List of the most populous counties in the United States

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A map of the counties and county equivalents of the United States. The 100 most populous counties are highlighted, with counties having more than one million residents in orange and counties having fewer than one million residents in green, based on the results of the April 1, 2020 United States census. Largest counties of the United States by population as of the 2020 United States census.svg
A map of the counties and county equivalents of the United States. The 100 most populous counties are highlighted, with counties having more than one million residents in orange and counties having fewer than one million residents in green, based on the results of the April 1, 2020 United States census.

This is a list of the 100 most populous of the 3,144 counties in the United States based on the national decennial US census conducted on April 1, 2020, and vintage Census population estimates for July 1, 2023. [1]

Contents

Many of the counties on the list include major cities or metropolitan areas in all parts of the United States. Six of the listed counties have consolidated city and county government, namely the City and County of Honolulu, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, City and County of Philadelphia, City and County of San Francisco, City of Jacksonville and Duval County and City and County of Denver. [2] [3] [4] New York County, Bronx County, Kings County, Queens County and Richmond County are coterminous with the respective boroughs of New York City; they fall under the jurisdiction of the combined city government. Independent cities are not counted.

Many of the most populous counties listed are in Southern California, Illinois, Texas and New York and roughly correspond to the most populous cities in the United States. Counties in the Western United States are typically larger by area, so they often have higher raw populations even with comparable population densities.

List

This list lists the most populous US counties sorted according to both the 2020 official enumeration and 2023 vintage population estimates by the United States Census Bureau (USCB).

RankCountyStateLand areaApril 1,
2020
census
July 1,
2023
estimates
Mid-2020 to
mid-2023 change
County seat
km2 [5] mi2 [6] absolute%
1 Los Angeles California 10,509.874,057.8810,014,0099,663,345-350,664-3.5 Los Angeles
2 Cook Illinois 2,448.38945.335,275,5415,087,072-188,469-3.6 Chicago
3 Harris Texas 4,411.991,703.484,731,1454,835,125103,9802.2 Houston
4 Maricopa Arizona 23,828.269,200.144,420,5684,585,871165,3033.7 Phoenix
5 San Diego California 10,895.124,206.633,298,6343,269,973-28,661-0.9 San Diego
6 Orange 2,047.56790.573,186,9893,135,755-51,234-1.6 Santa Ana
7 Miami-Dade Florida 4,915.061,897.722,701,7672,686,867-14,900-0.6 Miami
8 Dallas Texas 2,256.60871.282,613,5392,606,358-7,181-0.3 Dallas
9 Kings New York 183.4170.822,736,0742,561,225-174,849-6.4 Brooklyn, NYC
10 Riverside California 18,664.707,206.482,418,1852,492,44274,2574.2 Riverside
11 Clark Nevada 20,438.717,891.432,265,4612,336,57371,1123.1 Las Vegas
12 King Washington 5,479.292,115.572,269,6752,271,3801,7050.1 Seattle
13 Queens New York 281.10108.532,405,4642,252,196-153,268-6.8 Queens, NYC
14 San Bernardino California 51,947.2320,056.942,181,6542,195,61113,9570.6 San Bernardino
15 Tarrant Texas 2,236.74863.612,110,6402,182,94772,3073.4 Fort Worth
16 Bexar 3,211.121,239.822,009,3242,087,67978,3553.9 San Antonio
17 Broward Florida 3,133.331,209.791,944,3751,962,53118,1560.9 Fort Lauderdale
18 Santa Clara California 3,341.341,290.101,936,2591,877,592-58,667-3.0 San Jose
19 Wayne Michigan 1,585.28612.081,793,5611,751,169-42,392-2.4 Detroit
20 Middlesex Massachusetts 2,118.14817.821,632,0021,623,952-8,050-0.5 Lowell and Cambridge
21 Alameda California 1,914.05739.021,682,3531,622,188-60,165-3.6 Oakland
22 New York New York 59.1322.831,694,2511,597,451-96,800-5.7 Manhattan, NYC
23 Sacramento California 2,498.42964.641,584,1691,584,2881190.0 Sacramento
24 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 347.32134.101,603,7971,550,542-53,255-3.3 Philadelphia
25 Hillsborough Florida 2,642.341,020.211,459,7621,535,56475,8025.2 Tampa
26 Palm Beach 5,100.001,970.001,492,1911,533,80141,6102.8 West Palm Beach
27 Suffolk New York 2,362.20912.051,525,9201,523,170-2,750-0.2 Riverhead
28 Orange Florida 2,339.87903.431,429,9081,471,41641,5082.9 Orlando
29 Nassau New York 737.41284.721,395,7741,381,715-14,059-1.0 Mineola
30 Bronx 109.0342.101,472,6541,356,476-116,178-7.9 Bronx, NYC
31 Travis Texas 2,564.61990.201,290,1881,334,96144,7733.5 Austin
32 Franklin Ohio 1,378.36532.191,323,8071,326,0632,2560.2 Columbus
33 Oakland Michigan 2,247.24867.661,274,3951,270,426-3,969-0.3 Pontiac
34 Hennepin Minnesota 1,433.79553.591,281,5651,258,713-22,852-1.8 Minneapolis
35 Cuyahoga Ohio 1,184.12457.191,264,8171,233,088-31,729-2.5 Cleveland
36 Allegheny Pennsylvania 1,890.88730.071,250,5781,224,825-25,753-2.1 Pittsburgh
37 Collin Texas 2,178.76841.221,064,4651,195,359130,89412.3 McKinney
38 Wake North Carolina 2,163.21835.221,129,4101,190,27560,8655.4 Raleigh
39 Salt Lake Utah 1,922.50742.281,185,2381,185,8135750.0 Salt Lake City
40 Mecklenburg North Carolina 1,356.75523.841,115,4821,163,70148,2194.3 Charlotte
41 Contra Costa California 1,854.27715.941,165,9271,155,025-10,902-0.9 Martinez
42 Fairfax Virginia 1,012.60390.971,150,3091,141,878-8,431-0.7 Fairfax
43 Fulton Georgia 1,363.98526.631,066,7101,079,10512,3951.2 Atlanta
44 Pima Arizona 23,794.319,187.041,043,4331,063,16219,7291.9 Tucson
45 Montgomery Maryland 1,272.34491.251,062,0611,058,474-3,587-0.3 Rockville
46 Duval Florida 1,974.07762.19995,5671,030,82235,2553.5 Jacksonville
47 Fresno California 15,431.135,957.991,008,6541,017,1628,5080.8 Fresno
48 Denton Texas 2,275.13878.43906,4221,007,703101,28111.2 Denton
49 Westchester New York 1,114.98430.501,004,457990,817-13,640-1.4 White Plains
50 Honolulu Hawaii 1,555.92600.741,016,508989,408-27,100-2.7 Honolulu
51 St. Louis Missouri 1,315.20507.801,004,125987,059-17,066-1.7 Clayton
52 Gwinnett Georgia 1,114.69430.38957,062983,52626,4642.8 Lawrenceville
53 Capitol Connecticut 2,660.801,027.34976,248975,328-920-0.1 Hartford
54 Marion Indiana 1,026.41396.30977,203968,460-8,743-0.9 Indianapolis
55 Pinellas Florida 709.14273.80959,107961,5962,4890.3 Clearwater
56 Bergen New Jersey 603.49233.01955,732957,7362,0040.2 Hackensack
57 Prince George's Maryland 1,250.16482.69967,201947,430-19,771-2.0 Upper Marlboro
58 Erie New York 2,700.561,042.69954,236946,147-8,089-0.8 Buffalo
59 Pierce Washington 4,324.011,669.51921,130928,6967,5660.8 Tacoma
60 DuPage Illinois 848.22327.50932,877921,213-11,664-1.3 Wheaton
61 Fort Bend Texas 2,292885822,779916,77893,99911.4 Richmond
62 Milwaukee Wisconsin 625.23241.40939,489916,205-23,284-2.5 Milwaukee
63 Kern California 21,061.578,131.92909,235913,8204,5850.5 Bakersfield
64 Shelby Tennessee 1,976.61763.17929,744910,042-19,702-2.1 Memphis
65 Hidalgo Texas 4,068.521,570.87870,781898,47127,6903.2 Edinburg
66 Macomb Michigan 1,241.18479.22881,217875,101-6,116-0.7 Mount Clemens
67 El Paso Texas 2,622.861,012.69865,657869,8804,2230.5 El Paso
68 Montgomery Pennsylvania 1,251.07483.04856,553868,74212,1891.4 Norristown
69 Worcester Massachusetts 3,912.881,510.77862,111866,8664,7550.6 Worcester
70 Middlesex New Jersey 800.08308.91863,162863,6234610.1 New Brunswick
71 Essex 326.89126.21863,728851,117-12,611-1.5 Newark
72 Snohomish Washington 5,406.012,087.27827,957844,76116,8042.0 Everett
73 Baltimore Maryland 1,549.59598.30854,535844,703-9,832-1.2 Towson
74 Lee Florida 2,031.88784.51760,822834,57373,7519.7 Fort Myers
75 Ventura California 4,773.691,843.13843,843829,590-14,253-1.7 Ventura
76 Hamilton Ohio 1,051.30405.91830,639827,058-3,581-0.4 Cincinnati
77 Polk Florida 4,6601,798725,046818,33093,28412.9 Bartow
78 Essex Massachusetts 1,275.73492.56809,829810,0892600.0 Salem and Lawrence
79 San Francisco California 121.4046.87873,965808,988-64,977-7.4 San Francisco
80 Oklahoma Oklahoma 1,835.83708.82796,292808,86612,5741.6 Oklahoma City
81 San Joaquin California 3,603.511,391.32779,233800,96521,7322.8 Stockton
82 Multnomah Oregon 1,117.05431.30815,428789,698-25,730-3.2 Portland
83 Cobb Georgia 879.43339.55766,149776,74310,5941.4 Marietta
84 Jefferson Kentucky 985.27380.42782,969772,144-10,825-1.4 Louisville
85 Suffolk Massachusetts 150.6258.15797,936768,425-29,511-3.7 Boston
86 DeKalb Georgia 693.03267.58764,382762,992-1,390-0.2 Decatur
87 Monroe New York 1,702.15657.21759,443748,482-10,961-1.4 Rochester
88 El Paso Colorado 5,508.392,126.80730,395744,21513,8201.9 Colorado Springs
89 Norfolk Massachusetts 1,025.91396.11725,981727,4731,4920.2 Dedham
90 San Mateo California 1,161.37448.41764,442726,353-38,089-5.0 Redwood City
91 Utah Utah 5,188.912,003.45659,399719,17459,7759.1 Provo
92 Jackson Missouri 1,565.55604.46717,204718,5601,3560.2 Independence and Kansas City
93 Denver Colorado 401.36154.97715,522716,5771,0550.1 Denver
94 Davidson Tennessee 1,305.44504.03715,884712,334-3,550-0.5 Nashville
95 Montgomery Texas 2,699.231,042.18620,443711,35490,91114.7 Conroe
96 Lake Illinois 1,149.10443.67714,342708,760-5,582-0.8 Waukegan
97 Hudson New Jersey 119.6346.19724,854705,472-19,382-2.7 Jersey City
98 Will Illinois 2,167.58836.91696,355700,7284,3730.6 Joliet
99 Williamson Texas 2,889.991,115.83609,017697,19188,17414.5 Georgetown
100 Tulsa Oklahoma 1,476.86570.22669,279682,86813,5892.0 Tulsa

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References

  1. "More Counties Saw Population Gains in 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. "This Is Your City and County of Honolulu Government". City and County of Honolulu. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
  3. "City and County Organizational Chart". City and County of San Francisco. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
  4. "Active Colorado Municipalities as of January 26, 2010". Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  5. GeoHive - the United States of America - US States and Counties Archived April 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine (attached Excel spreadsheet)
  6. The area in square kilometers of the column to the left divided by 2.589988110336 (1.6093442).