Data / Rankings / Population density / Counties in California

Counties in California by population density

San Francisco County had the highest population density of 58 counties in 2022, at 6,726 inhabitants per km². Alpine County had the lowest, at 0.6 inhabitants per km². The median was 43 inhabitants per km² and the figure for California was 96.9 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest6,726San Francisco County
Lowest0.6Alpine County
Median4358 counties
California96.9History

All counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 6,726 inhabitants per km²6,726Orange CountyOrange County: 1,536.3 inhabitants per km²1,536.3Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 927 inhabitants per km²927Alameda CountyAlameda County: 855 inhabitants per km²855Sacramento CountySacramento County: 635.4 inhabitants per km²635.4San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 630.2 inhabitants per km²630.2Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 624.8 inhabitants per km²624.8Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 562.3 inhabitants per km²562.3San Diego CountySan Diego County: 300.7 inhabitants per km²300.7Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 230.6 inhabitants per km²230.6San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 220.6 inhabitants per km²220.6Solano CountySolano County: 211.4 inhabitants per km²211.4Marin CountyMarin County: 190.8 inhabitants per km²190.8Ventura CountyVentura County: 175.1 inhabitants per km²175.1Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 142.6 inhabitants per km²142.6Riverside CountyRiverside County: 132.8 inhabitants per km²132.8Sonoma CountySonoma County: 118.4 inhabitants per km²118.4Placer CountyPlacer County: 114.8 inhabitants per km²114.8Yolo CountyYolo County: 84.9 inhabitants per km²84.9Napa CountyNapa County: 69.1 inhabitants per km²69.1Fresno CountyFresno County: 66 inhabitants per km²66Sutter CountySutter County: 63.2 inhabitants per km²63.2Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 62.9 inhabitants per km²62.9Merced CountyMerced County: 58.1 inhabitants per km²58.1Yuba CountyYuba County: 51.5 inhabitants per km²51.5Monterey CountyMonterey County: 51.3 inhabitants per km²51.3Butte CountyButte County: 48.9 inhabitants per km²48.9El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 43.6 inhabitants per km²43.6Kern CountyKern County: 43.5 inhabitants per km²43.5Kings CountyKings County: 42.4 inhabitants per km²42.4San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 42.3 inhabitants per km²42.3Nevada CountyNevada County: 41.3 inhabitants per km²41.3Tulare CountyTulare County: 38.3 inhabitants per km²38.3San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 33.1 inhabitants per km²33.1Madera CountyMadera County: 29 inhabitants per km²29Amador CountyAmador County: 26.9 inhabitants per km²26.9Lake CountyLake County: 21 inhabitants per km²21San Benito CountySan Benito County: 18.8 inhabitants per km²18.8Shasta CountyShasta County: 18.5 inhabitants per km²18.5Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 17.6 inhabitants per km²17.6Imperial CountyImperial County: 16.6 inhabitants per km²16.6Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 14.6 inhabitants per km²14.6Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 10.2 inhabitants per km²10.2Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 9.9 inhabitants per km²9.9Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 9.4 inhabitants per km²9.4Tehama CountyTehama County: 8.6 inhabitants per km²8.6Glenn CountyGlenn County: 8.3 inhabitants per km²8.3Colusa CountyColusa County: 7.4 inhabitants per km²7.4Mariposa CountyMariposa County: 4.5 inhabitants per km²4.5Plumas CountyPlumas County: 2.9 inhabitants per km²2.9Siskiyou CountySiskiyou County: 2.7 inhabitants per km²2.7Lassen CountyLassen County: 2.6 inhabitants per km²2.6Trinity CountyTrinity County: 1.9 inhabitants per km²1.9Mono CountyMono County: 1.6 inhabitants per km²1.6Sierra CountySierra County: 1.3 inhabitants per km²1.3Modoc CountyModoc County: 0.8 inhabitants per km²0.8Inyo CountyInyo County: 0.7 inhabitants per km²0.7Alpine CountyAlpine County: 0.6 inhabitants per km²0.6
inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2021
1San Francisco County6,726-0.4%
2Orange County1,536.3-0.1%
3Los Angeles County927-0.6%
4Alameda County855-0.7%
5Sacramento County635.4-0%
6San Mateo County630.2-1%
7Contra Costa County624.8-0.4%
8Santa Clara County562.3-0.1%
9San Diego County300.7+0.2%
10Santa Cruz County230.6+1.8%
11San Joaquin County220.6+0.9%
12Solano County211.4-0.3%
13Marin County190.8-0.9%
14Ventura County175.1-0.6%
15Stanislaus County142.6-0.1%
16Riverside County132.8+1%
17Sonoma County118.4-0.3%
18Placer County114.8+1.3%
19Yolo County84.9+4.4%
20Napa County69.1-1.3%
21Fresno County66+0.5%
22Sutter County63.2-0.6%
23Santa Barbara County62.9+1.8%
24Merced County58.1+1.4%
25Yuba County51.5+1.5%
26Monterey County51.3-0.7%
27Butte County48.9+0.5%
28El Dorado County43.6-0.4%
29Kern County43.5+0.5%
30Kings County42.4-0%
31San Bernardino County42.3+0.3%
32Nevada County41.3-1.1%
33Tulare County38.3+0.2%
34San Luis Obispo County33.1+1%
35Madera County29+0.9%
36Amador County26.9+0.6%
37Lake County21-0.6%
38San Benito County18.8+1.5%
39Shasta County18.5-0.8%
40Calaveras County17.6+0.6%
41Imperial County16.6+0.3%
42Humboldt County14.6-0.1%
43Del Norte County10.2-3.1%
44Mendocino County9.9-1.3%
45Tuolumne County9.4-2.1%
46Tehama County8.6-0.3%
47Glenn County8.3-1.1%
48Colusa County7.4-0.1%
49Mariposa County4.5-0.4%
50Plumas County2.9-2.9%
51Siskiyou County2.7-1%
52Lassen County2.6-5.3%
53Trinity County1.9-1.8%
54Mono County1.6-2.1%
55Sierra County1.3-2.7%
56Modoc County0.8-0.2%
57Inyo County0.7-1.1%
58Alpine County0.6-3.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population divided by land area in km². World Bank figures use mid-year population and land area excluding inland water.

United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July divided by land area (water excluded) from the latest Census Gazetteer files. US tables often give people per square mile; multiply persons per km² by 2.59 to compare.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Rank Counties in California by population density using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"population_density","level":"province","within":"California","limit":10}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/rank?indicator=population_density&level=province&within=California&limit=10

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

San Francisco County, with 6,726 inhabitants per km² in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Alpine County, with 0.6 inhabitants per km² in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program resident population on 1 July divided by land area from the latest Census Gazetteer files, persons per km². Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Population density: other rankings

Counties in California: more rankings