States by population density
New Jersey is the most densely populated state, with about 1,298 people per square mile of land in 2025, followed by Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Alaska is the least dense, with about 1.3 people per square mile, followed by Wyoming and Montana. The 50 states average about 97.
The 50 states by people per square mile of land, 2025
| Rank | State | People per sq mi | Population | Land, sq mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 1,298 | 9,548,215 | 7,354 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,078 | 1,114,521 | 1,034 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 917 | 7,154,084 | 7,800 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 762 | 3,688,496 | 4,842 |
| 5 | Maryland | 645 | 6,265,347 | 9,707 |
| 6 | Delaware | 544 | 1,059,952 | 1,949 |
| 7 | Florida | 438 | 23,462,518 | 53,625 |
| 8 | New York | 424 | 20,002,427 | 47,126 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 292 | 13,059,432 | 44,743 |
| 10 | Ohio | 291 | 11,900,510 | 40,861 |
| 11 | California | 253 | 39,355,309 | 155,779 |
| 12 | North Carolina | 230 | 11,197,968 | 48,618 |
| 13 | Illinois | 229 | 12,719,141 | 55,519 |
| 14 | Virginia | 225 | 8,880,107 | 39,490 |
| 15 | Hawaii | 223 | 1,432,820 | 6,423 |
| 16 | Georgia | 197 | 11,302,748 | 57,513 |
| 17 | Indiana | 195 | 6,973,333 | 35,826 |
| 18 | South Carolina | 185 | 5,570,274 | 30,061 |
| 19 | Michigan | 179 | 10,127,884 | 56,539 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 177 | 7,315,076 | 41,235 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | 158 | 1,415,342 | 8,953 |
| 22 | Texas | 121 | 31,709,821 | 261,232 |
| 23 | Washington | 120 | 8,001,020 | 66,456 |
| 24 | Kentucky | 117 | 4,606,864 | 39,486 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 110 | 5,972,787 | 54,158 |
| 26 | Louisiana | 107 | 4,618,189 | 43,204 |
| 27 | Alabama | 103 | 5,193,088 | 50,645 |
| 28 | Missouri | 91 | 6,270,541 | 68,742 |
| 29 | West Virginia | 74 | 1,766,147 | 24,038 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 73 | 5,830,405 | 79,627 |
| 31 | Vermont | 70 | 644,663 | 9,217 |
| 32 | Arizona | 67 | 7,623,818 | 113,594 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 63 | 2,954,160 | 46,923 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | 60 | 4,123,288 | 68,595 |
| 35 | Arkansas | 60 | 3,114,791 | 52,035 |
| 36 | Colorado | 58 | 6,012,561 | 103,642 |
| 37 | Iowa | 58 | 3,238,387 | 55,857 |
| 38 | Maine | 46 | 1,414,874 | 30,843 |
| 39 | Oregon | 45 | 4,273,586 | 95,988 |
| 40 | Utah | 43 | 3,538,904 | 82,170 |
| 41 | Kansas | 36 | 2,977,220 | 81,759 |
| 42 | Nevada | 30 | 3,282,188 | 109,781 |
| 43 | Nebraska | 26 | 2,018,006 | 76,824 |
| 44 | Idaho | 25 | 2,029,733 | 82,643 |
| 45 | New Mexico | 18 | 2,125,498 | 121,298 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 12 | 935,094 | 75,811 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 12 | 799,358 | 69,001 |
| 48 | Montana | 7.9 | 1,144,694 | 145,546 |
| 49 | Wyoming | 6.1 | 588,753 | 97,093 |
| 50 | Alaska | 1.3 | 737,270 | 570,641 |
Crowded Northeast, empty North
The four densest states are all small states in the Northeast: New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut, each with more than 750 people per square mile. New Jersey has about a thousand times as many people per square mile as Alaska.
The emptiest states are large and northern or western. Alaska has about 1.3 people per square mile, Wyoming about 6 and Montana about 8. Even California, the most populous state, ranks only 11th, because its population is spread over a large area.
About the numbers
Density here uses land area only, so lakes, bays and the Great Lakes do not count. A state’s average hides big differences between its cities and its countryside. Population figures are Census Bureau estimates for July 1, 2025.
Questions people ask
- What is the most densely populated state?
- New Jersey, with about 1,298 people per square mile of land in 2025.
- What is the least densely populated state?
- Alaska, with about 1.3 people per square mile, followed by Wyoming at about 6 and Montana at about 8.
- How is population density calculated?
- By dividing a state's population by its land area, leaving out water. Here, the Census Bureau's July 2025 population estimates are divided by its land area measurements.
Sources
- US Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates; 2010 state area measurements