Least densely populated counties
County equivalents with the fewest residents per square mile of land. Large rural areas in Alaska and the Great Plains dominate; density is an average across each whole county.
Ranks 201–300
Vintage 2025 population estimates · 2026 Gazetteer land area · 3,222 county equivalents · page 3 of 33
What this part of the ranking shows
This page runs from McIntosh County, North Dakota at 2.5 people per mi² to Pierce County, North Dakota at 3.8 people per mi². The 100 entries represent 22 state-level jurisdictions. Texas has the most entries on this page (16).
Rank numbers continue across pages and describe the full selected ranking. They are not state ranks. Start at rank 1 for the leading entries, or open a county profile for its state rank and median comparisons.
| Rank | County / equivalent | State | Population | Per mi² | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201 | McIntosh County | North Dakota | 2,451 | 2.5 | 974.6 |
| 202 | Upton County | Texas | 3,131 | 2.5 | 1,241.3 |
| 203 | Steele County | North Dakota | 1,797 | 2.5 | 712.1 |
| 204 | Big Horn County | Montana | 12,752 | 2.6 | 4,997.8 |
| 205 | Cheyenne County | Kansas | 2,604 | 2.6 | 1,019.9 |
| 206 | Rich County | Utah | 2,687 | 2.6 | 1,028.8 |
| 207 | Oliver County | North Dakota | 1,898 | 2.6 | 722.4 |
| 208 | Graham County | Kansas | 2,371 | 2.6 | 898.5 |
| 209 | Renville County | North Dakota | 2,331 | 2.7 | 877.2 |
| 210 | Grand County | Utah | 9,790 | 2.7 | 3,672.9 |
| 211 | Beaver County | Oklahoma | 4,882 | 2.7 | 1,814.8 |
| 212 | Reagan County | Texas | 3,166 | 2.7 | 1,175.3 |
| 213 | Collingsworth County | Texas | 2,487 | 2.7 | 918.4 |
| 214 | Sheridan County | Kansas | 2,427 | 2.7 | 896 |
| 215 | Toole County | Montana | 5,211 | 2.7 | 1,914.9 |
| 216 | Frontier County | Nebraska | 2,655 | 2.7 | 974.7 |
| 217 | Fergus County | Montana | 11,825 | 2.7 | 4,339.3 |
| 218 | Sierra County | New Mexico | 11,395 | 2.7 | 4,181.2 |
| 219 | McHenry County | North Dakota | 5,130 | 2.7 | 1,873.9 |
| 220 | Crook County | Wyoming | 7,852 | 2.8 | 2,854.5 |
| 221 | Potter County | South Dakota | 2,377 | 2.8 | 861.1 |
| 222 | Moffat County | Colorado | 13,122 | 2.8 | 4,743.3 |
| 223 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Alaska | 13,549 | 2.8 | 4,857.1 |
| 224 | Bennett County | South Dakota | 3,307 | 2.8 | 1,184.6 |
| 225 | Madison County | Montana | 10,026 | 2.8 | 3,588.2 |
| 226 | Wichita County | Kansas | 2,031 | 2.8 | 718.6 |
| 227 | Beaver County | Utah | 7,301 | 2.8 | 2,582.9 |
| 228 | Weston County | Wyoming | 6,840 | 2.9 | 2,398 |
| 229 | Roger Mills County | Oklahoma | 3,259 | 2.9 | 1,141.1 |
| 230 | Teton County | Montana | 6,496 | 2.9 | 2,271.6 |
| 231 | Sitka City and Borough | Alaska | 8,319 | 2.9 | 2,870.3 |
| 232 | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota | 3,770 | 2.9 | 1,297.7 |
| 233 | Hamilton County | New York | 5,006 | 2.9 | 1,717.4 |
| 234 | Stanton County | Kansas | 1,986 | 2.9 | 680.4 |
| 235 | Ellis County | Oklahoma | 3,613 | 2.9 | 1,231.5 |
| 236 | Wells County | North Dakota | 3,729 | 2.9 | 1,270.5 |
| 237 | Quay County | New Mexico | 8,454 | 2.9 | 2,874 |
| 238 | Musselshell County | Montana | 5,582 | 3 | 1,869 |
| 239 | Costilla County | Colorado | 3,679 | 3 | 1,227.6 |
| 240 | Garfield County | Nebraska | 1,710 | 3 | 569.4 |
| 241 | Sherman County | Texas | 2,781 | 3 | 922.9 |
| 242 | Las Animas County | Colorado | 14,391 | 3 | 4,772.9 |
| 243 | Nelson County | North Dakota | 2,963 | 3 | 981.8 |
| 244 | Decatur County | Kansas | 2,716 | 3 | 893.5 |
| 245 | Harper County | Oklahoma | 3,172 | 3.1 | 1,038.6 |
| 246 | Pecos County | Texas | 14,560 | 3.1 | 4,763.8 |
| 247 | Issaquena County | Mississippi | 1,263 | 3.1 | 413 |
| 248 | Powell County | Montana | 7,157 | 3.1 | 2,326 |
| 249 | Trego County | Kansas | 2,740 | 3.1 | 889.5 |
| 250 | Morrill County | Nebraska | 4,404 | 3.1 | 1,423.7 |
| 251 | Hall County | Texas | 2,737 | 3.1 | 883.5 |
| 252 | Boyd County | Nebraska | 1,674 | 3.1 | 539.4 |
| 253 | Jewell County | Kansas | 2,830 | 3.1 | 910 |
| 254 | Jerauld County | South Dakota | 1,654 | 3.1 | 526.1 |
| 255 | Nye County | Nevada | 57,336 | 3.2 | 18,181.9 |
| 256 | Griggs County | North Dakota | 2,239 | 3.2 | 708.7 |
| 257 | Lipscomb County | Texas | 2,955 | 3.2 | 932.2 |
| 258 | Custer County | Montana | 12,034 | 3.2 | 3,783.3 |
| 259 | Elko County | Nevada | 54,815 | 3.2 | 17,173.3 |
| 260 | Perkins County | Nebraska | 2,849 | 3.2 | 883.3 |
| 261 | Colfax County | New Mexico | 12,184 | 3.2 | 3,758 |
| 262 | Converse County | Wyoming | 13,824 | 3.2 | 4,255 |
| 263 | Sierra County | California | 3,098 | 3.3 | 953.2 |
| 264 | Malheur County | Oregon | 32,261 | 3.3 | 9,887.7 |
| 265 | Kit Carson County | Colorado | 7,069 | 3.3 | 2,160.8 |
| 266 | Cochran County | Texas | 2,546 | 3.3 | 775.1 |
| 267 | Chase County | Kansas | 2,572 | 3.3 | 773.1 |
| 268 | Sioux County | North Dakota | 3,667 | 3.4 | 1,094.1 |
| 269 | Hartley County | Texas | 4,904 | 3.4 | 1,462 |
| 270 | Kiowa County | Kansas | 2,432 | 3.4 | 722.6 |
| 271 | Morton County | Kansas | 2,470 | 3.4 | 729.7 |
| 272 | Washakie County | Wyoming | 7,597 | 3.4 | 2,238.7 |
| 273 | Garfield County | Washington | 2,416 | 3.4 | 710.8 |
| 274 | Hemphill County | Texas | 3,083 | 3.4 | 906.3 |
| 275 | Ferry County | Washington | 7,517 | 3.4 | 2,203.2 |
| 276 | Donley County | Texas | 3,213 | 3.5 | 927 |
| 277 | Hitchcock County | Nebraska | 2,467 | 3.5 | 710 |
| 278 | Shackelford County | Texas | 3,197 | 3.5 | 914.3 |
| 279 | Valley County | Idaho | 12,831 | 3.5 | 3,665.1 |
| 280 | Tripp County | South Dakota | 5,708 | 3.5 | 1,612.3 |
| 281 | Kimble County | Texas | 4,438 | 3.5 | 1,251 |
| 282 | Kimball County | Nebraska | 3,391 | 3.6 | 951.9 |
| 283 | Edmunds County | South Dakota | 4,022 | 3.6 | 1,126 |
| 284 | Barber County | Kansas | 4,083 | 3.6 | 1,134.1 |
| 285 | LaMoure County | North Dakota | 4,135 | 3.6 | 1,146 |
| 286 | Cameron Parish | Louisiana | 4,718 | 3.7 | 1,290.7 |
| 287 | Dawson County | Montana | 8,692 | 3.7 | 2,371.9 |
| 288 | Concho County | Texas | 3,607 | 3.7 | 983.8 |
| 289 | Kittson County | Minnesota | 4,031 | 3.7 | 1,099 |
| 290 | Adams County | Idaho | 5,013 | 3.7 | 1,362.8 |
| 291 | Osborne County | Kansas | 3,285 | 3.7 | 892.5 |
| 292 | Eddy County | North Dakota | 2,329 | 3.7 | 630.2 |
| 293 | La Paz County | Arizona | 16,711 | 3.7 | 4,496.6 |
| 294 | Clearwater County | Idaho | 9,118 | 3.7 | 2,453.4 |
| 295 | Koochiching County | Minnesota | 11,587 | 3.7 | 3,104.7 |
| 296 | Pondera County | Montana | 6,072 | 3.7 | 1,624.6 |
| 297 | Coke County | Texas | 3,412 | 3.7 | 911.6 |
| 298 | Knox County | Texas | 3,192 | 3.8 | 850.6 |
| 299 | Bottineau County | North Dakota | 6,284 | 3.8 | 1,668.9 |
| 300 | Pierce County | North Dakota | 3,838 | 3.8 | 1,018.3 |
Read the differences behind ranks 201–300
The median density among these 100 entries is 3.1 people per mi². The first and last entries span 1.3 people per square mile. This median describes the entries on this page, not the full national dataset. Pagination is a browsing boundary, not a distinct geographic region.
Adjacent ranks can differ by a handful of residents or by many thousands. Open a county profile for its population trend since 2020, land area, and state comparisons.
Where the entries on this page are located
- Texas16 entries · 16% of this page
- Kansas13 entries · 13% of this page
- North Dakota13 entries · 13% of this page
- Montana10 entries · 10% of this page
- Nebraska7 entries · 7% of this page
- South Dakota5 entries · 5% of this page
The remaining 16 jurisdictions contribute 36 entries. The list above shows the six most represented, with alphabetical ordering when counts tie.
These counts describe representation in this slice of the ranking. They do not measure a state’s share of national land or population. Compare the first and last county equivalents on this page to inspect land, water, and total area separately.
Read the geographic explanation behind this ranking, or return to the ranking overview for the national distribution and guidance on selecting a measurement.
Population rankings use Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates; density rankings divide them by original ALAND square meters. Land rankings use original ALAND square meters; total-area rankings use ALAND + AWATER. Exact ties use ascending GEOID. Displayed square-mile values are rounded. Read the methodology.