A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. Stacker compiled a list of the most rural counties in Maryland using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. 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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- Rural area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Urban area: 100.0% (81 square miles)
- Total land area: 81 square miles
--- #24 largest county in state, #3,094 nationwide
- Population density: 10,231.7 people / square mile (828,193 residents)
--- #24 lowest density county in state, #3,131 nationwide
- Rural area: 38.8% (187 square miles)
- Urban area: 61.2% (296 square miles)
- Total land area: 483 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #2,149 nationwide
- Population density: 1,886.4 people / square mile (910,551 residents)
--- #22 lowest density county in state, #3,071 nationwide
- Rural area: 42.7% (177 square miles)
- Urban area: 57.3% (238 square miles)
- Total land area: 415 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #2,437 nationwide
- Population density: 1,386.9 people / square mile (575,421 residents)
--- #21 lowest density county in state, #3,034 nationwide
- Rural area: 44.9% (221 square miles)
- Urban area: 55.1% (271 square miles)
- Total land area: 491 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #2,120 nationwide
- Population density: 2,132.6 people / square mile (1.0 million residents)
--- #23 lowest density county in state, #3,081 nationwide
- Rural area: 49.3% (124 square miles)
- Urban area: 50.7% (127 square miles)
- Total land area: 251 square miles
--- #22 largest county in state, #2,910 nationwide
- Population density: 1,285.8 people / square mile (322,407 residents)
--- #19 lowest density county in state, #3,025 nationwide
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- Rural area: 56.1% (335 square miles)
- Urban area: 43.9% (263 square miles)
- Total land area: 598 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #1,630 nationwide
- Population density: 1,384.2 people / square mile (828,193 residents)
--- #20 lowest density county in state, #3,033 nationwide
- Rural area: 73.4% (321 square miles)
- Urban area: 26.6% (116 square miles)
- Total land area: 437 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #2,318 nationwide
- Population density: 580.5 people / square mile (253,736 residents)
--- #18 lowest density county in state, #2,914 nationwide
- Rural area: 75.3% (161 square miles)
- Urban area: 24.7% (53 square miles)
- Total land area: 213 square miles
--- #23 largest county in state, #2,978 nationwide
- Population density: 432.1 people / square mile (92,094 residents)
--- #17 lowest density county in state, #2,847 nationwide
- Rural area: 83.6% (374 square miles)
- Urban area: 16.4% (73 square miles)
- Total land area: 448 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #2,280 nationwide
- Population density: 375.9 people / square mile (168,233 residents)
--- #15 lowest density county in state, #2,797 nationwide
- Rural area: 84.6% (559 square miles)
- Urban area: 15.4% (101 square miles)
- Total land area: 660 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #1,422 nationwide
- Population density: 387.7 people / square mile (255,955 residents)
--- #16 lowest density county in state, #2,811 nationwide
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- Rural area: 84.6% (293 square miles)
- Urban area: 15.4% (53 square miles)
- Total land area: 346 square miles
--- #17 largest county in state, #2,688 nationwide
- Population density: 297.1 people / square mile (102,889 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #2,733 nationwide
- Rural area: 85.8% (306 square miles)
- Urban area: 14.2% (51 square miles)
- Total land area: 357 square miles
--- #16 largest county in state, #2,665 nationwide
- Population density: 316.9 people / square mile (113,182 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #2,752 nationwide
- Rural area: 86.3% (395 square miles)
- Urban area: 13.8% (63 square miles)
- Total land area: 458 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #2,245 nationwide
- Population density: 352.7 people / square mile (161,448 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #2,779 nationwide
- Rural area: 86.8% (325 square miles)
- Urban area: 13.2% (49 square miles)
- Total land area: 374 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #2,621 nationwide
- Population density: 275.7 people / square mile (103,222 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #2,705 nationwide
- Rural area: 87.1% (399 square miles)
- Urban area: 12.9% (59 square miles)
- Total land area: 458 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #2,244 nationwide
- Population density: 328.9 people / square mile (150,575 residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #2,758 nationwide
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- Rural area: 92.0% (390 square miles)
- Urban area: 8.0% (34 square miles)
- Total land area: 424 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #2,388 nationwide
- Population density: 167.4 people / square mile (71,002 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #2,532 nationwide
- Rural area: 95.3% (446 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.7% (22 square miles)
- Total land area: 468 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #2,201 nationwide
- Population density: 111.0 people / square mile (51,967 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #2,325 nationwide
- Rural area: 95.4% (355 square miles)
- Urban area: 4.7% (17 square miles)
- Total land area: 372 square miles
--- #15 largest county in state, #2,628 nationwide
- Population density: 134.9 people / square mile (50,163 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #2,415 nationwide
- Rural area: 96.4% (259 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.6% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 269 square miles
--- #21 largest county in state, #2,866 nationwide
- Population density: 138.1 people / square mile (37,087 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #2,431 nationwide
- Rural area: 98.0% (313 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.0% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 319 square miles
--- #19 largest county in state, #2,765 nationwide
- Population density: 104.1 people / square mile (33,260 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #2,285 nationwide
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- Rural area: 98.0% (313 square miles)
- Urban area: 2.0% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 320 square miles
--- #18 largest county in state, #2,762 nationwide
- Population density: 80.4 people / square mile (25,699 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #2,098 nationwide
- Rural area: 98.4% (532 square miles)
- Urban area: 1.6% (9 square miles)
- Total land area: 541 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #1,933 nationwide
- Population density: 59.2 people / square mile (31,994 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #1,834 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.1% (274 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.9% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 277 square miles
--- #20 largest county in state, #2,854 nationwide
- Population density: 70.2 people / square mile (19,456 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #1,982 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.3% (643 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.7% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 647 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #1,464 nationwide
- Population density: 45.1 people / square mile (29,155 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #1,581 nationwide
