Most rural counties in Nevada
Most rural counties in Nevada
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. Stacker compiled a list of the most rural counties in Nevada 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.
#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
