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 2023, at 6,756.3 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 97.1 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest6,756.3San Francisco County
Lowest0.6Alpine County
Median4358 counties
California97.1History

All counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 6,756.3 inhabitants per km²6,756.3Orange CountyOrange County: 1,532.9 inhabitants per km²1,532.9Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 925.5 inhabitants per km²925.5Alameda CountyAlameda County: 855 inhabitants per km²855Sacramento CountySacramento County: 638.6 inhabitants per km²638.6San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 631.7 inhabitants per km²631.7Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 625.8 inhabitants per km²625.8Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 565.3 inhabitants per km²565.3San Diego CountySan Diego County: 300.7 inhabitants per km²300.7Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 228.4 inhabitants per km²228.4San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 223.5 inhabitants per km²223.5Solano CountySolano County: 212.1 inhabitants per km²212.1Marin CountyMarin County: 189.6 inhabitants per km²189.6Ventura CountyVentura County: 174.5 inhabitants per km²174.5Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 143.1 inhabitants per km²143.1Riverside CountyRiverside County: 134.1 inhabitants per km²134.1Sonoma CountySonoma County: 118.5 inhabitants per km²118.5Placer CountyPlacer County: 116.6 inhabitants per km²116.6Yolo CountyYolo County: 84.6 inhabitants per km²84.6Napa CountyNapa County: 68.6 inhabitants per km²68.6Fresno CountyFresno County: 66.4 inhabitants per km²66.4Sutter CountySutter County: 63.2 inhabitants per km²63.2Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 62.5 inhabitants per km²62.5Merced CountyMerced County: 58.6 inhabitants per km²58.6Yuba CountyYuba County: 52.4 inhabitants per km²52.4Monterey CountyMonterey County: 51.1 inhabitants per km²51.1Butte CountyButte County: 48.9 inhabitants per km²48.9Kern CountyKern County: 43.6 inhabitants per km²43.6El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 43.4 inhabitants per km²43.4Kings CountyKings County: 42.5 inhabitants per km²42.5San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 42.4 inhabitants per km²42.4Nevada CountyNevada County: 41.1 inhabitants per km²41.1Tulare CountyTulare County: 38.5 inhabitants per km²38.5San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 33 inhabitants per km²33Madera CountyMadera County: 29.6 inhabitants per km²29.6Amador CountyAmador County: 27.1 inhabitants per km²27.1Lake CountyLake County: 20.9 inhabitants per km²20.9San Benito CountySan Benito County: 19 inhabitants per km²19Shasta CountyShasta County: 18.5 inhabitants per km²18.5Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 17.6 inhabitants per km²17.6Imperial CountyImperial County: 16.7 inhabitants per km²16.7Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 14.5 inhabitants per km²14.5Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 10.2 inhabitants per km²10.2Mendocino CountyMendocino County: 9.8 inhabitants per km²9.8Tuolumne CountyTuolumne County: 9.4 inhabitants per km²9.4Tehama CountyTehama County: 8.5 inhabitants per km²8.5Glenn 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: 2.6 inhabitants per km²2.6Lassen CountyLassen County: 2.4 inhabitants per km²2.4Trinity CountyTrinity County: 1.9 inhabitants per km²1.9Mono CountyMono County: 1.7 inhabitants per km²1.7Sierra 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

RankCounties2023
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2022
1San Francisco County6,756.3+0.5%
2Orange County1,532.9-0.2%
3Los Angeles County925.5-0.2%
4Alameda County855-0%
5Sacramento County638.6+0.5%
6San Mateo County631.7+0.2%
7Contra Costa County625.8+0.2%
8Santa Clara County565.3+0.5%
9San Diego County300.70%
10Santa Cruz County228.4-0.9%
11San Joaquin County223.5+1.3%
12Solano County212.1+0.3%
13Marin County189.6-0.6%
14Ventura County174.5-0.3%
15Stanislaus County143.1+0.4%
16Riverside County134.1+1%
17Sonoma County118.50%
18Placer County116.6+1.6%
19Yolo County84.6-0.4%
20Napa County68.6-0.6%
21Fresno County66.4+0.7%
22Sutter County63.20%
23Santa Barbara County62.5-0.6%
24Merced County58.6+0.9%
25Yuba County52.4+1.6%
26Monterey County51.1-0.4%
27Butte County48.9-0%
28Kern County43.6+0.1%
29El Dorado County43.4-0.4%
30Kings County42.5+0.3%
31San Bernardino County42.4+0.3%
32Nevada County41.1-0.3%
33Tulare County38.5+0.6%
34San Luis Obispo County33-0.2%
35Madera County29.6+2%
36Amador County27.1+0.8%
37Lake County20.9-0.4%
38San Benito County19+0.9%
39Shasta County18.5-0.1%
40Calaveras County17.60%
41Imperial County16.7+0.7%
42Humboldt County14.5-0.8%
43Del Norte County10.2-0.7%
44Mendocino County9.8-0.8%
45Tuolumne County9.4+0.3%
46Tehama County8.5-0.4%
47Glenn County8.3-0.7%
48Colusa County7.4+0.6%
49Mariposa County4.5-0.8%
50Plumas County2.9-1.6%
51Siskiyou County2.6-1.7%
52Lassen County2.4-5.2%
53Trinity County1.9-0.8%
54Mono County1.7+0.8%
55Sierra County1.3-1.3%
56Modoc County0.8-0.7%
57Inyo County0.7-1.3%
58Alpine County0.6-3.8%

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.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

San Francisco County, with 6,756.3 inhabitants per km² in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Alpine County, with 0.6 inhabitants per km² in 2023.

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