List of the most populous counties by U.S. state

The following is a sortable table of the most populous county in each U.S. state, federal district, and territory. Counties and states/territories in bold have a population of at least 1 million.

Table

State federal district or territory	Largest county parish or municipality^{[note 1]}	Population (2024 estimate)^[3]	County parish seat or shire town	State federal district or territory population (2024 estimate)^[4]^{[note 2]}	Largest county/parish or municipality Percentage of state/federal district or territory population
Alabama	Jefferson	664,744	Birmingham	5,157,699	12.89%
Alaska	Anchorage	289,600	Anchorage	740,133	39.13%
American Samoa	Western District^[1]^{[note 3]}	31,819^[5]	—	46,765	68.04%
Arizona	Maricopa	4,673,096	Phoenix	7,582,384	61.63%
Arkansas	Pulaski	401,209	Little Rock	3,088,354	12.99%
California	Los Angeles	9,757,179	Los Angeles	39,431,263	24.74%
Colorado	El Paso	752,772	Colorado Springs	5,957,493	12.64%
Connecticut	Capitol	991,508	Hartford	3,675,069	26.98%
Delaware	New Castle	588,093	Wilmington	1,051,917	55.91%
District of Columbia	District of Columbia	702,250	District of Columbia	702,250	100.00%
Florida	Miami-Dade	2,838,461	Miami	23,372,215	12.14%
Georgia	Fulton	1,090,354	Atlanta	11,180,878	9.75%
Guam	Guam^{[note 4]}	943	Hagåtña	167,777	0.56%
Hawaii	Honolulu	998,747	Honolulu	1,446,146	69.06%
Idaho	Ada	535,799	Boise	2,001,619	26.77%
Illinois	Cook	5,182,617	Chicago	12,710,158	40.78%
Indiana	Marion	981,628	Indianapolis	6,924,275	14.18%
Iowa	Polk	516,185	Des Moines	3,241,488	15.92%
Kansas	Johnson	632,276	Olathe	2,970,606	21.28%
Kentucky	Jefferson	793,881	Louisville	4,588,372	17.30%
Louisiana	East Baton Rouge	453,022	Baton Rouge	4,597,740	9.85%
Maine	Cumberland	313,809	Portland	1,405,012	22.33%
Maryland	Montgomery	1,082,273	Rockville	6,263,220	17.28%
Massachusetts	Middlesex	1,668,956	Cambridge and Lowell	7,136,171	23.39%
Michigan	Wayne	1,771,063	Detroit	10,140,459	17.47%
Minnesota	Hennepin	1,273,334	Minneapolis	5,793,151	21.98%
Mississippi	Harrison	213,730	Biloxi and Gulfport	2,943,045	7.26%
Missouri	St. Louis	992,929	Clayton	6,245,466	15.90%
Montana	Yellowstone	171,583	Billings	1,137,233	15.09%
Nebraska	Douglas	601,158	Omaha	2,005,465	29.98%
Nevada	Clark	2,398,871	Las Vegas	3,267,467	73.42%
New Hampshire	Hillsborough	430,462	Manchester and Nashua	1,409,032	30.55%
New Jersey	Bergen	978,641	Hackensack	9,500,851	10.30%
New Mexico	Bernalillo	671,747	Albuquerque	2,130,256	31.53%
New York	Kings	2,617,631	Brooklyn	19,867,248	13.18%
North Carolina	Wake^[6]	1,232,444	Raleigh	11,046,024	11.16%
North Dakota	Cass	200,945	Fargo	796,568	25.23%
Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan^[1]	43,385	Capitol Hill, Saipan	44,278	97.98%
Ohio	Franklin^[7]	1,356,303	Columbus	11,883,304	11.41%
Oklahoma	Oklahoma	816,490	Oklahoma City	4,095,393	19.94%
Oregon	Multnomah	795,897	Portland	4,272,371	18.63%
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	1,573,916	Philadelphia	13,078,751	12.03%
Puerto Rico	San Juan^[1]	332,454	San Juan	3,203,295	10.38%
Rhode Island	Providence	675,912	Providence	1,112,308	60.77%
South Carolina	Greenville	570,745	Greenville	5,478,831	10.42%
South Dakota	Minnehaha	208,639	Sioux Falls	924,669	22.56%
Tennessee	Shelby	910,530	Memphis	7,227,750	12.60%
Texas	Harris	5,009,302	Houston	31,290,831	16.01%
U.S. Minor Outlying Islands	Wake Island	(150)^{[note 5]}	(none)	(300)	50.00%
Utah	Salt Lake	1,216,274	Salt Lake City	3,503,613	34.71%
Vermont	Chittenden	170,851	Burlington	648,493	26.35%
Virgin Islands (U.S.)	Saint Thomas island^[1]	44,500	—^{[note 6]}	104,377	42.63%
Virginia	Fairfax	1,160,925	Fairfax	8,811,195	13.18%
Washington	King	2,340,211	Seattle	7,958,180	29.41%
West Virginia	Kanawha	173,906	Charleston	1,769,979	9.83%
Wisconsin	Milwaukee	924,740	Milwaukee	5,960,975	15.51%
Wyoming	Laramie	101,783	Cheyenne	587,618	17.32%

Notes

^ In the U.S. territories, the U.S. Census Bureau defines the following as county-equivalents: the districts and atolls of American Samoa, Guam as one entity, the municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands, the municipalities of Puerto Rico, the islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the islands of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.^[1]^[2] The District of Columbia is counted as one county-equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau.^[1]
^ Territory estimates are from 2017 (except American Samoa — its estimate is from 2010).
^ American Samoa has 14 counties, but these counties are not counted by the U.S. Census Bureau (they are treated as minor civil divisions).^[2]
^ All of Guam is counted as one county-equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau.^[1]
^ Wake Island's population is non-permanent. Wake Island, Midway Atoll and Palmyra Atoll all have small non-permanent human populations; of these, Wake Island is the most populous. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the islands in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as a county-equivalents.
^ "Saint Thomas island" is a U.S. Census Bureau entity (county-equivalent) with no administrative significance.^[1] Charlotte Amalie is the largest city on Saint Thomas and is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "2010 FIPS Codes for Counties and County Equivalent Entities". Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities (Chapter 4)" (PDF). Retrieved May 27, 2022.
^ "State and County Estimates for 2024". Census Bureau. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
^ "Population Estimates: Vintage 2024: State Tables - U.S Census Bureau". Archived from the original on January 6, 2015.
^ "American Samoa (World Data)" (PDF). Britannica.com. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
^ "Wake County now has larger population than Mecklenburg County, U.S. Census Bureau estimates". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
^ "Franklin County overtakes Cuyahoga as Ohio's largest county, though not quite officially yet". Retrieved May 27, 2022.

External links

[3] In the U.S. territories, the U.S. Census Bureau defines the following as county-equivalents: the districts and atolls of American Samoa, Guam as one entity, the municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands, the municipalities of Puerto Rico, the islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the islands of the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.^[1]^[2] The District of Columbia is counted as one county-equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau.^[1]

[6] Territory estimates are from 2017 (except American Samoa — its estimate is from 2010).

[7] American Samoa has 14 counties, but these counties are not counted by the U.S. Census Bureau (they are treated as minor civil divisions).^[2]

[9] All of Guam is counted as one county-equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau.^[1]

[12] Wake Island's population is non-permanent. Wake Island, Midway Atoll and Palmyra Atoll all have small non-permanent human populations; of these, Wake Island is the most populous. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the islands in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as a county-equivalents.

[13] "Saint Thomas island" is a U.S. Census Bureau entity (county-equivalent) with no administrative significance.^[1] Charlotte Amalie is the largest city on Saint Thomas and is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

[Census_codes-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "2010 FIPS Codes for Counties and County Equivalent Entities". Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.

[CountiesCensus4-2] "States, Counties, and Statistically Equivalent Entities (Chapter 4)" (PDF). Retrieved May 27, 2022.

[4] "State and County Estimates for 2024". Census Bureau. Retrieved May 27, 2022.

[5] "Population Estimates: Vintage 2024: State Tables - U.S Census Bureau". Archived from the original on January 6, 2015.

[8] "American Samoa (World Data)" (PDF). Britannica.com. Retrieved September 23, 2018.

[10] "Wake County now has larger population than Mecklenburg County, U.S. Census Bureau estimates". Retrieved May 27, 2022.

[11] "Franklin County overtakes Cuyahoga as Ohio's largest county, though not quite officially yet". Retrieved May 27, 2022.

[note 1]

[3]

[4]

[note 2]

[1]

[note 3]

[5]

[note 4]

[6]

[7]

[note 5]

[note 6]

[2]

v t e United States state-related lists
List of states and territories of the United States
Demographics	Population African American Amish Asian birth and death rates density Hispanic and Latino historical household income immigration LGBT non-Hispanic white Pacific Islander Spanish-speaking Educational attainment Largest cities by population Median age Most popular given names Most populous counties Net migration Populated places Population density (cities) Race/ethnicity Religiosity irreligion
Economy	Billionaires Budgets Companies Credit ratings Employment rates Exports and imports Federal tax revenue Federal taxation and spending Gross domestic product growth rate per capita Income inequality Median home prices Median wages Millionaire households Minimum wages Poverty rates R&D spending Sales taxes Savings rate Socioeconomic factors Sovereign wealth funds State income taxes Unemployment rates Union affiliation Vehicles per capita
Environment	Botanical gardens Carbon dioxide emissions Parks National Natural Landmarks National Wildlife Refuges Nature centers Electricity (Renewable) Superfund sites Wilderness areas
Geography	Area Bays Beaches Coastline Elevation Extreme points Forest Geographic centers Highest cities Islands Lakes Mountains Regions Volcanoes
Government	Agriculture commissioners Attorneys general Capitals Capitol buildings Comparison Congressional districts members Counties alphabetical list Courts Governors lieutenant governors Legislatures Libraries and archives Official languages Poets laureate Politics by state or territory political party strength State auditors State legislators Alabama–Missouri Montana–Wyoming state senators State secretaries of state State speakers State chief justices State presidents pro tempore State superintendents of education State supreme courts State treasurers Statewide elected executive officials
Health	Changes in life expectancy, 1985–2010 Fertility rates Hospitals Human Development Index American Human Development Index Life expectancy Infant mortality rates Obesity rates Road deaths Smoking
History	Date of statehood Name etymologies Historical societies Museums National Historic Landmarks National Register of Historic Places State partitions Historic regions
Law	Abortion Age of consent Alcohol dry communities Alford plea Cell phone use while driving Constitutions Firearms firearms death rates gun violence Homicide rate Incest Law enforcement agencies Legality of cannabis Marriage cousin polygamy same sex Peace Index Prisons incarceration rate Seat belt laws Self-representation Smoking bans Speed limits (by jurisdiction) Statutory codes Violent crime rate
Miscellaneous	Abbreviations Airports Bus transit systems Casinos Cemeteries Demonyms Flags Hotels Insignia coats of arms License plates Malls Mottos Newspapers Nicknames Numbered highways Quarters 50 states District of Columbia and territories America the Beautiful quarters Snowiest places Symbols Tallest buildings Temperature extremes Time zones
Category Commons Portals

v t e United States county-related lists
General	Index By state or territory FIPS codes Former counties Secession proposals
Demographics	Population African-American majority Hispanic/Latino majority Native American majority Non-English speaking counties Most populous counties by state or territory Most densely populated county least Life expectancy shortest longest
Economy	Highest-income Lowest-income Per capita income
Geography	Largest area Smallest area Highest mean elevation
Name origins	Etymologies A–D E–I J–M N–R S–Z Former Most common names Named after Confederate historical figures Named after rivers Named after U.S. Presidents Named after women
See also	County statistics of the United States Smithsonian trinomial