Editing County (United States) (section)

==Statistics==
{{Main|County statistics of the United States}}
{{Further|List of United States counties and county equivalents}}

{{as of|2024|07|01|alt=As of 2024}}, there were 2,999 counties, [[List of parishes in Louisiana|64 Louisiana parishes]], [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|19 organized boroughs]] and [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|11 census areas]] in Alaska, [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|9 Councils of Government]] in Connecticut, [[Independent city (United States)|41 independent cities]],{{#tag:ref|Prior to July 1, 2016, there were 42 independent cities. At that time, [[Bedford, Virginia]], gave up its city status and became a town within [[Bedford County, Virginia|Bedford County]].<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_5dcbc886-e1e9-11e2-a412-001a4bcf6878.html |title = Bedford reversion to town becomes official today |newspaper = The News & Advance |location = Lynchburg, VA |date = July 1, 2013 |access-date = July 22, 2013 |first = Justin |last = Faulconer |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170801044750/http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_5dcbc886-e1e9-11e2-a412-001a4bcf6878.html |archive-date = August 1, 2017 |url-status = dead }}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} and the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]] for a total of 3,144 counties and [[#County equivalents|county equivalents]] in the 50 states and District of Columbia.<ref name="PopEstCounties" /> There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the [[territories of the United States]].<ref name="CensusT" /><ref name="CensusCounties2" /><ref name="USMOICounties" /> The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the [[List of counties in Delaware|three counties]] of [[Delaware]] to the [[List of counties in Texas|254 counties]] of [[Texas]].

[[Southern United States|Southern]] and [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern]] states generally tend to have more counties than [[Western United States|Western]] or [[Northeastern United States|Northeastern]] states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant a large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The [[List of counties in Rhode Island|five counties]] of [[Rhode Island]] and [[List of counties in Massachusetts|eight of the 14 counties]] of [[Massachusetts]] no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. [[Connecticut]] abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its [[List of counties in Connecticut|eight counties]] as mere legal and census entities. In 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|nine Councils of Governments]] as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024.

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+<big>The counties and county equivalents of the United&nbsp;States of America, by state or territory</big><br /><br />
! rowspan=2 | [[U.S. state|State]], [[Washington, D.C.|federal district]]<br> or [[U.S. territories|territory]]
! colspan=2 | Total
! colspan=3 | Subdivisions<ref name=PopEstCounties/>
! colspan=2 | Average
|-
! 2024 population<ref name="QuickFacts">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts|title=Census Quick Facts|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |access-date=January 26, 2025}}</ref>{{Efn|Estimates have not been made available for the territories of American Samoa; Guam; the Northern Mariana Islands; the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Currently, outdated 2019 estimates have been kept in place for the named.}}
! Land area<ref name=Area>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/popest/data/counties/totals/2012/CO-EST2012-alldata.html |title = Table 358. Land and Water Area of States and Other Entities: 2008 |work = Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012 |publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]] |date = May 1, 2008 |access-date = April 30, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130707052113/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/counties/totals/2012/CO-EST2012-alldata.html |archive-date = July 7, 2013 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>
!data-sort-type=number| Counties
!data-sort-type=number|Equivalents
!data-sort-type=number|Total
!Population
!Land area
|-
|{{flagicon|Alabama}} [[List of counties in Alabama|Alabama]]
|align=right|5,157,699
|align=center|{{sort|30|50,645 sq&nbsp;mi<br />131,171 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|67
|align=right|—
|align=right|67
|align=right|76,981
|align=center|{{sort|33|756 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,958 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Alaska}} [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|Alaska]]
|align=right|740,133
|align=center|{{sort|57|570,641 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,477,953 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
| style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|30<ref group=lower-alpha>Alaska has 19 [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|organized boroughs]] and one [[Unorganized Borough, Alaska|Unorganized Borough]] divided into [[List of boroughs and census areas in Alaska|11 census areas]].</ref>
|align=right|30
|align=right|24,671
|align=center|{{sort|57|19,677 sq&nbsp;mi<br />50,964 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Arizona}} [[List of counties in Arizona|Arizona]]
|align=right|7,582,384
|align=center|{{sort|52|113,594 sq&nbsp;mi<br />294,207 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|15
|align=right|—
|align=right|15
|align=right|505,492
|align=center|{{sort|56|7,573 sq&nbsp;mi<br />19,614 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Arkansas}} [[List of counties in Arkansas|Arkansas]]
|align=right|3,088,354
|align=center|{{sort|31|52,035 sq&nbsp;mi<br />134,771 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|75
|align=right|—
|align=right|75
|align=right|41,178
|align=center|{{sort|31|694 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,797 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|California}} [[List of counties in California|California]]
|align=right|39,431,263
|align=center|{{sort|55|155,779 sq&nbsp;mi<br />403,466 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|58
|align=right|—
|align=right|58
|align=right|679,849
|align=center|{{sort|51|2,686 sq&nbsp;mi<br />6,956 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Colorado}} [[List of counties in Colorado|Colorado]]
|align=right|5,957,493
|align=center|{{sort|50|103,642 sq&nbsp;mi<br />268,431 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|64
|align=right|—
|align=right|64
|align=right|93,086
|align=center|{{sort|45|1,619 sq&nbsp;mi<br />4,194 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Connecticut}} [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Connecticut]]
|align=right|3,675,069
|align=center|{{sort|10|4,842 sq&nbsp;mi<br />12,542 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|—
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|9<ref group=lower-alpha>On June 6, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau formally recognized [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Connecticut's nine councils of governments]] as county equivalents instead of the state's eight counties. Connecticut's county governments were disbanded in 1960, and the councils of governments took over some of the local governmental functions. [[List of counties in Connecticut|Connecticut's eight historical counties]] continue to exist in name only, and are no longer considered for statistical purposes.</ref>
|align=right|9
|align=right|408,341
|align=center|{{sort|24|605 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,568 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Delaware}} [[List of counties in Delaware|Delaware]]
|align=right|1,051,917
|align=center|{{sort|08|1,949 sq&nbsp;mi<br />5,047 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|3
|align=right|—
|align=right|3
|align=right|350,639
|align=center|{{sort|25|650 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,682 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|District of Columbia}} [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]
|align=right|702,250
|align=center|{{sort|02|61 sq&nbsp;mi<br />158 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
| style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|1<ref group=lower-alpha>The U.S. Census Bureau and the [[Office of Management and Budget]] consider the entire District of Columbia to be a county equivalent.</ref>
|align=right|1
|align=right|702,250
|align=center|{{sort|06|61 sq&nbsp;mi<br />158 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Florida}} [[List of counties in Florida|Florida]]
|align=right|23,372,215
|align=center|{{sort|32|53,625 sq&nbsp;mi<br />138,887 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|67
|align=right|—
|align=right|67
|align=right|348,839
|align=center|{{sort|36|800 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,073 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Georgia (U.S. state)}} [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|align=right|11,180,878
|align=center|{{sort|37|57,513 sq&nbsp;mi<br />148,959 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|159
|align=right|—
|align=right|159
|align=right|70,320
|align=center|{{sort|12|362 sq&nbsp;mi<br />937 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Hawaii}} [[List of counties in Hawaii|Hawaii]]
|align=right|1,446,146
|align=center|{{sort|11|6,423 sq&nbsp;mi<br />16,635 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|5
|align=right|—
|align=right|5
|align=right|289,229
|align=center|{{sort|43|1,285 sq&nbsp;mi<br />3,327 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Idaho}} [[List of counties in Idaho|Idaho]]
|align=right|2,001,619
|align=center|{{sort|47|82,643 sq&nbsp;mi<br />214,045 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|44
|align=right|—
|align=right|44
|align=right|45,491
|align=center|{{sort|47|1,878 sq&nbsp;mi<br />4,865 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Illinois}} [[List of counties in Illinois|Illinois]]
|align=right|12,710,158
|align=center|{{sort|34|55,519 sq&nbsp;mi<br />143,793 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|102
|align=right|—
|align=right|102
|align=right|124,609
|align=center|{{sort|19|544 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,410 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Indiana}} [[List of counties in Indiana|Indiana]]
|align=right|6,924,275
|align=center|{{sort|20|35,826 sq&nbsp;mi<br />92,789 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|92
|align=right|—
|align=right|92
|align=right|75,264
|align=center|{{sort|13|389 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,009 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Iowa}} [[List of counties in Iowa|Iowa]]
|align=right|3,241,488
|align=center|{{sort|35|55,857 sq&nbsp;mi<br />144,669 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|99
|align=right|—
|align=right|99
|align=right|32,742
|align=center|{{sort|21|564 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,461 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Kansas}} [[List of counties in Kansas|Kansas]]
|align=right|2,970,606
|align=center|{{sort|45|81,759 sq&nbsp;mi<br />211,754 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|105
|align=right|—
|align=right|105
|align=right|28,291
|align=center|{{sort|35|779 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,017 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Kentucky}} [[List of counties in Kentucky|Kentucky]]
|align=right|4,588,372
|align=center|{{sort|21|39,486 sq&nbsp;mi<br />102,269 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|120
|align=right|—
|align=right|120
|align=right|38,236
|align=center|{{sort|10|329 sq&nbsp;mi<br />852 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Louisiana}} [[List of parishes in Louisiana|Louisiana]]
|align=right|4,597,740
|align=center|{{sort|25|43,204 sq&nbsp;mi<br />111,898 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|64<ref group=lower-alpha>Louisiana has [[List of parishes in Louisiana|64 parishes]] instead of counties.</ref>
|align=right|64
|align=right|71,840
|align=center|{{sort|29|675 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,748 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Maine}} [[List of counties in Maine|Maine]]
|align=right|1,405,012
|align=center|{{sort|19|30,843 sq&nbsp;mi<br />79,883 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|16
|align=right|—
|align=right|16
|align=right|87,813
|align=center|{{sort|48|1,928 sq&nbsp;mi<br />4,993 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Maryland}} [[List of counties in Maryland|Maryland]]
|align=right|6,263,220
|align=center|{{sort|16|9,707 sq&nbsp;mi<br />25,142 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|23
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|1<ref group=lower-alpha>[[Baltimore|Baltimore, Maryland]] is an [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]].</ref>
|align=right|24
|align=right|260,968
|align=center|{{sort|14|404 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,048 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Massachusetts}} [[List of counties in Massachusetts|Massachusetts]]
|align=right|7,136,171
|align=center|{{sort|13|7,800 sq&nbsp;mi<br />20,202 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|14
|align=right|—
|align=right|14
|align=right|509,727
|align=center|{{sort|20|557 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,443 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Michigan}} [[List of counties in Michigan|Michigan]]
|align=right|10,140,459
|align=center|{{sort|36|56,539 sq&nbsp;mi<br />146,435 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|83
|align=right|—
|align=right|83
|align=right|122,174
|align=center|{{sort|30|681 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,764 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Minnesota}} [[List of counties in Minnesota|Minnesota]]
|align=right|5,793,151
|align=center|{{sort|44|79,627 sq&nbsp;mi<br />206,232 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|87
|align=right|—
|align=right|87
|align=right|66,588
|align=center|{{sort|40|915 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,370 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Mississippi}} [[List of counties in Mississippi|Mississippi]]
|align=right|2,943,045
|align=center|{{sort|27|46,923 sq&nbsp;mi<br />121,531 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|82
|align=right|—
|align=right|82
|align=right|35,891
|align=center|{{sort|22|572 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,482 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Missouri}} [[List of counties in Missouri|Missouri]]
|align=right|6,245,466
|align=center|{{sort|40|68,742 sq&nbsp;mi<br />178,040 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|114
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|1<ref group=lower-alpha>[[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]] is an [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]].</ref>
|align=right|115
|align=right|54,308
|align=center|{{sort|23|598 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,548 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Montana}} [[List of counties in Montana|Montana]]
|align=right|1,137,233
|align=center|{{sort|54|145,546 sq&nbsp;mi<br />376,962 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|56
|align=right|—
|align=right|56
|align=right|20,308
|align=center|{{sort|49|2,599 sq&nbsp;mi<br />6,731 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Nebraska}} [[List of counties in Nebraska|Nebraska]]
|align=right|2,005,465
|align=center|{{sort|43|76,824 sq&nbsp;mi<br />198,974 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|93
|align=right|—
|align=right|93
|align=right|21,564
|align=center|{{sort|37|826 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,140 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Nevada}} [[List of counties in Nevada|Nevada]]
|align=right|3,267,467
|align=center|{{sort|51|109,781 sq&nbsp;mi<br />284,332 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|16
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|1<ref group=lower-alpha>[[Carson City, Nevada]] is an [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]].</ref>
|align=right|17
|align=right|192,204
|align=center|{{sort|55|6,458 sq&nbsp;mi<br />16,725 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|New Hampshire}} [[List of counties in New Hampshire|New Hampshire]]
|align=right|1,409,032
|align=center|{{sort|14|8,953 sq&nbsp;mi<br />23,187 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|10
|align=right|—
|align=right|10
|align=right|140,903
|align=center|{{sort|39|895 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,319 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|New Jersey}} [[List of counties in New Jersey|New Jersey]]
|align=right|9,500,851
|align=center|{{sort|12|7,354 sq&nbsp;mi<br />19,047 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|21
|align=right|—
|align=right|21
|align=right|452,421
|align=center|{{sort|11|350 sq&nbsp;mi<br />907 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|New Mexico}} [[List of counties in New Mexico|New Mexico]]
|align=right|2,130,256
|align=center|{{sort|53|121,298 sq&nbsp;mi<br />314,161 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|33
|align=right|—
|align=right|33
|align=right|64,553
|align=center|{{sort|53|3,676 sq&nbsp;mi<br />9,520 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|New York}} [[List of counties in New York|New York]]
|align=right|19,867,248
|align=center|{{sort|28|47,126 sq&nbsp;mi<br />122,057 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|62
|align=right|—
|align=right|62
|align=right|320,439
|align=center|{{sort|34|760 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,969 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|North Carolina}} [[List of counties in North Carolina|North Carolina]]
|align=right|11,046,024
|align=center|{{sort|29|48,618 sq&nbsp;mi<br />125,920 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|100
|align=right|—
|align=right|100
|align=right|110,460
|align=center|{{sort|18|486 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,259 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|North Dakota}} [[List of counties in North Dakota|North Dakota]]
|align=right|796,568
|align=center|{{sort|41|69,001 sq&nbsp;mi<br />178,711 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|53
|align=right|—
|align=right|53
|align=right|15,030
|align=center|{{sort|44|1,302 sq&nbsp;mi<br />3,372 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Ohio}} [[List of counties in Ohio|Ohio]]
|align=right|11,883,304
|align=center|{{sort|23|40,861 sq&nbsp;mi<br />105,829 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|88
|align=right|—
|align=right|88
|align=right|135,038
|align=center|{{sort|17|464 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,203 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Oklahoma}} [[List of counties in Oklahoma|Oklahoma]]
|align=right|4,095,393
|align=center|{{sort|39|68,595 sq&nbsp;mi<br />177,660 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|77
|align=right|—
|align=right|77
|align=right|53,187
|align=center|{{sort|38|891 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,307 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Oregon}} [[List of counties in Oregon|Oregon]]
|align=right|4,272,371
|align=center|{{sort|48|95,988 sq&nbsp;mi<br />248,608 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|36
|align=right|—
|align=right|36
|align=right|118,677
|align=center|{{sort|50|2,666 sq&nbsp;mi<br />6,906 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Pennsylvania}} [[List of counties in Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]
|align=right|13,078,751
|align=center|{{sort|26|44,743 sq&nbsp;mi<br />115,883 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|67
|align=right|—
|align=right|67
|align=right|195,205
|align=center|{{sort|28|668 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,730 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Rhode Island}} [[List of counties in Rhode Island|Rhode Island]]
|align=right|1,112,308
|align=center|{{sort|07|1,034 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,678 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|5
|align=right|—
|align=right|5
|align=right|222,462
|align=center|{{sort|07|207 sq&nbsp;mi<br />536 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|South Carolina}} [[List of counties in South Carolina|South Carolina]]
|align=right|5,478,831
|align=center|{{sort|18|30,061 sq&nbsp;mi<br />77,857 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|46
|align=right|—
|align=right|46
|align=right|119,105
|align=center|{{sort|26|653 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,693 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|South Dakota}} [[List of counties in South Dakota|South Dakota]]
|align=right|924,669
|align=center|{{sort|42|75,811 sq&nbsp;mi<br />196,350 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|66
|align=right|—
|align=right|66
|align=right|14,010
|align=center|{{sort|42|1,149 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,975 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Tennessee}} [[List of counties in Tennessee|Tennessee]]
|align=right|7,227,750
|align=center|{{sort|24|41,235 sq&nbsp;mi<br />106,798 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|95
|align=right|—
|align=right|95
|align=right|76,082
|align=center|{{sort|15|434 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,124 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Texas}} [[List of counties in Texas|Texas]]
|align=right|31,290,831
|align=center|{{sort|56|261,232 sq&nbsp;mi<br />676,587 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|254
|align=right|—
|align=right|254
|align=right|123,192
|align=center|{{sort|41|1,028 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,664 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Utah}} [[List of counties in Utah|Utah]]
|align=right|3,503,613
|align=center|{{sort|46|82,170 sq&nbsp;mi<br />212,818 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|29
|align=right|—
|align=right|29
|align=right|120,814
|align=center|{{sort|52|2,833 sq&nbsp;mi<br />7,339 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Vermont}} [[List of counties in Vermont|Vermont]]
|align=right|648,493
|align=center|{{sort|15|9,217 sq&nbsp;mi<br />23,871 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|14
|align=right|—
|align=right|14
|align=right|46,321
|align=center|{{sort|27|658 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,705 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Virginia}} [[List of counties in Virginia|Virginia]]
|align=right|8,811,195
|align=center|{{sort|22|39,490 sq&nbsp;mi<br />102,279 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|95
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|38<ref group=lower-alpha>Virginia has [[List of cities in Virginia|38 independent cities]].</ref>
|align=right|133
|align=right|66,250
|align=center|{{sort|09|416 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,077 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Washington}} [[List of counties in Washington|Washington]]
|align=right|7,958,180
|align=center|{{sort|38|66,456 sq&nbsp;mi<br />172,119 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|39
|align=right|—
|align=right|39
|align=right|204,056
|align=center|{{sort|46|1,704 sq&nbsp;mi<br />4,413 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|West Virginia}} [[List of counties in West Virginia|West Virginia]]
|align=right|1,769,979
|align=center|{{sort|17|24,038 sq&nbsp;mi<br />62,259 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|55
|align=right|—
|align=right|55
|align=right|32,181
|align=center|{{sort|16|437 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,132 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Wisconsin}} [[List of counties in Wisconsin|Wisconsin]]
|align=right|5,960,975
|align=center|{{sort|33|54,158 sq&nbsp;mi<br />140,268 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|72
|align=right|—
|align=right|72
|align=right|82,791
|align=center|{{sort|32|752 sq&nbsp;mi<br />1,948 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Wyoming}} [[List of counties in Wyoming|Wyoming]]
|align=right|587,618
|align=center|{{sort|49|97,093 sq&nbsp;mi<br />251,470 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|23
|align=right|—
|align=right|23
|align=right|25,549
|align=center|{{sort|54|4,221 sq&nbsp;mi<br />10,933 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-class=sortbottom style="background:#fbfbbb"
|[[List of United States counties and county equivalents|United States]]<br> (50 states and the District of Columbia)
|align=right|340,110,988
|align=center|{{sort|99|3,531,905 sq&nbsp;mi<br />9,147,592 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|2,999
|align=right|145
|align=right|3,144
|align=right|108,178
|align=center|{{sort|99|1,124 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,910 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|American Samoa}} [[Administrative divisions of American Samoa|American Samoa]]{{efn|Although American Samoa has 15 counties,<ref>[https://new.asbar.org/revised-constitution-of-american-samoa/ Revised Constitution of American Samoa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607074235/https://new.asbar.org/revised-constitution-of-american-samoa |date=June 7, 2020 }}, American Samoa Bar Association.</ref><ref>[https://new.asbar.org/code-annotated/2-0202-districts/ 2.0202 Districts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607034033/https://new.asbar.org/code-annotated/2-0202-districts/ |date=June 7, 2020 }}, Code Annotated, American Samoa Bar Association.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200729020135/https://new.asbar.org/code-annotated/6-0102-definitions/ 6.0102 Definitions], Code Annotated, American Samoa Bar Association.</ref> they are not counted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Bureau instead counts American Samoa's [[Administrative divisions of American Samoa|3 districts and 2 atolls]] as county equivalents.<ref name="ASamoaCounties">[http://www.statoids.com/yas.html "Counties of American Samoa"]. Statoids.com. Retrieved July 6, 2018.</ref><ref name="CensusT"/>}}
|align=right|51,504
|align=center|{{sort|03|77 sq&nbsp;mi<br />199 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|5
|align=right|5
|align=right|11,104
|align=center|{{sort|02|15 sq&nbsp;mi<br />40 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-class=sortbottom style="background:#fbfbbb"
|-
|{{flagicon|Guam}} [[List of populated places in Guam|Guam]]<ref group=lower-alpha>Guam does not have counties. All of Guam is counted as one county equivalent by the U.S. Census Bureau.</ref>
|align=right|162,742
|align=center|{{sort|06|210 sq&nbsp;mi<br />540 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|1
|align=right|1
|align=right|162,742
|align=center|{{sort|08|210 sq&nbsp;mi<br />540 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Northern Mariana Islands}} [[Northern Mariana Islands#Administrative divisions|Northern Mariana Islands]]<ref group=lower-alpha>The Northern Mariana Islands do not have counties. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 4 municipalities of the Northern Mariana Islands as county equivalents.</ref>
|align=right| 52,263
|align=center|{{sort|05|179 sq&nbsp;mi<br />464 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|4
|align=right|4
|align=right|13,066
|align=center|{{sort|04|45 sq&nbsp;mi<br />116 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} [[Municipalities of Puerto Rico|Puerto Rico]]<ref group=lower-alpha>Puerto Rico does not have counties. The U.S. Census Bureau counts Puerto Rico's [[Municipalities of Puerto Rico|78 municipalities]] as county equivalents.</ref>
|align=right|3,203,295
|align=center|{{sort|09|3,515 sq&nbsp;mi<br />9,104 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|78
|align=right|78
|align=right|41,068
|align=center|{{sort|05|45 sq&nbsp;mi<br />116 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|United States}} [[U.S. Minor Outlying Islands]]<ref group=lower-alpha>The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands do not have counties. The U.S. Census Bureau counts each of the 9 island groups in the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands as county equivalents.</ref><ref group=lower-alpha>The Minor Outlying Islands have no permanent residents. All reported population consists of temporary military and scientific habitation.</ref>
|align=right|160
|align=center|{{sort|01|13 sq&nbsp;mi<br />34 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
| style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|9
|align=right|9
|align=right|18
|align=center|{{sort|01|1 sq&nbsp;mi<br />4 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-
|{{flagicon|U.S. Virgin Islands}} [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]]<ref group=lower-alpha>The U.S. Virgin Islands do not have counties. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands ([[Saint Croix]], [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint Thomas]] and [[Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands|Saint John]]) as county equivalents.</ref>
|align=right| 104,901
|align=center|{{sort|04|134 sq&nbsp;mi<br />346 km<sup>2</sup>}}
| align="right" | —
|style="background: #EEEEEE;" align=right|3
|align=right|3
|align=right|34,967
|align=center|{{sort|03|45 sq&nbsp;mi<br />115 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|-class=sortbottom style="background:#fbfbbb"
|[[List of United States counties and county equivalents|United States]]<br> (50 states, the District of Columbia,<br> and territories)
|align=right|330,744,054
|align=center|{{sort|-|3,535,948 sq&nbsp;mi<br />9,158,064 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|align=right|2,999
|align=right|245
|align=right|3,244
|align=right|101,987
|align=center|{{sort|-|1,091 sq&nbsp;mi<br />2,825 km<sup>2</sup>}}
|}

===Population===
[[File:County population map.webp|thumb|County population map <br> 2022 Census data]]
The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is [[Nicholas County, West Virginia]], had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is [[Los Angeles County, California]], with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming.

The second most populous county is [[Cook County, Illinois]], with a population of 5,275,541.<ref name="USCensus2015">{{cite web |title=American FactFinder |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=PEP_2015_PEPANNRES&src=pt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200214010228/https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=PEP_2015_PEPANNRES&src=pt |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2016 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Cook County's population is larger than that of 28 individual [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|U.S. states]] and the combined populations of the six smallest states.<ref name=USCensus2015 />

The least populous county is [[Loving County, Texas]], with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the [[Territories of the United States|U.S. territories]] have no human population: [[Rose Atoll]], [[Northern Islands Municipality]], [[Baker Island]], [[Howland Island]], [[Jarvis Island]], [[Johnston Atoll]], [[Kingman Reef]], and [[Navassa Island]].<ref name="USMOICounties"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statoids.com/ump.html |title=Municipalities of Northern Mariana Islands |website=Statoids.com |access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.statoids.com/uas.html |title=Districts of American Samoa |website=Statoids.com |access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref> The remaining three islands in the [[U.S. Minor Outlying Islands]] ([[Midway Atoll]], [[Palmyra Atoll]] and [[Wake Island]]) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is [[Swains Island|Swains Island, American Samoa]] (17 people),<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Swains-Island |title=Swains Island |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=Online |access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref> although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either.<ref>[http://npshistory.com/publications/noaa/unlocking-secrets-swains-island.pdf Unlocking the Secrets of Swains Island] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170719004908/http://npshistory.com/publications/noaa/unlocking-secrets-swains-island.pdf |date=July 19, 2017 }}, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, September 2013.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200728235650/https://mtp.travel/users/1/posts/1575 Swains Island], Charles A. Veley, 27 November 2008.</ref><ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301667226_Assessment_of_the_Birds_of_Swains_Island_American_Samoa Assessment of the Birds of Swains Island, American Samoa], Andrew Titmus, Nicola Arcilla, and Christopher Lepczyk, ''The Wilson Journal of Ornithology'', March 2016.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231315/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2014/09/20/hawaii-news/atoll-envisioned-as-a-model-for-sustainability/ Atoll envisioned as a model for sustainability], Star Advertiser, 20 September 2014.</ref>

The most densely populated county or county equivalent is [[Manhattan|New York County, New York]] (coextensive with the [[New York City]] Borough of Manhattan), with {{convert|72,033|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|persons&nbsp;|persons}} in 2015. The [[Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska]], is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with {{convert|0.0380|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|persons&nbsp;|persons}} in 2015.<ref name=USCensus2015 />

In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have a population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000.<ref name=USCensus2015 />

===Area===
[[File:NicholasCountySignWV.jpg|right|thumb|A highway sign designating the border between [[Nicholas County, West Virginia|Nicholas]] and [[Greenbrier County, West Virginia|Greenbrier]] counties in [[West Virginia]] along a secondary road]]

At the [[2000 U.S. census]], the [[median]] land area of U.S. counties was {{convert|622|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}, which is two-thirds of the median land area of a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county of England]], and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French ''[[département]]''. Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] is {{convert|343|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}, whereas in [[Utah]] it is {{convert|2,427|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}.

The most extensive county or county equivalent is the [[Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska]], with a land area of 145,505&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (376,856&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is [[San Bernardino County, California]], with a land area of 20,057&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (51,947&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). The least extensive county is [[Kalawao County, Hawaii]], with a land area of 11.991&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (31.058&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the [[independent city (United States)|independent city]] of [[Falls Church, Virginia]], with a land area of 1.999&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (5.177&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).<ref name=NACO/> If U.S. territories are included, the least extensive county equivalent is [[Kingman Reef]], with a land area of 0.01&nbsp;square&nbsp;miles (0.03&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).<ref name="Kingman Reef">{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kingman-Reef |title=Kingman Reef |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |edition=Online |access-date=July 7, 2018}}</ref>