Of the 100 counties with the lowest per sq mi, 92 voted Republican and 8 Democratic in 2024 — a median of R+65.3, and as a group they shifted −1.8 points toward Republicans from 2020 to 2024.

Median 2024 margin

R+65.3

top 100 counties

2024 split

92 R · 8 D

of the top counties

Shift since 2020

−1.8 pts

toward R

Link to the vote

r = +0.49

moderate · D

Median income

$65,000

23% college

Does per sq mi move the vote?

Every U.S. county, plotted by how little of the community lives there against its 2024 presidential margin — the demographic dial on one axis, the political one on the other.

how per sq mi tracks the vote

Across every county, the more per sq mi a county is, the more Democratic it votes — a moderate relationship (r = +0.49).

Median 2024 presidential margin by Per sq mi share, across every county.
Per sq mi range	Counties	Median margin
0.9/mi² – 1.5/mi²	110	R+65.5
1.5/mi² – 2.4/mi²	80	R+61.5
2.4/mi² – 3.9/mi²	113	R+63.5
3.9/mi² – 6.3/mi²	129	R+57.8
6.3/mi² – 10/mi²	157	R+56.4
10/mi² – 17/mi²	214	R+49.1
17/mi² – 27/mi²	338	R+47.8
27/mi² – 45/mi²	422	R+45.4
45/mi² – 73/mi²	427	R+45.0
73/mi² – 118/mi²	355	R+43.4
118/mi² – 193/mi²	228	R+31.3
193/mi² – 314/mi²	158	R+27.5
314/mi² – 511/mi²	139	R+14.9
511/mi² – 832/mi²	91	R+5.3
832/mi² – 1,355/mi²	65	D+7.0
1,355/mi² – 2,208/mi²	117	D+25.4

Where per sq mi is lowest

Every county shaded by per sq mi — deep where the value bottoms out, pale at the other end.

0.9/mi²Per sq mi2,208/mi²+

The leaderboard

Ranked least to most by per sq mi. Filter by region or state, switch the column lens, cap the list, and sort on any figure.

Region

State

Columns

Top

100 of 150 counties shown. Sorted by metric. Sources: U.S. Census ACS 2024 5-year · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) · MIT Election Lab.
#
1	Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK	0.0/mi²	D D+20.5	−1.2	2,446
2	Lake and Peninsula Borough, AK	0.0/mi²	R R+12.3	−31.6	447
3	Loving County, TX	0.0/mi²	R R+78.4	+6.5	97
4	Yakutat City and Borough, AK	0.1/mi²	D D+19.3	+5.3	471
5	Kenedy County, TX	0.1/mi²	R R+46.8	−14.9	158
6	Copper River Census Area, AK	0.1/mi²	R R+44.3	−5.5	1,432
7	North Slope Borough, AK	0.1/mi²	R R+14.7	−11.0	1,758
8	Denali Borough, AK	0.2/mi²	R R+20.8	−15.9	1,292
9	Northwest Arctic Borough, AK	0.2/mi²	R R+4.4	−21.0	1,535
10	King County, TX	0.2/mi²	R R+91.1	−1.2	135
11	Garfield County, MT	0.2/mi²	R R+89.6	−0.7	800
12	Dillingham Census Area, AK	0.3/mi²	R R+6.2	−12.6	1,520
13	Petroleum County, MT	0.3/mi²	R R+76.2	−1.8	324
14	Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK	0.3/mi²	R R+66.7	−11.2	3,483
15	Esmeralda County, NV	0.3/mi²	R R+65.7	+1.2	461
16	Harding County, NM	0.3/mi²	R R+39.2	−11.5	431
17	Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK	0.4/mi²	D D+19.6	−16.5	1,414
18	Terrell County, TX	0.4/mi²	R R+55.1	−8.1	405
19	Eureka County, NV	0.4/mi²	R R+77.8	−0.1	1,036
20	Carter County, MT	0.4/mi²	R R+80.2	+0.9	854
21	Lincoln County, NV	0.4/mi²	R R+72.6	−1.6	2,472
22	Nome Census Area, AK	0.4/mi²	D D+9.4	−13.6	2,804
23	Harding County, SD	0.4/mi²	R R+86.1	−0.1	820
24	Bethel Census Area, AK	0.5/mi²	D D+12.4	−15.8	4,331
25	Kusilvak Census Area, AK	0.5/mi²	D D+16.8	−16.8	1,562
26	Clark County, ID	0.5/mi²	R R+69.1	+2.6	333
27	Aleutians East Borough, AK	0.5/mi²	R R+36.9	−10.8	436
28	Catron County, NM	0.5/mi²	R R+50.1	−2.7	2,357
29	Powder River County, MT	0.6/mi²	R R+75.2	−3.4	1,106
30	McPherson County, NE	0.6/mi²	R R+89.8	−4.4	284
31	Sioux County, NE	0.6/mi²	R R+76.5	+1.5	680
32	Culberson County, TX	0.6/mi²	R R+16.9	−19.6	781
33	Blaine County, NE	0.6/mi²	R R+72.9	+4.3	292
34	Edwards County, TX	0.6/mi²	R R+73.2	−5.2	1,005
35	McMullen County, TX	0.6/mi²	R R+84.4	−5.5	487
36	Slope County, ND	0.6/mi²	R R+81.7	−3.1	389
37	McCone County, MT	0.6/mi²	R R+74.1	−3.1	1,082
38	Arthur County, NE	0.7/mi²	R R+87.3	−3.4	283
39	De Baca County, NM	0.7/mi²	R R+50.7	−3.5	874
40	Chugach Census Area, AK	0.7/mi²	R R+17.6	−9.2	3,186
41	Prairie County, MT	0.7/mi²	R R+61.6	+2.5	688
42	Harney County, OR	0.7/mi²	R R+59.0	−1.4	4,255
43	Hudspeth County, TX	0.7/mi²	R R+46.3	−11.3	1,046
44	Treasure County, MT	0.7/mi²	R R+70.1	−6.0	442
45	Golden Valley County, MT	0.8/mi²	R R+72.4	−5.6	515
46	Kiowa County, CO	0.8/mi²	R R+74.4	+2.8	863
47	Thomas County, NE	0.8/mi²	R R+77.4	+0.4	393
48	Borden County, TX	0.8/mi²	R R+91.5	+0.1	387
49	Grant County, NE	0.8/mi²	R R+91.8	−3.5	366
50	Kent County, TX	0.8/mi²	R R+76.4	+2.4	445
51	Wrangell City and Borough, AK	0.8/mi²	R R+33.9	−4.3	1,135
52	Phillips County, MT	0.8/mi²	R R+62.5	+1.3	2,189
53	Jeff Davis County, TX	0.8/mi²	R R+21.3	+0.4	1,169
54	Mineral County, CO	0.8/mi²	R R+13.3	+1.3	753
55	Meagher County, MT	0.8/mi²	R R+53.9	−2.1	1,172
56	Jackson County, CO	0.9/mi²	R R+55.3	+2.5	834
57	Wheeler County, OR	0.9/mi²	R R+47.0	+4.2	868
58	Billings County, ND	0.9/mi²	R R+69.6	+4.3	647
59	Haines Borough, AK	0.9/mi²	D D+8.7	−6.9	1,899
60	Hooker County, NE	0.9/mi²	R R+73.5	−1.8	427
61	Hinsdale County, CO	0.9/mi²	R R+12.4	+3.2	607
62	Roberts County, TX	0.9/mi²	R R+92.1	+1.0	572
63	Niobrara County, WY	0.9/mi²	R R+80.7	−7.1	1,234
64	Custer County, ID	0.9/mi²	R R+53.3	+1.0	2,650
65	Cherry County, NE	0.9/mi²	R R+76.0	−0.4	3,078
66	Haakon County, SD	1.0/mi²	R R+79.9	+1.1	1,125
67	Cheyenne County, CO	1.0/mi²	R R+77.9	−2.0	1,055
68	White Pine County, NV	1.0/mi²	R R+57.0	+1.2	4,351
69	Banner County, NE	1.0/mi²	R R+80.5	−2.9	390
70	Crockett County, TX	1.0/mi²	R R+53.9	+1.7	1,417
71	Garfield County, UT	1.0/mi²	R R+59.4	+0.8	2,811
72	Lake County, OR	1.0/mi²	R R+65.0	−3.7	4,213
73	Loup County, NE	1.0/mi²	R R+65.7	−0.7	428
74	Garden County, NE	1.0/mi²	R R+70.3	+1.0	1,120
75	Jones County, SD	1.0/mi²	R R+75.8	−7.7	550
76	Lander County, NV	1.0/mi²	R R+62.3	−0.8	2,725
77	Perkins County, SD	1.0/mi²	R R+70.0	−0.4	1,591
78	Camas County, ID	1.0/mi²	R R+54.1	−6.6	728
79	Daniels County, MT	1.0/mi²	R R+65.6	−6.0	951
80	Union County, NM	1.0/mi²	R R+52.2	+4.0	1,665
81	Wayne County, UT	1.0/mi²	R R+51.9	+1.1	1,651
82	Keya Paha County, NE	1.1/mi²	R R+83.7	−3.1	545
83	Pershing County, NV	1.1/mi²	R R+54.9	−3.9	2,308
84	Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, AK	1.1/mi²	R R+4.2	+2.9	3,498
85	Judith Basin County, MT	1.1/mi²	R R+58.1	−1.2	1,353
86	Daggett County, UT	1.1/mi²	R R+62.2	−0.3	550
87	Petersburg Borough, AK	1.2/mi²	R R+19.4	+1.5	1,700
88	Hidalgo County, NM	1.2/mi²	R R+23.4	−8.3	1,862
89	Hayes County, NE	1.2/mi²	R R+91.7	−5.9	494
90	Glasscock County, TX	1.2/mi²	R R+88.2	−0.6	663
91	Aleutians West Census Area, AK	1.2/mi²	D D+0.5	−8.8	979
92	Motley County, TX	1.2/mi²	R R+88.8	−3.2	650
93	Butte County, ID	1.2/mi²	R R+72.5	−0.8	1,494
94	Cimarron County, OK	1.2/mi²	R R+84.9	+0.5	935
95	Mineral County, NV	1.2/mi²	R R+35.6	−10.2	2,295
96	Ziebach County, SD	1.2/mi²	R R+2.8	−11.3	781
97	Rock County, NE	1.3/mi²	R R+79.0	−0.7	835
98	Stonewall County, TX	1.3/mi²	R R+69.0	−1.2	716
99	Irion County, TX	1.3/mi²	R R+75.6	−3.7	868
100	Sheridan County, ND	1.3/mi²	R R+71.7	+0.2	757

Source. Demographics — U.S. Census American Community Survey 2024 5-year (ancestry B04006, language C16001, income B19013/B19001, education S1501, poverty S1701); adherence — 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB); density — Census TIGER land area · counties and cities ≥ 5,000 population, ranked by per sq mi; the medians are taken across the 100 top counties; the correlation is over all 3,143 eligible counties. Presidential results are two-party margins (MIT Election Lab); city results are precinct-derived for 2008–2024. A place can be demographically homogeneous and politically split — which is exactly what these tables are built to show. Real returns — nothing estimated.

The most rural places in America

Does per sq mi move the vote?

Where per sq mi is lowest

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