US states by population density

Name: US states by population density, 2024
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 2024, at 4,366.6 inhabitants per km². Alaska had the lowest, at 0.5 inhabitants per km². The median was 42.5 inhabitants per km² and the figure for the United States was 37.2 inhabitants per km². Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest4,366.6District of Columbia

Lowest0.5Alaska

Median42.551 states

United States37.2History

All states, 2024

CSV Chart (SVG)

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

Full ranking

Rank	States	2024 inhabitants per km²	Change on 2023
1	District of Columbia	4,366.6	+1.3%
2	New Jersey	499	+1.2%
3	Rhode Island	414.7	+0.8%
4	Massachusetts	353.3	+0.9%
5	Connecticut	293	+0.9%
6	Maryland	248.3	+0.7%
7	Delaware	208.1	+1.4%
8	Florida	167.4	+1.5%
9	New York	163.9	+1.1%
10	Pennsylvania	112.6	+0.3%
11	Ohio	112.1	+0.4%
12	California	97.5	+0.5%
13	Illinois	88.4	+0.6%
14	North Carolina	87.8	+1.7%
15	Hawaii	86.3	0%
16	Virginia	86.3	+1%
17	Georgia	75	+1.3%
18	Indiana	74.7	+0.8%
19	South Carolina	70.5	+1.8%
20	Michigan	68.9	+0.4%
21	Tennessee	67.9	+1.4%
22	New Hampshire	60.7	+0.5%
23	Texas	46.3	+2%
24	Washington	46.1	+1.1%
25	Kentucky	44.8	+0.7%
26	Wisconsin	42.5	+0.5%
27	Louisiana	41.2	+0.4%
28	Alabama	39.4	+0.9%
29	Missouri	35.1	+0.6%
30	West Virginia	28.4	-0.2%
31	Minnesota	28.1	+0.8%
32	Vermont	27.1	-0.2%
33	Arizona	25.7	+1.4%
34	Mississippi	24.3	+0.3%
35	Oklahoma	23.1	+0.9%
36	Arkansas	23	+0.9%
37	Iowa	22.3	+0.5%
38	Colorado	22.3	+1.3%
39	Maine	17.6	+0.5%
40	Oregon	17.2	+0.4%
41	Utah	16.4	+1.6%
42	Kansas	14	+0.5%
43	Nevada	11.4	+1.3%
44	Nebraska	10.1	+0.9%
45	Idaho	9.3	+1.5%
46	New Mexico	6.8	+0.4%
47	South Dakota	4.7	+1%
48	North Dakota	4.4	+0.8%
49	Montana	3	+0.6%
50	Wyoming	2.3	+0.3%
51	Alaska	0.5	+0.4%

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 4,366.6 inhabitants per km² in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population density?

Alaska, with 0.5 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.