In 2021, Washington, D.C. had the highest population density in the United States, with 10,984.43 people per square mile. As a whole, there were about 94 residents per square mile in the U.S., and Alaska was the state with the lowest population density, with 1.28 residents per square mile.
The problem of population density
Simply put, population density is the population of a country divided by the area of the country. While this can be an interesting measure of how many people live in a country and how large the country is, it does not account for the degree of urbanization, or the share of people who live in urban centers.
For example, Russia is the largest country in the world and has a comparatively low population, so its population density is very low. However, much of the country is uninhabited, so cities in Russia are much more densely populated than the rest of the country.
Data has been calculated by dividing the population estimates by total land area in square miles as published by the Census Bureau as part of the Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012. The data can be accessed here.
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US Census Bureau. (December 21, 2021). Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 26, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2021." Chart. December 21, 2021. Statista. Accessed November 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2021). Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 26, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
US Census Bureau. "Population Density in The U.S. by Federal States including The District of Columbia in 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 21 Dec 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/ (last visited November 26, 2024)
Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2021 [Graph], US Census Bureau, December 21, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/