US states by population density

Name: US states by population density, 2022
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 2022, at 4,260.4 inhabitants per km². Alaska had the lowest, at 0.5 inhabitants per km². The median was 42.1 inhabitants per km² and the figure for the United States was 36.5 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,260.4District of Columbia

Lowest0.5Alaska

Median42.151 states

United States36.5History

All states, 2022

CSV Chart (SVG)

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

Full ranking

Rank	States	2022 inhabitants per km²	Change on 2021
1	District of Columbia	4,260.4	+0.7%
2	New Jersey	488.1	+0.3%
3	Rhode Island	410.1	+0.1%
4	Massachusetts	347.7	+0.4%
5	Connecticut	288.5	+0.3%
6	Maryland	245.8	+0.1%
7	Delaware	202.2	+1.5%
8	New York	161.5	-0.6%
9	Florida	161.3	+2.6%
10	Pennsylvania	112.1	-0.2%
11	Ohio	111.2	0%
12	California	96.9	-0.1%
13	Illinois	87.7	-0.7%
14	Hawaii	86.4	-0.6%
15	North Carolina	85	+1.3%
16	Virginia	84.9	+0.2%
17	Indiana	73.7	+0.4%
18	Georgia	73.1	+1.3%
19	Michigan	68.5	0%
20	South Carolina	67.9	+1.8%
21	Tennessee	66.2	+1.4%
22	New Hampshire	60.2	+0.6%
23	Washington	45.2	+0.5%
24	Texas	44.5	+1.8%
25	Kentucky	44.2	+0.3%
26	Wisconsin	42.1	+0.4%
27	Louisiana	41.1	-0.6%
28	Alabama	38.7	+0.5%
29	Missouri	34.7	+0.1%
30	West Virginia	28.5	-0.7%
31	Minnesota	27.8	+0.2%
32	Vermont	27.1	+0.1%
33	Arizona	25	+1.3%
34	Mississippi	24.2	-0.2%
35	Oklahoma	22.7	+0.8%
36	Arkansas	22.6	+0.7%
37	Iowa	22.1	+0.1%
38	Colorado	21.8	+0.7%
39	Maine	17.4	+0.9%
40	Oregon	17.1	-0.2%
41	Utah	15.9	+1.6%
42	Kansas	13.9	-0%
43	Nevada	11.2	+0.9%
44	Nebraska	9.9	+0.4%
45	Idaho	9.1	+2%
46	New Mexico	6.7	-0.2%
47	South Dakota	4.6	+1.4%
48	North Dakota	4.4	+0.3%
49	Montana	3	+1.4%
50	Wyoming	2.3	+0.3%
51	Alaska	0.5	0%

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 4,260.4 inhabitants per km² in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population density?

Alaska, with 0.5 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.