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 2024, at 6,789.5 inhabitants per km². Alpine County had the lowest, at 0.6 inhabitants per km². The median was 43.1 inhabitants per km² and the figure for California was 97.5 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest6,789.5San Francisco County
Lowest0.6Alpine County
Median43.158 counties
California97.5History

All counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

San Francisco CountySan Francisco County: 6,789.5 inhabitants per km²6,789.5Orange CountyOrange County: 1,537.1 inhabitants per km²1,537.1Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County: 927 inhabitants per km²927Alameda CountyAlameda County: 856.9 inhabitants per km²856.9Sacramento CountySacramento County: 643.9 inhabitants per km²643.9San Mateo CountySan Mateo County: 637.4 inhabitants per km²637.4Contra Costa CountyContra Costa County: 629.9 inhabitants per km²629.9Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County: 570.6 inhabitants per km²570.6San Diego CountySan Diego County: 301.4 inhabitants per km²301.4Santa Cruz CountySanta Cruz County: 226.8 inhabitants per km²226.8San Joaquin CountySan Joaquin County: 226.6 inhabitants per km²226.6Solano CountySolano County: 213.8 inhabitants per km²213.8Marin CountyMarin County: 189.8 inhabitants per km²189.8Ventura CountyVentura County: 174.8 inhabitants per km²174.8Stanislaus CountyStanislaus County: 143.8 inhabitants per km²143.8Riverside CountyRiverside County: 135.5 inhabitants per km²135.5Placer CountyPlacer County: 119.1 inhabitants per km²119.1Sonoma CountySonoma County: 119 inhabitants per km²119Yolo CountyYolo County: 85.1 inhabitants per km²85.1Napa CountyNapa County: 68.3 inhabitants per km²68.3Fresno CountyFresno County: 67 inhabitants per km²67Sutter CountySutter County: 63.4 inhabitants per km²63.4Santa Barbara CountySanta Barbara County: 62.6 inhabitants per km²62.6Merced CountyMerced County: 59.1 inhabitants per km²59.1Yuba CountyYuba County: 53.4 inhabitants per km²53.4Monterey CountyMonterey County: 51 inhabitants per km²51Butte CountyButte County: 49.2 inhabitants per km²49.2Kern CountyKern County: 43.9 inhabitants per km²43.9El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County: 43.5 inhabitants per km²43.5Kings CountyKings County: 42.8 inhabitants per km²42.8San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County: 42.7 inhabitants per km²42.7Nevada CountyNevada County: 41.2 inhabitants per km²41.2Tulare CountyTulare County: 38.7 inhabitants per km²38.7San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County: 33 inhabitants per km²33Madera CountyMadera County: 30 inhabitants per km²30Amador CountyAmador County: 27.3 inhabitants per km²27.3Lake CountyLake County: 20.9 inhabitants per km²20.9San Benito CountySan Benito County: 19.2 inhabitants per km²19.2Shasta CountyShasta County: 18.5 inhabitants per km²18.5Calaveras CountyCalaveras County: 17.6 inhabitants per km²17.6Imperial CountyImperial County: 16.9 inhabitants per km²16.9Humboldt CountyHumboldt County: 14.3 inhabitants per km²14.3Del Norte CountyDel Norte County: 10.3 inhabitants per km²10.3Mendocino 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: 2.8 inhabitants per km²2.8Siskiyou 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: 1.6 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

RankCounties2024
inhabitants per km²		Change on 2023
1San Francisco County6,789.5+0.5%
2Orange County1,537.1+0.3%
3Los Angeles County927+0.2%
4Alameda County856.9+0.2%
5Sacramento County643.9+0.8%
6San Mateo County637.4+0.9%
7Contra Costa County629.9+0.7%
8Santa Clara County570.6+0.9%
9San Diego County301.4+0.2%
10Santa Cruz County226.8-0.7%
11San Joaquin County226.6+1.4%
12Solano County213.8+0.8%
13Marin County189.8+0.1%
14Ventura County174.8+0.2%
15Stanislaus County143.8+0.5%
16Riverside County135.5+1%
17Placer County119.1+2.1%
18Sonoma County119+0.4%
19Yolo County85.1+0.6%
20Napa County68.3-0.4%
21Fresno County67+0.8%
22Sutter County63.4+0.2%
23Santa Barbara County62.60%
24Merced County59.1+0.8%
25Yuba County53.4+2%
26Monterey County51-0.2%
27Butte County49.2+0.6%
28Kern County43.9+0.8%
29El Dorado County43.5+0.1%
30Kings County42.8+0.6%
31San Bernardino County42.7+0.7%
32Nevada County41.2+0.1%
33Tulare County38.7+0.6%
34San Luis Obispo County33-0%
35Madera County30+1.5%
36Amador County27.3+0.5%
37Lake County20.9-0.2%
38San Benito County19.2+1.2%
39Shasta County18.5+0.4%
40Calaveras County17.6-0.1%
41Imperial County16.9+1.2%
42Humboldt County14.3-1.2%
43Del Norte County10.3+1.7%
44Mendocino County9.8-0.5%
45Tuolumne County9.40%
46Tehama County8.5-0.4%
47Glenn County8.3+0.5%
48Colusa County7.4-0.2%
49Mariposa County4.5+0.1%
50Plumas County2.8-1.7%
51Siskiyou County2.6-0.8%
52Lassen County2.4-0.4%
53Trinity County1.9+0.1%
54Mono County1.6-3%
55Sierra County1.3-1.3%
56Modoc County0.80%
57Inyo County0.7-0.6%
58Alpine County0.6-1.7%

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.

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Questions

Which county has the highest population density?

San Francisco County, with 6,789.5 inhabitants per km² in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest population density?

Alpine County, with 0.6 inhabitants per km² in 2024.

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