County 0.99/sq mi (0.38/km2) Salt Lake County 1,387.14/sq mi (535.58/km2)
 Vermont Essex County 9.50/sq mi (3.67/km2) Chittenden County 291.74/sq mi (112.64/km2)
United States Virgin Islands Virgin Islands (U.S.) Saint John Island 211.80/sq mi (81.78/km2) Saint Thomas Island 1,649.10/sq mi (636.72/km2)
 Virginia Highland County 5.59/sq mi (2.16/km2) Alexandria City 9,314.30/sq mi (3,596.27/km2)
 Washington Garfield County 3.18/sq mi (1.23/km2) King County 912.87/sq mi (352.46/km2)
 West Virginia Pocahontas County 9.27/sq mi (3.58/km2) Ohio County 419.98/sq mi (162.16/km2)
 Wisconsin Iron County 7.80/sq mi (3.01/km2) Milwaukee County 3,925.95/sq mi (1,515.82/km2)
 Wyoming Niobrara County 0.94/sq mi (0.36/km2) Laramie County 34.15/sq mi (13.19/km2)

See also

Notes

^ A: The Unorganized Borough, Alaska, formed by the Borough Act of 1961, is a legal entity, run by the Alaska state government as an extension of State government,[11] it and the independently incorporated Unified, Home Rule, First Class and Second Class boroughs roughly correspond to parishes in Louisiana and to counties in the other 48 states.[12]

  1. ^ Number produced by diving 3,142 by 50 — Note it is 3,142 and not 3,143 (because the District of Columbia is not counted)
  2. ^ Number produced by dividing 3,243 by 57 (the number 57 represents the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the 5 inhabited territories, and the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as one entity
  3. ^ Non-permanent human population
  4. ^ The District of Columbia has only one county-equivalent: itself.
  5. ^ Guam has only one county-equivalent: itself.
  6. ^ The 6 county-equivalents in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands with zero people are Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef and Navassa Island. The other 3 island territories in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands have small non-permanent human populations.
  7. ^ Wake Island’s population is non-permanent.
  8. ^ Note: the lists below rank locations by land area — the ranking would be different if they were ranked by total area.
  9. ^ If including water area, the average county size of counties and county-equivalents in the 50 states and D.C. is 1,208.38 square miles
  10. ^ North Slope Borough, Alaska is the largest independently incorporated county-equivalent.
  11. ^ If including water area, the average county size of counties and county-equivalents in all U.S. territory is 1,172.38 square miles
  12. ^ The least-densely populated inhabited county-equivalent in American Samoa is Swains Island, which has 18.1 people per square mile.
  13. ^ The least-densely populated inhabited county-equivalent in the Northern Mariana Islands is Tinian Municipality, which has 75.0 people per square mile.
  14. ^ The 6 county-equivalents in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands with zero people are Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef and Navassa Island. The least-densely populated entity with a human population is Palmyra Atoll, which has 4.3 people per square mile.

References

  1. ^ https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/codes/cou.html ‘’2010 FIPS Codes for Counties and County Equivalent Entities.’’ Census.gov. Retrieved June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/reference/GARM/Ch4GARM.pdf ‘’States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities (Chapter 4).’’ Census.gov. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  3. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20151018122108/http://www.census.gov/geo/reference/ansi_statetables.html FIPS State Codes for the Outlying Areas of the United States and the Freely Associated States. [info about USMOI] (archived). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 2019.
  4. ^ "Chapter 4: States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities". Geographic Areas Reference Manual (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce. November 1994. p. 4-2.
  5. ^ a b "2021 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  6. ^ CIA World Factbook — Palmyra Atoll. Retrieved June 2019.
  7. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d "Census QuickFacts". State & County QuickFacts. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ https://www.britannica.com/place/Kingman-Reef ‘’Kingman Reef.’’ Britannica.com. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d "2010 Census Summary File 1: GEOGRAPHIC IDENTIFIERS". American Factfinder. US Census. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Alaska Statutes Title 29 Chapter 03. The Unorganized Borough". Local Government On-Line, Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. August 18, 1998. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
  12. ^ "Local Government in Alaska" (PDF). Local Boundary Commission, Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. February 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2008-07-17.

External links

United States county-related lists
Lists of United States counties and county equivalents
Articles on second-level administrative divisions of North American countries
Categories