US states by population density

Name: US states by population density, 2023
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 2023, at 4,311.3 inhabitants per km². Alaska had the lowest, at 0.5 inhabitants per km². The median was 42.3 inhabitants per km² and the figure for the United States was 36.8 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,311.3District of Columbia

Lowest0.5Alaska

Median42.351 states

United States36.8History

All states, 2023

CSV Chart (SVG)

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

Full ranking

Rank	States	2023 inhabitants per km²	Change on 2022
1	District of Columbia	4,311.3	+1.2%
2	New Jersey	493.2	+1%
3	Rhode Island	411.2	+0.3%
4	Massachusetts	350.1	+0.7%
5	Connecticut	290.3	+0.6%
6	Maryland	246.7	+0.4%
7	Delaware	205.2	+1.5%
8	Florida	165	+2.3%
9	New York	162.1	+0.4%
10	Pennsylvania	112.3	+0.2%
11	Ohio	111.6	+0.4%
12	California	97.1	+0.1%
13	Illinois	87.9	+0.2%
14	North Carolina	86.3	+1.6%
15	Hawaii	86.3	-0.2%
16	Virginia	85.4	+0.6%
17	Indiana	74.2	+0.6%
18	Georgia	74	+1.2%
19	South Carolina	69.2	+1.9%
20	Michigan	68.6	+0.2%
21	Tennessee	67	+1.3%
22	New Hampshire	60.4	+0.4%
23	Washington	45.5	+0.7%
24	Texas	45.4	+2%
25	Kentucky	44.5	+0.6%
26	Wisconsin	42.3	+0.5%
27	Louisiana	41.1	-0%
28	Alabama	39	+0.8%
29	Missouri	34.9	+0.4%
30	West Virginia	28.4	-0.2%
31	Minnesota	27.9	+0.4%
32	Vermont	27.1	0%
33	Arizona	25.3	+1.1%
34	Mississippi	24.2	0%
35	Oklahoma	22.9	+0.9%
36	Arkansas	22.8	+0.7%
37	Iowa	22.2	+0.4%
38	Colorado	22	+1%
39	Maine	17.5	+0.7%
40	Oregon	17.1	+0.1%
41	Utah	16.1	+1.6%
42	Kansas	13.9	+0.4%
43	Nevada	11.3	+1%
44	Nebraska	10	+0.8%
45	Idaho	9.2	+1.4%
46	New Mexico	6.7	+0.3%
47	South Dakota	4.7	+1%
48	North Dakota	4.4	+0.9%
49	Montana	3	+0.8%
50	Wyoming	2.3	+0.5%
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 4,311.3 inhabitants per km² in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population density?

Alaska, with 0.5 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.