Most Densely Populated U.S. States (2025)

New Jersey leads this land-area density ranking with 1,298.2 / sq. mi.. The reference population is July 1, 2025.

Top 10 states: population density

July 1, 2025 · Census PEP Vintage 2025 / 2025 Gazetteer land area. Bars compare exact unrounded values; the labels use display precision.

New Jersey1,298.2 / sq. mi.

Rhode Island1,078.0 / sq. mi.

Massachusetts917.1 / sq. mi.

Connecticut761.7 / sq. mi.

Maryland645.2 / sq. mi.

Delaware544.0 / sq. mi.

Florida437.3 / sq. mi.

New York424.5 / sq. mi.

Pennsylvania291.9 / sq. mi.

Ohio291.3 / sq. mi.

Which states have the highest population density?

New Jersey leads at 1,298.2 people per square mile of land. Its 9,548,215 residents occupy a source land area of 7,355.031 square miles. Rhode Island follows at 1,078.0 people per square mile.

The largest-population state, California, has a density of 252.5 people per square mile. Population size and density therefore measure different attributes: one counts residents, while the other divides by compatible land area.

State land area and geographic averages

State boundaries enclose developed areas, smaller settlements and sparsely populated land. The figure is a statewide average and does not describe a typical neighborhood or the density of the state’s largest city.

DC is not a state and is excluded from this state ranking. It appears in the state/DC directory as a separately identified federal district, rather than being allowed to change the definition of the 50-state list.

Comparison universe: 50 states; DC is excluded from state rankings. Source: PEP Vintage 2025. Population date: July 1, 2025. Growth interval: July 1, 2024–2025. Ties share a competition rank; subsequent ranks skip tied positions. Filters produce a subset of this universe and do not change the national profile rank.

Resident population, July 1, 2025; change since July 1, 2024. PEP Vintage 2025.
Rank	Place	Population · 2025	Change · 2024–25	Growth · 2024–25	People / sq. mi.
1	New JerseyNew Jersey · State · 34	9,548,215	+41,861	+0.44%	1,298.2
2	Rhode IslandRhode Island · State · 44	1,114,521	+4,106	+0.37%	1,078.0
3	MassachusettsMassachusetts · State · 25	7,154,084	+15,524	+0.22%	917.1
4	ConnecticutConnecticut · State · 09	3,688,496	+14,047	+0.38%	761.7
5	MarylandMaryland · State · 24	6,265,347	+20,033	+0.32%	645.2
6	DelawareDelaware · State · 10	1,059,952	+9,829	+0.94%	544.0
7	FloridaFlorida · State · 12	23,462,518	+196,680	+0.85%	437.3
8	New YorkNew York · State · 36	20,002,427	+1,008	+0.01%	424.5
9	PennsylvaniaPennsylvania · State · 42	13,059,432	+13,584	+0.10%	291.9
10	OhioOhio · State · 39	11,900,510	+39,889	+0.34%	291.3
11	CaliforniaCalifornia · State · 06	39,355,309	-9,465	-0.02%	252.5
12	North CarolinaNorth Carolina · State · 37	11,197,968	+145,907	+1.32%	230.3
13	IllinoisIllinois · State · 17	12,719,141	+16,108	+0.13%	229.1
14	VirginiaVirginia · State · 51	8,880,107	+60,465	+0.69%	224.9
15	HawaiiHawaii · State · 15	1,432,820	-2,132	-0.15%	223.1
16	GeorgiaGeorgia · State · 13	11,302,748	+98,540	+0.88%	195.8
17	IndianaIndiana · State · 18	6,973,333	+38,579	+0.56%	194.6
18	South CarolinaSouth Carolina · State · 45	5,570,274	+79,958	+1.46%	185.3
19	MichiganMichigan · State · 26	10,127,884	+27,922	+0.28%	178.9
20	TennesseeTennessee · State · 47	7,315,076	+63,785	+0.88%	177.4
21	New HampshireNew Hampshire · State · 33	1,415,342	+6,824	+0.48%	158.1
22	TexasTexas · State · 48	31,709,821	+391,243	+1.25%	121.4
23	WashingtonWashington · State · 53	8,001,020	+73,062	+0.92%	120.4
24	KentuckyKentucky · State · 21	4,606,864	+22,818	+0.50%	116.7
25	WisconsinWisconsin · State · 55	5,972,787	+15,619	+0.26%	110.3
26	LouisianaLouisiana · State · 22	4,618,189	+3,311	+0.07%	106.9
27	AlabamaAlabama · State · 01	5,193,088	+30,033	+0.58%	102.5
28	MissouriMissouri · State · 29	6,270,541	+26,997	+0.43%	91.2
29	West VirginiaWest Virginia · State · 54	1,766,147	-1,255	-0.07%	73.5
30	MinnesotaMinnesota · State · 27	5,830,405	+33,000	+0.57%	73.2
31	VermontVermont · State · 50	644,663	-1,858	-0.29%	69.9
32	ArizonaArizona · State · 04	7,623,818	+67,394	+0.89%	67.1
33	MississippiMississippi · State · 28	2,954,160	+3,988	+0.14%	63.0
34	OklahomaOklahoma · State · 40	4,123,288	+25,530	+0.62%	60.1
35	ArkansasArkansas · State · 05	3,114,791	+18,711	+0.60%	59.9
36	ColoradoColorado · State · 08	6,012,561	+24,059	+0.40%	58.0
37	IowaIowa · State · 19	3,238,387	+7,933	+0.25%	58.0
38	MaineMaine · State · 23	1,414,874	+6,436	+0.46%	45.9
39	OregonOregon · State · 41	4,273,586	+8,262	+0.19%	44.5
40	UtahUtah · State · 49	3,538,904	+35,921	+1.03%	42.8
41	KansasKansas · State · 20	2,977,220	+11,968	+0.40%	36.4
42	NevadaNevada · State · 32	3,282,188	+28,645	+0.88%	29.9
43	NebraskaNebraska · State · 31	2,018,006	+12,415	+0.62%	26.3
44	IdahoIdaho · State · 16	2,029,733	+28,861	+1.44%	24.6
45	New MexicoNew Mexico · State · 35	2,125,498	-1,276	-0.06%	17.5
46	South DakotaSouth Dakota · State · 46	935,094	+7,984	+0.86%	12.3
47	North DakotaNorth Dakota · State · 38	799,358	+5,971	+0.75%	11.6
48	MontanaMontana · State · 30	1,144,694	+7,137	+0.63%	7.9
49	WyomingWyoming · State · 56	588,753	+2,031	+0.35%	6.1
50	AlaskaAlaska · State · 02	737,270	+733	+0.10%	1.3

Rank

Place

Population · 2025

Change · 2024–25

Growth · 2024–25

People / sq. mi.

New JerseyNew Jersey · State · 34

9,548,215

+41,861

+0.44%

1,298.2

Rhode IslandRhode Island · State · 44

1,114,521

+4,106

+0.37%

1,078.0

MassachusettsMassachusetts · State · 25

7,154,084

+15,524

+0.22%

917.1

ConnecticutConnecticut · State · 09

3,688,496

+14,047

+0.38%

761.7

MarylandMaryland · State · 24

6,265,347

+20,033

+0.32%

645.2

DelawareDelaware · State · 10

1,059,952

+9,829

+0.94%

544.0

FloridaFlorida · State · 12

23,462,518

+196,680

+0.85%

437.3

New YorkNew York · State · 36

20,002,427

+1,008

+0.01%

424.5

PennsylvaniaPennsylvania · State · 42

13,059,432

+13,584

+0.10%

291.9

OhioOhio · State · 39

11,900,510

+39,889

+0.34%

291.3

CaliforniaCalifornia · State · 06

39,355,309

-9,465

-0.02%

252.5

North CarolinaNorth Carolina · State · 37

11,197,968

+145,907

+1.32%

230.3

IllinoisIllinois · State · 17

12,719,141

+16,108

+0.13%

229.1

VirginiaVirginia · State · 51

8,880,107

+60,465

+0.69%

224.9

HawaiiHawaii · State · 15

1,432,820

-2,132

-0.15%

223.1

GeorgiaGeorgia · State · 13

11,302,748

+98,540

+0.88%

195.8

IndianaIndiana · State · 18

6,973,333

+38,579

+0.56%

194.6

South CarolinaSouth Carolina · State · 45

5,570,274

+79,958

+1.46%

185.3

MichiganMichigan · State · 26

10,127,884

+27,922

+0.28%

178.9

TennesseeTennessee · State · 47

7,315,076

+63,785

+0.88%

177.4

New HampshireNew Hampshire · State · 33

1,415,342

+6,824

+0.48%

158.1

TexasTexas · State · 48

31,709,821

+391,243

+1.25%

121.4

WashingtonWashington · State · 53

8,001,020

+73,062

+0.92%

120.4

KentuckyKentucky · State · 21

4,606,864

+22,818

+0.50%

116.7

WisconsinWisconsin · State · 55

5,972,787

+15,619

+0.26%

110.3

LouisianaLouisiana · State · 22

4,618,189

+3,311

+0.07%

106.9

AlabamaAlabama · State · 01

5,193,088

+30,033

+0.58%

102.5

MissouriMissouri · State · 29

6,270,541

+26,997

+0.43%

91.2

West VirginiaWest Virginia · State · 54

1,766,147

-1,255

-0.07%

73.5

MinnesotaMinnesota · State · 27

5,830,405

+33,000

+0.57%

73.2

VermontVermont · State · 50

644,663

-1,858

-0.29%

69.9

ArizonaArizona · State · 04

7,623,818

+67,394

+0.89%

67.1

MississippiMississippi · State · 28

2,954,160

+3,988

+0.14%

63.0

OklahomaOklahoma · State · 40

4,123,288

+25,530

+0.62%

60.1

ArkansasArkansas · State · 05

3,114,791

+18,711

+0.60%

59.9

ColoradoColorado · State · 08

6,012,561

+24,059

+0.40%

58.0

IowaIowa · State · 19

3,238,387

+7,933

+0.25%

58.0

MaineMaine · State · 23

1,414,874

+6,436

+0.46%

45.9

OregonOregon · State · 41

4,273,586

+8,262

+0.19%

44.5

UtahUtah · State · 49

3,538,904

+35,921

+1.03%

42.8

KansasKansas · State · 20

2,977,220

+11,968

+0.40%

36.4

NevadaNevada · State · 32

3,282,188

+28,645

+0.88%

29.9

NebraskaNebraska · State · 31

2,018,006

+12,415

+0.62%

26.3

IdahoIdaho · State · 16

2,029,733

+28,861

+1.44%

24.6

New MexicoNew Mexico · State · 35

2,125,498

-1,276

-0.06%

17.5

South DakotaSouth Dakota · State · 46

935,094

+7,984

+0.86%

12.3

North DakotaNorth Dakota · State · 38

799,358

+5,971

+0.75%

11.6

MontanaMontana · State · 30

1,144,694

+7,137

+0.63%

7.9

WyomingWyoming · State · 56

588,753

+2,031

+0.35%

6.1

AlaskaAlaska · State · 02

737,270

+733

+0.10%

1.3

How population density is calculated and rounded

Density equals the July 1, 2025 resident population divided by 2025 Gazetteer land area. Original land area in square meters is converted using 2,589,988.110336 square meters per square mile. Water is excluded; unrounded land areas and population values determine the order. Displayed density is rounded to one decimal place.

The matching area is joined by official geographic code. 0 records in this eligible universe are excluded because a valid positive land-area denominator is unavailable. A missing denominator is not a zero density. Density refers to the whole geography, rather than a built-up area, a housing parcel or a person's living conditions.

Sources, calculation rules and downloadable results

Source: NST-EST2025-ALLDATA.csv, Census Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, variables POPESTIMATE2024 and POPESTIMATE2025. Density additionally uses 2025 Gazetteer ALAND joined by official code. The retained source snapshot is pep-2025-r1; calculations use unrounded values.

Density order divides resident population by compatible land area in square miles. Equal unrounded metric values share a competition rank, and the following rank skips the tied positions. Display rounding can make different underlying values look identical; the table order uses the originals.

Export visible rows after filtering to preserve the displayed subset. Use complete dataset downloads for all observations, or population research tools for a longer comparison. A ranking is a dated descriptive result, not an official forecast. Publication vintages can revise earlier years; retain the release identifier with your research.

Most Densely Populated U.S. States (2025)

Top 10 states: population density

Which states have the highest population density?

State land area and geographic averages

Complete ranking and filters

How population density is calculated and rounded

Sources, calculation rules and downloadable results