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. Urbanization in the United States While the United States is not very densely populated compared to other countries, its population density has increased significantly over the past few decades. The degree of urbanization has also increased, and well over half of the population lives in urban centers.

This graph shows the population density of the United States of America from 1790 to 2019. In 2019, the population density was approximately 92.9 residents per square mile of land area. Population density in the United States Population density has been tracked for over two hundred years in the United States. Over the last two centuries, the number of people living in the United States per square mile has grown from 4.5 in 1790 to 87.4 in 2010. After examining the data in detail, it becomes clear that a major population increase started around 1870. Population density was roughly 11 at the time and has doubled in the last century. Since then, population density grew by about 16 percent each decade. Population density doubled in 1900, and grew in total by around 800 percent until 2010.

The population density of the United States varies from state to state. The most densely populated state is New Jersey, with 1,208 people per square mile living there. Rhode Island is the second most densely populated state, with slightly over 1,000 inhabitants per square mile. A number of New England states follow at the top of the ranking, making the northeastern region of the United States the most densely populated region of the country.

The least populated U.S. state is the vast territory of Alaska. Only 1.3 inhabitants per square mile reside in the largest state of the U.S.

Compared to other countries around the world, the United States does not rank within the top 50, in terms of population density. Most of the leading countries and territories are city states. However, the U.S. is one of the most populous countries in the world, with a total population of over 327 million inhabitants, as of 2018.

United States US: Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 35.608 Person/sq km in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 35.355 Person/sq km for 2016. United States US: Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 26.948 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2017, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35.608 Person/sq km in 2017 and a record low of 20.056 Person/sq km in 1961. United States US: Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.; ; Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.; Weighted average;

Actual value and historical data chart for United States Population Density People Per Sq Km

This map shows the population density and total population in the United States in 2010. This is shown by state, county, tract, and block group. The color shows the population per square mile (population density), while the size of each feature shows the total population living there. This is a valuable way to represent population by understanding the quantity and density of the people living there. Areas with high population density are more tightly packed, while low population density means the population is more spread out.The map shows this pattern for states, counties, tracts, and block groups. There is increasing geographic detail as you zoom in, and only one geography is configured to show at any time. The data source is the US Census Bureau, and the vintage is 2010. The original service and data metadata can be found here.

Grid of population density in the conterminous United States at a resolution of one kilometer. The grid was converted from an ASCII file obtained from the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

The population density in the United States was 36.43 people in 2022. In a steady upward trend, the population density rose by 16.37 people from 1961.

This dataset, named "state_trends.csv," contains information about different U.S. states. Let's break down the attributes and understand what each column represents:

1. state: The name of the U.S. state.
2. state_code: The two-letter postal code abbreviation for the state.
3. population: The population of the state.
4. sq_miles: The total land area of the state in square miles.
5. pop_density: Population density, which is the number of people per square mile.
6. region: The geographical region of the United States to which the state belongs (e.g., South, West).
7. psych_region: A description of the psychological region based on personality traits.
8. psy_reg: A shortened version of the psychological region.
9. extraversion: A measure of the state's population tendency toward extraversion.
10. agreeableness: A measure of the state's population tendency toward agreeableness.
11. conscientiousness: A measure of the state's population tendency toward conscientiousness.
12. neuroticism: A measure of the state's population tendency toward neuroticism.
13. openness: A measure of the state's population tendency toward openness.
14. data_science: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in the field of data science.
15. artificial_intelligence: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in artificial intelligence.
16. machine_learning: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in machine learning.
17. data_analysis: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in data analysis.
18. business_intelligence: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in business intelligence.
19. spreadsheet: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in spreadsheet usage.
20. statistics: A score related to the state's interest or proficiency in statistics.
21. art: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in the field of art.
22. dance: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in dance.
23. museum: A score related to the state's interest or presence of museums.
24. basketball: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in basketball.
25. football: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in football.
26. baseball: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in baseball.
27. soccer: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in soccer.
28. hockey: A score related to the state's interest or involvement in hockey.
29. has_nba: Indicates whether the state has a National Basketball Association (NBA) team (Yes/No).
30. has_nfl: Indicates whether the state has a National Football League (NFL) team (Yes/No).
31. has_mlb: Indicates whether the state has a Major League Baseball (MLB) team (Yes/No).
32. has_mls: Indicates whether the state has a Major League Soccer (MLS) team (Yes/No).
33. has_nhl: Indicates whether the state has a National Hockey League (NHL) team (Yes/No).
34. has_any: Indicates whether the state has any of the mentioned professional sports teams (Yes/No).

In summary, this dataset provides a variety of information about U.S. states, including demographic data, geographical region, psychological region, personality traits, and scores related to interests or proficiencies in various fields such as data science, art, and sports.

This dataset consists of three raster datasets representing population density for the years 1990, 2000, and 2010. All three rasters are based on block-level census geography data. The 1990 and 2000 data are derived from data normalized to 2000 block boundaries, while the 2010 data are based on 2010 block boundaries. The 1990 and 2000 data are rasters at 100-meter (m) resolution, while the 2010 data are at 60-m resolution. See details about each dataset in the specific metadata for each raster.

This data set represents 2000 population density by block group as a 100-m grid using data from the 2000 Census of Population and Housing. The demographic data is from CensusCD 2000 Short Form Blocks published by GeoLytics, E. Brunswick, NJ, which uses the 2000 Census Summary File 1 (SF 1). Grid cell values represent population density in people per square kilometer multiplied by 10 so that the data could be stored as integer.

This layer presents population density data by county for states bordering the U.S. Gulf, sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics. Population density is displayed as the number of people per square kilometer. Broadly speaking, population density indicates how many people would inhabit one square kilometer if the population were evenly distributed across the area. However, population distribution is uneven. People tend to cluster in urban areas, while those in rural regions are spread out over a much more sparsely populated landscape. Population density is a crucial metric for understanding and managing human population dynamics and their effects on society and the environment. It helps assess various environmental challenges, including urban sprawl, pollution, habitat loss, and resource depletion. Coastal areas frequently experience high population density due to urbanization, influencing land use, housing, and infrastructure development. This density can also stimulate tourism and recreation, necessitating careful planning for facilities, transportation, and environmental protection. Additionally, coastal regions are more susceptible to natural disasters such as hurricanes and flooding, making population density data essential for developing effective evacuation plans and emergency services. Data: U.S. Census BureauDocumentation: U.S. Census Bureau This is a component of the Gulf Data Atlas (V2.0) for the Socioeconomic Conditions topic area.

This dataset provides a detailed overview of the population statistics for each U.S. state for the years 2023 and 2024. It includes the population count, growth rate, percentage of the U.S. population, and population density per square mile.

The average for 2021 based on 12 countries was 25 people per square km. The highest value was in Ecuador: 72 people per square km and the lowest value was in Guyana: 4 people per square km. The indicator is available from 1961 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Monaco led the ranking for countries with the highest population density in 2024, with nearly 26,000 residents per square kilometer. The Special Administrative Region of Macao came in second, followed by Singapore. The world’s second smallest country Monaco is the world’s second-smallest country, with an area of about two square kilometers and a population of only around 40,000. It is a constitutional monarchy located by the Mediterranean Sea, and while Monaco is not part of the European Union, it does participate in some EU policies. The country is perhaps most famous for the Monte Carlo casino and for hosting the Monaco Grand Prix, the world's most prestigious Formula One race. The global population Globally, the population density per square kilometer is about 60 inhabitants, and Asia is the most densely populated region in the world. The global population is increasing rapidly, so population density is only expected to increase. In 1950, for example, the global population stood at about 2.54 billion people, and it reached over eight billion during 2023.

Resident population density for Maryland and Jurisdictions per square mile from 2010 to 2017. Source: U.S. Bureau of Census

Content

Population density is a measure of average population per square mile. Density levels have been higher across the Eastern seaboard and the Pacific coastline and lower in much of the West.

Acknowledgements

Data was taken from the USA Government 2010 Census.

Historical dataset showing U.S. population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

This map shows the population density of Delaware. Areas in darker magenta have a much higher population per square mile than areas in orange or yellow. Data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics. The map's layers contain total population counts by sex, age, and race groups for Block Group in Delaware.

The Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11 consists of estimates of human population density (number of persons per square kilometer) based on counts consistent with national censuses and population registers. A proportional allocation gridding algorithm, utilizing approximately 13.5 million national and sub-national administrative units, was used to assign population counts to 30 arc-second grid cells. The population density rasters were created by dividing the population count raster for a given target year by the land area raster. The data files were produced as global rasters at 30 arc-second (~1 km at the equator) resolution. To enable faster global processing, and in support of research communities, the 30 arc-second count data were aggregated to 2.5 arc-minute, 15 arc-minute, 30 arc-minute and 1-degree resolutions to produce density rasters at these resolutions.

This map uses dot density patterns to indicate which population is larger in each area: urban (green) or rural (blue). Data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics. The map's layers contain total population counts by sex, age, and race groups for Nation, State, County, Census Tract, and Block Group in the United States and Puerto Rico.The U.S. Census designates each census block as part of an urban area or as rural. Larger geographies in this map such as block group, tract, county and state can therefore have a mix of urban and rural population. This map illustrates the 100% urban areas with all green dots, and 100% rural areas in dark blue dots. Areas with mixed urban/rural population have a proportional mix of green and blue dots to give a visual indication of where change may be happening. From the Census:"The Census Bureau’s urban-rural classification is a delineation of geographic areas, identifying both individual urban areas and the rural area of the nation. The Census Bureau’s urban areas represent densely developed territory, and encompass residential, commercial, and other non-residential urban land uses. The Census Bureau delineates urban areas after each decennial census by applying specified criteria to decennial census and other data. Rural encompasses all population, housing, and territory not included within an urban area.For the 2020 Census, an urban area will comprise a densely settled core of census blocks that meet minimum housing unit density and/or population density requirements. This includes adjacent territory containing non-residential urban land uses. To qualify as an urban area, the territory identified according to criteria must encompass at least 2,000 housing units or have a population of at least 5,000." SourceAbout the dataYou can use this map as is and you can also modify it to use other attributes included in its layers. This map's layers contain total population counts by sex, age, and race groups data from the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics. This is shown by Nation, State, County, Census Tract, Block Group boundaries. Each geography layer contains a common set of Census counts based on available attributes from the U.S. Census Bureau. There are also additional calculated attributes related to this topic, which can be mapped or used within analysis.Vintage of boundaries and attributes: 2020 Demographic and Housing Characteristics Table(s): P1, H1, H3, P2, P3, P5, P12, P13, P17, PCT12 (Not all lines of these DHC tables are available in this feature layer.)Data downloaded from: U.S. Census Bureau’s data.census.gov siteDate the Data was Downloaded: May 25, 2023Geography Levels included: Nation, State, County, Census Tract, Block GroupNational Figures: included in Nation layer The United States Census Bureau Demographic and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Census Results 2020 Census Data Quality Geography & 2020 Census Technical Documentation Data Table Guide: includes the final list of tables, lowest level of geography by table and table shells for the Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics.News & Updates This map is ready to be used in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online and its configurable apps, Story Maps, dashboards, Notebooks, Python, custom apps, and mobile apps. Data can also be exported for offline workflows. Please cite the U.S. Census Bureau when using this data. Data Processing Notes: These 2020 Census boundaries come from the US Census TIGER geodatabases. These are Census boundaries with water and/or coastlines erased for cartographic and mapping purposes. For Census tracts and block groups, the water cutouts are derived from a subset of the 2020 Areal Hydrography boundaries offered by TIGER. Water bodies and rivers which are 50 million square meters or larger (mid to large sized water bodies) are erased from the tract and block group boundaries, as well as additional important features. For state and county boundaries, the water and coastlines are derived from the coastlines of the 2020 500k TIGER Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles. These are erased to more accurately portray the coastlines and Great Lakes. The original AWATER and ALAND fields are unchanged and available as attributes within the data table (units are square meters).  The layer contains all US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Census tracts with no population that occur in areas of water, such as oceans, are removed from this data service (Census Tracts beginning with 99). Block groups that fall within the same criteria (Block Group denoted as 0 with no area land) have also been removed.Percentages and derived counts, are calculated values (that can be identified by the "_calc_" stub in the field name). Field alias names were created based on the Table Shells file available from the Data Table Guide for the Demographic Profile and Demographic and Housing Characteristics. Not all lines of all tables listed above are included in this layer. Duplicative counts were dropped. For example, P0030001 was dropped, as it is duplicative of P0010001.To protect the privacy and confidentiality of respondents, their data has been protected using differential privacy techniques by the U.S. Census Bureau.