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Most densely populated counties

Population per square mile of land, using the latest Census Bureau estimate and Gazetteer land area. Small urban counties and independent cities lead because a large population shares little land.

Ranks 2001–2100

Vintage 2025 population estimates · 2026 Gazetteer land area · 3,222 county equivalents · page 21 of 33

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What this part of the ranking shows

This page runs from Southampton County, Virginia at 30 people per mi² to Jefferson County, Florida at 27 people per mi². The 100 entries represent 28 state-level jurisdictions. Arkansas has the most entries on this page (10, tied for the lead).

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.

Most densely populated counties, ranks 2001 through 2100. Population is the July 1, 2025 estimate; density is per square mile of land.
RankCounty / equivalentStatePopulationPer mi²Land mi²
2001Southampton CountyVirginia18,11030599.2
2002Fulton CountyKentucky6,21830205.9
2003Clark CountyIllinois15,11430501.4
2004Gates CountyNorth Carolina10,23430340.6
2005Sharp CountyArkansas18,12230604.6
2006Warren CountyIllinois16,22230542.4
2007Morehouse ParishLouisiana23,70530795
2008Macon CountyAlabama18,13230608.7
2009Plymouth CountyIowa25,69730862.8
2010Lee CountyTexas18,72930629.1
2011Floyd CountyIowa14,90130500.6
2012Allen ParishLouisiana22,67230762.1
2013Grant CountyArkansas18,75630631.9
2014Marshall CountyIllinois11,47330386.8
2015Ouachita CountyArkansas21,73130732.7
2016Poinsett CountyArkansas22,48330758.3
2017Fairfield CountySouth Carolina20,34030686.3
2018Buckingham CountyVirginia17,13730579.6
2019Teton CountyIdaho13,25430449.1
2020Burke CountyGeorgia24,40830827
2021Cumberland CountyIllinois10,20830345.9
2022Marion CountyArkansas17,59329596.6
2023Butler CountyKentucky12,52029426.1
2024Pemiscot CountyMissouri14,46529492.6
2025Martin CountyIndiana9,85629335.8
2026Macon CountyGeorgia11,75629400.7
2027Benton CountyMissouri20,53629704
2028Mississippi CountyMissouri12,00329411.6
2029Franklin CountyArkansas17,72529609
2030Richland CountyWisconsin17,03629586.2
2031Oxford CountyMaine60,346292,077
2032Fayette CountyIllinois20,79029716.5
2033Clark CountyWisconsin35,052291,209.7
2034Randolph CountyArkansas18,87629651.9
2035Bandera CountyTexas22,87629791
2036Hardin CountyIowa16,45529569.3
2037Wright CountyMissouri19,67129681.8
2038Finney CountyKansas37,505291,302
2039Gulf CountyFlorida15,94329553.5
2040Natchitoches ParishLouisiana36,089291,253
2041Winston CountyMississippi17,47329607.3
2042Pulaski CountyIndiana12,46329433.7
2043Washington CountyGeorgia19,45329678.5
2044Winneshiek CountyIowa19,73329689.8
2045Columbia CountyArkansas21,89429766.1
2046Clay CountyIowa16,20229567.2
2047Franklin CountyNew York46,500291,629.3
2048Monroe CountyOhio12,99429455.6
2049Plaquemines ParishLouisiana22,25629780.6
2050Cleburne CountyAlabama15,97029560.1
2051Jefferson CountyGeorgia15,01129526.6
2052Custer CountyOklahoma28,17528988.8
2053Gasconade CountyMissouri14,78428519
2054McCormick CountySouth Carolina10,21528358.9
2055Dooly CountyGeorgia11,15628392.6
2056Panola CountyTexas23,01828811.4
2057Wolfe CountyKentucky6,29828222.2
2058Livingston CountyKentucky8,86328313
2059Pawnee CountyOklahoma16,02928568.3
2060Delta CountyColorado32,178281,142.1
2061Iowa CountyIowa16,50428586.5
2062Graham CountyNorth Carolina8,19028292
2063Chelan CountyWashington81,941282,921.2
2064Sevier CountyArkansas15,75828563.6
2065Lunenburg CountyVirginia12,05828431.7
2066Rappahannock CountyVirginia7,43928266.4
2067Union CountyIowa11,82928423.6
2068Crawford CountyWisconsin15,91028570.8
2069Barbour CountyAlabama24,60728885
2070McIntosh CountyGeorgia11,98928431.3
2071Jackson ParishLouisiana15,83428569.7
2072Page CountyIowa14,85628534.9
2073Brunswick CountyVirginia15,72728566.4
2074Vilas CountyWisconsin23,76128857.7
2075Lawrence CountyArkansas16,27328587.5
2076Barton CountyKansas24,79028895.3
2077Livingston CountyMissouri14,70828532.3
2078Lafayette CountyWisconsin17,47828633.6
2079Todd CountyMinnesota26,06028945.1
2080Hamilton CountyFlorida14,18028514.3
2081Roane CountyWest Virginia13,31728483.6
2082Schley CountyGeorgia4,59328166.9
2083Lawrence CountyMississippi11,81927430.6
2084Neosho CountyKansas15,63727571.5
2085Clay CountyIllinois12,79327468.4
2086Martin CountyMinnesota19,44027712.3
2087Ford CountyIllinois13,21627485.6
2088Mercer CountyIllinois15,22927561.2
2089Shelby CountyIllinois20,57627758.5
2090Missaukee CountyMichigan15,27427564.8
2091Becker CountyMinnesota35,497271,315
2092Gillespie CountyTexas28,527271,058.2
2093Madison CountyFlorida18,75927696.5
2094Otoe CountyNebraska16,53127615.6
2095Wadena CountyMinnesota14,38827536.3
2096Fayette CountyTexas25,45927949.9
2097Jefferson Davis CountyMississippi10,94127408.4
2098Pike CountyMissouri17,95527670.4
2099White CountyIllinois13,25027495
2100Jefferson CountyFlorida16,00727598.1

Read the differences behind ranks 2001–2100

The median density among these 100 entries is 29 people per mi². The first and last entries span 3.5 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

  • Arkansas10 entries · 10% of this page
  • Illinois10 entries · 10% of this page
  • Iowa8 entries · 8% of this page
  • Georgia7 entries · 7% of this page
  • Missouri7 entries · 7% of this page
  • Louisiana5 entries · 5% of this page

The remaining 22 jurisdictions contribute 53 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.