Most rural counties in Washington
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural counties in Washington 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.
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#39. Kitsap County
- Rural area: 62.0% (245 square miles)
- Urban area: 38.0% (150 square miles)
- Total land area: 395 square miles
--- #36 largest county in state, #2,550 nationwide
- Population density: 681.0 people / square mile (268,945 residents)
--- #37 lowest density county in state, #2,940 nationwide
#38. King County
- Rural area: 75.1% (1,588 square miles)
- Urban area: 24.9% (527 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,116 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #264 nationwide
- Population density: 1,051.8 people / square mile (2.2 million residents)
--- #39 lowest density county in state, #3,000 nationwide
#37. Pierce County
- Rural area: 79.2% (1,322 square miles)
- Urban area: 20.8% (347 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,670 square miles
--- #23 largest county in state, #361 nationwide
- Population density: 534.2 people / square mile (891,862 residents)
--- #36 lowest density county in state, #2,897 nationwide
#36. Clark County
- Rural area: 79.6% (501 square miles)
- Urban area: 20.4% (128 square miles)
- Total land area: 629 square miles
--- #35 largest county in state, #1,528 nationwide
- Population density: 766.2 people / square mile (481,950 residents)
--- #38 lowest density county in state, #2,954 nationwide
#35. Island County
- Rural area: 81.5% (170 square miles)
- Urban area: 18.5% (39 square miles)
- Total land area: 208 square miles
--- #38 largest county in state, #2,987 nationwide
- Population density: 403.9 people / square mile (84,187 residents)
--- #35 lowest density county in state, #2,832 nationwide
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#34. Thurston County
- Rural area: 82.9% (599 square miles)
- Urban area: 17.1% (123 square miles)
- Total land area: 722 square miles
--- #32 largest county in state, #1,238 nationwide
- Population density: 394.3 people / square mile (284,698 residents)
--- #34 lowest density county in state, #2,818 nationwide
#33. Snohomish County
- Rural area: 88.4% (1,846 square miles)
- Urban area: 11.6% (241 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,087 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #270 nationwide
- Population density: 388.8 people / square mile (811,572 residents)
--- #33 lowest density county in state, #2,814 nationwide
#32. Spokane County
- Rural area: 90.3% (1,593 square miles)
- Urban area: 9.7% (171 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,764 square miles
--- #19 largest county in state, #340 nationwide
- Population density: 291.1 people / square mile (513,402 residents)
--- #32 lowest density county in state, #2,722 nationwide
#31. Benton County
- Rural area: 95.4% (1,622 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.6% (79 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,700 square miles
--- #22 largest county in state, #355 nationwide
- Population density: 118.0 people / square mile (200,715 residents)
--- #31 lowest density county in state, #2,359 nationwide
#30. Cowlitz County
- Rural area: 96.4% (1,099 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.6% (41 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,140 square miles
--- #28 largest county in state, #545 nationwide
- Population density: 95.1 people / square mile (108,399 residents)
--- #28 lowest density county in state, #2,218 nationwide
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#29. Whatcom County
- Rural area: 96.5% (2,033 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.5% (74 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,107 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #267 nationwide
- Population density: 106.6 people / square mile (224,538 residents)
--- #30 lowest density county in state, #2,301 nationwide
#28. Franklin County
- Rural area: 97.4% (1,209 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.7% (33 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,242 square miles
--- #27 largest county in state, #490 nationwide
- Population density: 75.4 people / square mile (93,681 residents)
--- #27 lowest density county in state, #2,042 nationwide
#27. Skagit County
- Rural area: 97.4% (1,686 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.6% (46 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,731 square miles
--- #21 largest county in state, #345 nationwide
- Population density: 73.6 people / square mile (127,442 residents)
--- #26 lowest density county in state, #2,020 nationwide
#26. Clallam County
- Rural area: 97.6% (1,696 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.4% (42 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,738 square miles
--- #20 largest county in state, #342 nationwide
- Population density: 44.0 people / square mile (76,482 residents)
--- #22 lowest density county in state, #1,555 nationwide
#25. Mason County
- Rural area: 97.8% (938 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.2% (21 square miles)
- Total land area: 959 square miles
--- #29 largest county in state, #730 nationwide
- Population density: 68.1 people / square mile (65,326 residents)
--- #25 lowest density county in state, #1,948 nationwide
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#24. Yakima County
- Rural area: 98.0% (4,211 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.0% (84 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,295 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #106 nationwide
- Population density: 58.4 people / square mile (250,649 residents)
--- #24 lowest density county in state, #1,822 nationwide
#23. Asotin County
- Rural area: 98.1% (624 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.9% (12 square miles)
- Total land area: 636 square miles
--- #34 largest county in state, #1,500 nationwide
- Population density: 35.6 people / square mile (22,636 residents)
--- #19 lowest density county in state, #1,352 nationwide
#22. Walla Walla County
- Rural area: 98.2% (1,247 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.8% (23 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,270 square miles
--- #26 largest county in state, #475 nationwide
- Population density: 47.9 people / square mile (60,785 residents)
--- #23 lowest density county in state, #1,651 nationwide
#21. Grays Harbor County
- Rural area: 98.6% (1,876 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.4% (26 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,902 square miles
--- #15 largest county in state, #301 nationwide
- Population density: 38.8 people / square mile (73,769 residents)
--- #21 lowest density county in state, #1,448 nationwide
#20. Grant County
- Rural area: 98.7% (2,646 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.3% (34 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,680 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #195 nationwide
- Population density: 36.1 people / square mile (96,648 residents)
--- #20 lowest density county in state, #1,371 nationwide
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#19. Chelan County
- Rural area: 99.1% (2,894 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (27 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,921 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #178 nationwide
- Population density: 26.2 people / square mile (76,653 residents)
--- #17 lowest density county in state, #1,106 nationwide
#18. Douglas County
- Rural area: 99.1% (1,803 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (16 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,819 square miles
--- #17 largest county in state, #323 nationwide
- Population density: 23.4 people / square mile (42,520 residents)
--- #15 lowest density county in state, #1,018 nationwide
#17. Lewis County
- Rural area: 99.1% (2,382 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (21 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,403 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #227 nationwide
- Population density: 33.1 people / square mile (79,430 residents)
--- #18 lowest density county in state, #1,295 nationwide
#16. Pacific County
- Rural area: 99.2% (925 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.8% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 933 square miles
--- #30 largest county in state, #768 nationwide
- Population density: 23.7 people / square mile (22,121 residents)
--- #16 lowest density county in state, #1,030 nationwide
#15. Kittitas County
- Rural area: 99.5% (2,285 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (12 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,297 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #243 nationwide
- Population density: 20.5 people / square mile (47,097 residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #908 nationwide
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#14. Jefferson County
- Rural area: 99.5% (1,795 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,804 square miles
--- #18 largest county in state, #327 nationwide
- Population density: 17.6 people / square mile (31,825 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #816 nationwide
#13. Adams County
- Rural area: 99.6% (1,917 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,925 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #296 nationwide
- Population density: 10.2 people / square mile (19,702 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #587 nationwide
#12. Whitman County
- Rural area: 99.6% (2,151 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,159 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #259 nationwide
- Population density: 23.0 people / square mile (49,577 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #1,002 nationwide
#11. Stevens County
- Rural area: 99.6% (2,469 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,478 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #219 nationwide
- Population density: 18.3 people / square mile (45,233 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #832 nationwide
#10. Klickitat County
- Rural area: 99.7% (1,865 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.4% (7 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,871 square miles
--- #16 largest county in state, #306 nationwide
- Population density: 11.8 people / square mile (22,055 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #628 nationwide
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#9. Columbia County
- Rural area: 99.8% (867 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 869 square miles
--- #31 largest county in state, #943 nationwide
- Population density: 4.6 people / square mile (4,024 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #355 nationwide
#8. Okanogan County
- Rural area: 99.9% (5,263 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (5 square miles)
- Total land area: 5,268 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #72 nationwide
- Population density: 8.0 people / square mile (42,080 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #493 nationwide
#7. Pend Oreille County
- Rural area: 99.9% (1,399 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,400 square miles
--- #25 largest county in state, #430 nationwide
- Population density: 9.7 people / square mile (13,588 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #566 nationwide
#6. San Juan County
- Rural area: 100.0% (174 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 174 square miles
--- #39 largest county in state, #3,035 nationwide
- Population density: 97.5 people / square mile (16,953 residents)
--- #29 lowest density county in state, #2,238 nationwide
#5. Wahkiakum County
- Rural area: 100.0% (263 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 263 square miles
--- #37 largest county in state, #2,878 nationwide
- Population density: 16.4 people / square mile (4,318 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #782 nationwide
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#4. Skamania County
- Rural area: 100.0% (1,656 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,656 square miles
--- #24 largest county in state, #365 nationwide
- Population density: 7.2 people / square mile (11,906 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #458 nationwide
#3. Lincoln County
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,310 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,310 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #241 nationwide
- Population density: 4.6 people / square mile (10,732 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #356 nationwide
#2. Ferry County
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,203 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,203 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #255 nationwide
- Population density: 3.5 people / square mile (7,643 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #270 nationwide
#1. Garfield County
- Rural area: 100.0% (711 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 711 square miles
--- #33 largest county in state, #1,291 nationwide
- Population density: 3.2 people / square mile (2,258 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #251 nationwide