In 2023, Washington, D.C. had the highest population density in the United States, with 11,130.69 people per square mile. As a whole, there were about 94.83 residents per square mile in the U.S., and Alaska was the state with the lowest population density, with 1.29 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.
Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2023
Characteristic
Number of residents per square mile
District of Columbia
11,130.69
New Jersey
1,263.37
Rhode Island
1,059.92
Massachusetts
897.5
Connecticut
747.35
Maryland
636.81
Delaware
529.45
Florida
421.82
New York
415.3
Pennsylvania
289.72
Ohio
288.46
California
250.15
Illinois
226.05
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Number of residents per square mile11,130.6911,130.691,263.371,263.371,059.921,059.92897.5897.5747.35747.35636.81636.81529.45529.45421.82421.82415.3415.3289.72289.72288.46288.46250.15250.15226.05226.05223.26223.26222.87222.87220.69220.69191.81191.81191.56191.56178.7178.7177.56177.56172.83172.83156.62156.62117.58117.58116.77116.77114.61114.61109.15109.15105.88105.88100.87100.8794.8394.8390.1790.1773.6473.6472.0872.0870.2570.2565.4265.4262.6562.6559.0959.0958.9658.9657.4157.4156.7156.7145.2645.2644.144.141.5841.5835.9635.9629.129.125.7525.7523.7723.7717.4317.4312.1312.1311.3611.367.787.786.026.021.291.29District of ColumbiaNew JerseyRhode IslandMassachusettsConnecticutMarylandDelawareFloridaNew YorkPennsylvaniaOhioCaliforniaIllinoisHawaiiNorth CarolinaVirginiaGeorgiaIndianaSouth CarolinaMichiganTennesseeNew HampshireWashingtonTexasKentuckyWisconsinLouisianaAlabamaUnited StatesMissouriWest VirginiaMinnesotaVermontArizonaMississippiOklahomaArkansasIowaColoradoMaineOregonUtahKansasNevadaNebraskaIdahoNew MexicoSouth DakotaNorth DakotaMontanaWyomingAlaska
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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. (September 21, 2024). Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved February 22, 2025, 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 2023." Chart. September 21, 2024. Statista. Accessed February 22, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
US Census Bureau. (2024). Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: February 22, 2025. 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 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 21 Sep 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 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/ (last visited February 22, 2025)
Population density in the U.S. by federal states including the District of Columbia in 2023 [Graph], US Census Bureau, September 21, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/183588/population-density-in-the-federal-states-of-the-us/
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