Most rural counties in Nevada
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural counties in Nevada using data from the . Counties are ranked by the percent of land area that is rural, as of the 2010 Census, with ties broken by residents per square mile, according to 2020 5-year population estimates.
According to the Census Bureau, rural land encompasses any land that isn't an urban area. To be considered an urban area, a place has to have a densely settled core of census tracts or blocks and count at least 2,500 people, at least 1,500 of whom must be residents of non-institutional buildings. Areas with 50,000 people or more are considered urbanized areas, while areas with between 2,500 and 50,000 people are considered urban clusters.
#17. Carson City
- Rural area: 85.9% (124 square miles)
- Urban area: 14.1% (20 square miles)
- Total land area: 145 square miles
--- #17 largest county in state, #3,064 nationwide
- Population density: 381.9 people / square mile (55,244 residents)
--- #17 lowest density county in state, #2,805 nationwide
#16. Clark County
- Rural area: 94.4% (7,452 square miles)
- Urban area: 5.6% (439 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,891 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #37 nationwide
- Population density: 282.4 people / square mile (2.2 million residents)
--- #16 lowest density county in state, #2,714 nationwide
#15. Douglas County
- Rural area: 97.1% (689 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.9% (20 square miles)
- Total land area: 710 square miles
--- #15 largest county in state, #1,293 nationwide
- Population density: 68.3 people / square mile (48,486 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #1,952 nationwide
#14. Washoe County
- Rural area: 97.2% (6,127 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.8% (175 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,302 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #53 nationwide
- Population density: 73.7 people / square mile (464,182 residents)
--- #15 lowest density county in state, #2,021 nationwide
#13. Lyon County
- Rural area: 99.1% (1,984 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (18 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,001 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #287 nationwide
- Population density: 27.8 people / square mile (55,667 residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #1,152 nationwide
#12. Churchill County
- Rural area: 99.7% (4,916 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.3% (14 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,930 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #79 nationwide
- Population density: 5.0 people / square mile (24,606 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #367 nationwide
#11. Nye County
- Rural area: 99.8% (18,138 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (44 square miles)
- Total land area: 18,182 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #13 nationwide
- Population density: 2.5 people / square mile (45,514 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #193 nationwide
#10. Storey County
- Rural area: 99.9% (263 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 263 square miles
--- #16 largest county in state, #2,879 nationwide
- Population density: 15.5 people / square mile (4,086 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #756 nationwide
#9. Elko County
- Rural area: 99.9% (17,149 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (21 square miles)
- Total land area: 17,170 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #14 nationwide
- Population density: 3.1 people / square mile (52,537 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #242 nationwide
#8. Humboldt County
- Rural area: 99.9% (9,632 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 9,641 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #26 nationwide
- Population density: 1.7 people / square mile (16,834 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #132 nationwide
#7. Lander County
- Rural area: 100.0% (5,488 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (2 square miles)
- Total land area: 5,490 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #68 nationwide
- Population density: 1.0 people / square mile (5,565 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #70 nationwide
#6. Mineral County
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,752 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,753 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #135 nationwide
- Population density: 1.2 people / square mile (4,487 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #88 nationwide
#5. White Pine County
- Rural area: 100.0% (8,873 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 8,876 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #31 nationwide
- Population density: 1.1 people / square mile (9,570 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #77 nationwide
#4. Pershing County
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,037 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,037 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #59 nationwide
- Population density: 1.1 people / square mile (6,591 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #78 nationwide
#3. Lincoln County
- Rural area: 100.0% (10,633 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 10,633 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #20 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (5,177 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #26 nationwide
#2. Eureka County
- Rural area: 100.0% (4,176 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,176 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #114 nationwide
- Population density: 0.4 people / square mile (1,839 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #21 nationwide
#1. Esmeralda County
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,582 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,582 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #141 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (1,030 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #16 nationwide
