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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 501–600

Vintage 2025 population estimates · 2026 Gazetteer land area · 3,222 county equivalents · page 6 of 33

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What this part of the ranking shows

This page runs from Mitchell County, Kansas at 8 people per mi² to Carter County, Missouri at 11 people per mi². The 100 entries represent 30 state-level jurisdictions. Texas has the most entries on this page (15).

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.

Least densely populated counties, ranks 501 through 600. Population is the July 1, 2025 estimate; density is per square mile of land.
RankCounty / equivalentStatePopulationPer mi²Land mi²
501Mitchell CountyKansas5,5908701.8
502Cheyenne CountyNebraska9,52881,196
503Baker CountyGeorgia2,7258342
504Ottawa CountyKansas5,7448720.7
505Washington CountyIdaho11,58381,452.9
506Jefferson CountyMontana13,32981,657
507Kiowa CountyOklahoma8,1818.11,015.1
508Iron CountyWisconsin6,1278.1758.2
509Pocahontas CountyWest Virginia7,6028.1940.2
510Mercer CountyNorth Dakota8,4418.11,042.8
511Kingman CountyKansas7,0298.1863.4
512Castro CountyTexas7,2958.2894.4
513Park CountyColorado18,3148.32,193.5
514Pendleton CountyWest Virginia5,8268.4696.1
515Wilkin CountyMinnesota6,2888.4751
516Clinch CountyGeorgia6,8478.4815
517Greer CountyOklahoma5,3738.4639.3
518Bailey CountyTexas6,9638.4827
519Thayer CountyNebraska4,8428.4573.8
520Goliad CountyTexas7,2088.5852
521Charles Mix CountySouth Dakota9,3038.51,097.1
522Uintah CountyUtah38,2788.54,482.9
523Taliaferro CountyGeorgia1,6628.5194.6
524Adams CountyIowa3,6178.5423.4
525Newton CountyArkansas7,0268.6821.1
526Luna CountyNew Mexico25,4078.62,965.2
527Cotton CountyOklahoma5,4328.6632.6
528Okanogan CountyWashington45,2308.65,266.2
529Refugio CountyTexas6,6578.6770.5
530Clearwater CountyMinnesota8,6478.7999
531Ringgold CountyIowa4,6428.7535.5
532Graham CountyArizona40,1578.74,621.9
533Ellsworth CountyKansas6,2578.7715.6
534Lac qui Parle CountyMinnesota6,7048.8765
535Echols CountyGeorgia3,6858.8420.4
536Putnam CountyMissouri4,5468.8517.3
537Wabaunsee CountyKansas7,0188.8794.3
538Meade CountySouth Dakota30,7118.83,470.9
539Sullivan CountyMissouri5,7388.9648
540Aitkin CountyMinnesota16,2528.91,821.3
541Grand CountyColorado16,4968.91,846.6
542Winkler CountyTexas7,5409841.3
543Dallas CountyArkansas6,0119667.3
544Albany CountyWyoming38,55894,274.2
545Tyrrell CountyNorth Carolina3,5379.1390.8
546Holt CountyMissouri4,2009.1462.7
547Baraga CountyMichigan8,1699.1898.4
548Red Lake CountyMinnesota3,9409.1432.4
549Hutchinson CountySouth Dakota7,4139.1813
550Roseau CountyMinnesota15,2469.11,671.7
551Essex CountyVermont6,0519.1662.4
552Blaine CountyOklahoma8,5159.2928.5
553Traill CountyNorth Dakota7,9209.2861.9
554Runnels CountyTexas9,6939.21,051.1
555Mahnomen CountyMinnesota5,1539.2557.9
556Crook CountyOregon27,5649.32,978.9
557Yoakum CountyTexas7,4389.3799.7
558Roberts CountySouth Dakota10,2559.31,101.1
559Forest CountyWisconsin9,5749.41,014.3
560Alger CountyMichigan8,6419.4915
561Atchison CountyMissouri5,1759.5547.3
562Fillmore CountyNebraska5,4589.5575.4
563Childress CountyTexas6,6439.5696.5
564Elmore CountyIdaho29,4659.63,075.1
565Liberty CountyFlorida8,0359.6835.6
566Stutsman CountyNorth Dakota21,4149.62,221.9
567Blaine CountyIdaho25,5179.72,637.7
568Ramsey CountyNorth Dakota11,5309.71,185.4
569Florence CountyWisconsin4,7489.7488
570Ouray CountyColorado5,2659.7540.7
571Woodruff CountyArkansas5,7109.7586
572Box Butte CountyNebraska10,4949.81,075.2
573Mitchell CountyTexas8,9479.8911.1
574Chariton CountyMissouri7,3779.8751.2
575Clay CountyTexas10,7649.91,088.8
576Pope CountyIllinois3,67210368.9
577Texas CountyOklahoma20,322102,041.3
578Uinta CountyWyoming20,728102,081.7
579Aroostook CountyMaine66,609106,671.2
580Campbell CountyWyoming48,145104,802.1
581Iron CountyMichigan11,757101,166.1
582Stewart CountyGeorgia4,63110458.8
583Archer CountyTexas9,12910903.3
584Ochiltree CountyTexas9,28410917.7
585Big Stone CountyMinnesota5,05410499.1
586Monroe CountyArkansas6,24410607.5
587Cassia CountyIdaho26,397102,565.6
588Perry CountyAlabama7,42510719.7
589Pend Oreille CountyWashington14,457101,400.2
590Hamilton CountyTexas8,68010835.9
591McCook CountySouth Dakota5,96410574.2
592Lincoln CountyMinnesota5,58310536.8
593Chaves CountyNew Mexico63,364106,067.2
594Stephens CountyTexas9,38010896.7
595Jack CountyTexas9,56310911
596Coal CountyOklahoma5,43611516.8
597Archuleta CountyColorado14,306111,350.1
598Cameron CountyPennsylvania4,21111396.1
599Otero CountyNew Mexico70,368116,612.6
600Carter CountyMissouri5,41811507.3

Read the differences behind ranks 501–600

The median density among these 100 entries is 9.1 people per mi². The first and last entries span 2.7 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

  • Texas15 entries · 15% of this page
  • Minnesota9 entries · 9% of this page
  • Missouri6 entries · 6% of this page
  • Oklahoma6 entries · 6% of this page
  • Georgia5 entries · 5% of this page
  • Kansas5 entries · 5% of this page

The remaining 24 jurisdictions contribute 54 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.

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Browse by state for a complete state ranking.

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.