A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. Stacker compiled a list of the most rural boroughs in Alaska using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Boroughs 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: 94.1% (1,603 square miles)
- Urban area: 5.9% (101 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,705 square miles
--- #28 largest borough in state, #352 nationwide
- Population density: 171.3 people / square mile (292,090 residents)
--- #30 lowest density borough in state, #2,540 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.2% (7,277 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.8% (61 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,338 square miles
--- #17 largest borough in state, #42 nationwide
- Population density: 13.4 people / square mile (98,455 residents)
--- #29 lowest density borough in state, #687 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.5% (2,688 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.5% (14 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,702 square miles
--- #25 largest borough in state, #191 nationwide
- Population density: 11.9 people / square mile (32,099 residents)
--- #28 lowest density borough in state, #631 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.8% (24,556 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.2% (52 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,608 square miles
--- #7 largest borough in state, #7 nationwide
- Population density: 4.4 people / square mile (107,360 residents)
--- #27 lowest density borough in state, #341 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.9% (2,866 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (4 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,870 square miles
--- #24 largest borough in state, #182 nationwide
- Population density: 3.0 people / square mile (8,569 residents)
--- #25 lowest density borough in state, #236 nationwide
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- Rural area: 99.9% (4,853 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (6 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,858 square miles
--- #20 largest borough in state, #83 nationwide
- Population density: 2.8 people / square mile (13,833 residents)
--- #23 lowest density borough in state, #223 nationwide
- Rural area: 99.9% (16,063 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (13 square miles)
- Total land area: 16,075 square miles
--- #12 largest borough in state, #16 nationwide
- Population density: 3.7 people / square mile (58,809 residents)
--- #26 lowest density borough in state, #285 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,546 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.1% (3 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,550 square miles
--- #19 largest borough in state, #52 nationwide
- Population density: 2.0 people / square mile (13,383 residents)
--- #22 lowest density borough in state, #158 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (40,568 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (2 square miles)
- Total land area: 40,570 square miles
--- #3 largest borough in state, #3 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (18,263 residents)
--- #12 lowest density borough in state, #23 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (452 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 452 square miles
--- #30 largest borough in state, #2,262 nationwide
- Population density: 2.9 people / square mile (1,300 residents)
--- #24 lowest density borough in state, #224 nationwide
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- Rural area: 100.0% (3,923 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,923 square miles
--- #22 largest borough in state, #126 nationwide
- Population density: 1.6 people / square mile (6,338 residents)
--- #21 lowest density borough in state, #122 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (504 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 504 square miles
--- #29 largest borough in state, #2,064 nationwide
- Population density: 1.5 people / square mile (739 residents)
--- #20 lowest density borough in state, #106 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (4,390 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 4,390 square miles
--- #21 largest borough in state, #104 nationwide
- Population density: 1.3 people / square mile (5,708 residents)
--- #19 lowest density borough in state, #95 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (2,319 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,319 square miles
--- #27 largest borough in state, #240 nationwide
- Population density: 1.1 people / square mile (2,547 residents)
--- #18 lowest density borough in state, #80 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (3,282 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 3,282 square miles
--- #23 largest borough in state, #156 nationwide
- Population density: 1.0 people / square mile (3,278 residents)
--- #17 lowest density borough in state, #69 nationwide
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- Rural area: 100.0% (2,541 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 2,541 square miles
--- #26 largest borough in state, #215 nationwide
- Population density: 1.0 people / square mile (2,510 residents)
--- #16 lowest density borough in state, #66 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (9,530 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 9,530 square miles
--- #14 largest borough in state, #27 nationwide
- Population density: 0.7 people / square mile (6,495 residents)
--- #15 lowest density borough in state, #39 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (17,081 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 17,081 square miles
--- #11 largest borough in state, #15 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (8,298 residents)
--- #14 lowest density borough in state, #25 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (6,982 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 6,982 square miles
--- #18 largest borough in state, #44 nationwide
- Population density: 0.5 people / square mile (3,389 residents)
--- #13 lowest density borough in state, #24 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (22,961 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 22,962 square miles
--- #9 largest borough in state, #9 nationwide
- Population density: 0.4 people / square mile (10,009 residents)
--- #11 lowest density borough in state, #20 nationwide
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- Rural area: 100.0% (7,525 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,525 square miles
--- #16 largest borough in state, #41 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (2,135 residents)
--- #10 lowest density borough in state, #15 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (24,769 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,769 square miles
--- #5 largest borough in state, #5 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (6,911 residents)
--- #9 lowest density borough in state, #13 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (18,569 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 18,569 square miles
--- #10 largest borough in state, #12 nationwide
- Population density: 0.3 people / square mile (4,934 residents)
--- #8 lowest density borough in state, #11 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (35,572 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 35,573 square miles
--- #4 largest borough in state, #4 nationwide
- Population density: 0.2 people / square mile (7,709 residents)
--- #7 lowest density borough in state, #9 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (12,751 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 12,751 square miles
--- #13 largest borough in state, #18 nationwide
- Population density: 0.2 people / square mile (2,502 residents)
--- #6 lowest density borough in state, #7 nationwide
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- Rural area: 100.0% (24,692 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 24,692 square miles
--- #6 largest borough in state, #6 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (2,894 residents)
--- #5 lowest density borough in state, #5 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (88,695 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (1 square miles)
- Total land area: 88,695 square miles
--- #2 largest borough in state, #2 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (9,375 residents)
--- #4 lowest density borough in state, #4 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (7,649 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 7,649 square miles
--- #15 largest borough in state, #40 nationwide
- Population density: 0.1 people / square mile (597 residents)
--- #3 lowest density borough in state, #3 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (23,652 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 23,652 square miles
--- #8 largest borough in state, #8 nationwide
- Population density: 0.0 people / square mile (1,156 residents)
--- #2 lowest density borough in state, #2 nationwide
- Rural area: 100.0% (145,505 square miles)
- Urban area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Total land area: 145,505 square miles
--- #1 largest borough in state, #1 nationwide
- Population density: 0.0 people / square mile (5,305 residents)
--- #1 lowest density borough in state, #1 nationwide
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