US states by population density

Name: US states by population density, 2021
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: Public domain (US federal government work, citation requested)

District of Columbia had the highest population density of 51 states in 2021, at 4,229.7 inhabitants per km². Alaska had the lowest, at 0.5 inhabitants per km². The median was 41.9 inhabitants per km² and the figure for the United States was 36.3 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,229.7District of Columbia

Lowest0.5Alaska

Median41.951 states

United States36.3History

All states, 2021

CSV Chart (SVG)

inhabitants per km². Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-09.

Full ranking

Rank	States	2021 inhabitants per km²	Change on 2020
1	District of Columbia	4,229.7	-0.2%
2	New Jersey	486.4	-0%
3	Rhode Island	409.8	+0.1%
4	Massachusetts	346.3	+0.2%
5	Connecticut	287.7	+0.8%
6	Maryland	245.6	-0%
7	Delaware	199.2	+1.3%
8	New York	162.5	-1.4%
9	Florida	157.1	+1.1%
10	Pennsylvania	112.3	+0.2%
11	Ohio	111.1	-0.3%
12	California	97	-0.9%
13	Illinois	88.4	-0.7%
14	Hawaii	87	-0.3%
15	Virginia	84.7	+0.3%
16	North Carolina	83.9	+1.1%
17	Indiana	73.4	+0.4%
18	Georgia	72.2	+0.6%
19	Michigan	68.5	-0.3%
20	South Carolina	66.7	+1.2%
21	Tennessee	65.2	+0.6%
22	New Hampshire	59.8	+0.7%
23	Washington	45	+0.2%
24	Kentucky	44.1	0%
25	Texas	43.7	+1.1%
26	Wisconsin	41.9	-0.3%
27	Louisiana	41.3	-0.5%
28	Alabama	38.5	+0.3%
29	Missouri	34.7	+0.3%
30	West Virginia	28.7	-0.3%
31	Minnesota	27.7	+0.1%
32	Vermont	27.1	+0.7%
33	Arizona	24.7	+1.2%
34	Mississippi	24.3	-0.4%
35	Arkansas	22.5	+0.4%
36	Oklahoma	22.5	+0.7%
37	Iowa	22.1	+0.2%
38	Colorado	21.7	+0.5%
39	Maine	17.3	+1.1%
40	Oregon	17.1	+0.3%
41	Utah	15.6	+1.7%
42	Kansas	13.9	0%
43	Nevada	11.1	+1%
44	Nebraska	9.9	+0.1%
45	Idaho	8.9	+3%
46	New Mexico	6.7	-0%
47	South Dakota	4.6	+1%
48	North Dakota	4.4	-0.2%
49	Montana	2.9	+1.8%
50	Wyoming	2.3	+0.3%
51	Alaska	0.5	+0.2%

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 states 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 state has the highest population density?

District of Columbia, with 4,229.7 inhabitants per km² in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population density?

Alaska, with 0.5 inhabitants per km² in 2021.

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.