Most rural counties in New Jersey
Most rural counties in New Jersey
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land—702, in fact. Stacker compiled a list of the most rural counties in New Jersey 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 2019 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.
#21. Hudson County
- Rural area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Urban area: 100.0% (46 square miles)
- Total land area: 46 square miles
--- #21 largest county in state, #3,105 nationwide
- Population density: 14,506.0 people / square mile (670,046 residents)
--- #21 lowest density county in state, #3,136 nationwide
#20. Union County
- Rural area: 0.0% (0 square miles)
- Urban area: 100.0% (103 square miles)
- Total land area: 103 square miles
--- #20 largest county in state, #3,084 nationwide
- Population density: 5,386.5 people / square mile (554,033 residents)
--- #19 lowest density county in state, #3,122 nationwide
#19. Essex County
- Rural area: 2.9% (4 square miles)
- Urban area: 97.1% (123 square miles)
- Total land area: 126 square miles
--- #19 largest county in state, #3,076 nationwide
- Population density: 6,302.1 people / square mile (795,404 residents)
--- #20 lowest density county in state, #3,124 nationwide
#18. Bergen County
- Rural area: 6.3% (15 square miles)
- Urban area: 93.8% (218 square miles)
- Total land area: 233 square miles
--- #15 largest county in state, #2,943 nationwide
- Population density: 3,992.9 people / square mile (930,390 residents)
--- #18 lowest density county in state, #3,115 nationwide
#17. Middlesex County
- Rural area: 18.4% (57 square miles)
- Urban area: 81.6% (252 square miles)
- Total land area: 309 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #2,787 nationwide
- Population density: 2,673.6 people / square mile (825,920 residents)
--- #16 lowest density county in state, #3,097 nationwide
#16. Camden County
- Rural area: 30.7% (68 square miles)
- Urban area: 69.3% (153 square miles)
- Total land area: 221 square miles
--- #17 largest county in state, #2,967 nationwide
- Population density: 2,290.2 people / square mile (506,738 residents)
--- #15 lowest density county in state, #3,088 nationwide
#15. Monmouth County
- Rural area: 35.0% (164 square miles)
- Urban area: 65.1% (305 square miles)
- Total land area: 469 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #2,197 nationwide
- Population density: 1,326.1 people / square mile (621,659 residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #3,029 nationwide
#14. Mercer County
- Rural area: 40.7% (91 square miles)
- Urban area: 59.4% (133 square miles)
- Total land area: 225 square miles
--- #16 largest county in state, #2,959 nationwide
- Population density: 1,638.4 people / square mile (367,922 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #3,055 nationwide
#13. Somerset County
- Rural area: 41.3% (125 square miles)
- Urban area: 58.7% (177 square miles)
- Total land area: 302 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #2,805 nationwide
- Population density: 1,092.9 people / square mile (329,838 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #3,006 nationwide
#12. Morris County
- Rural area: 43.5% (200 square miles)
- Urban area: 56.5% (260 square miles)
- Total land area: 460 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #2,227 nationwide
- Population density: 1,072.2 people / square mile (493,379 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #3,003 nationwide
#11. Passaic County
- Rural area: 49.0% (90 square miles)
- Urban area: 51.0% (94 square miles)
- Total land area: 185 square miles
--- #18 largest county in state, #3,020 nationwide
- Population density: 2,728.4 people / square mile (503,637 residents)
--- #17 lowest density county in state, #3,099 nationwide
#10. Gloucester County
- Rural area: 50.8% (164 square miles)
- Urban area: 49.2% (158 square miles)
- Total land area: 322 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #2,754 nationwide
- Population density: 904.2 people / square mile (291,165 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #2,981 nationwide
#9. Ocean County
- Rural area: 59.9% (376 square miles)
- Urban area: 40.2% (252 square miles)
- Total land area: 629 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #1,528 nationwide
- Population density: 948.5 people / square mile (596,415 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #2,986 nationwide
#8. Burlington County
- Rural area: 72.5% (579 square miles)
- Urban area: 27.5% (220 square miles)
- Total land area: 799 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #1,069 nationwide
- Population density: 558.1 people / square mile (445,702 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #2,908 nationwide
#7. Cape May County
- Rural area: 76.9% (193 square miles)
- Urban area: 23.1% (58 square miles)
- Total land area: 251 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #2,907 nationwide
- Population density: 370.2 people / square mile (93,086 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #2,794 nationwide
#6. Atlantic County
- Rural area: 79.3% (441 square miles)
- Urban area: 20.7% (115 square miles)
- Total land area: 556 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #1,869 nationwide
- Population density: 478.9 people / square mile (266,105 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #2,870 nationwide
#5. Cumberland County
- Rural area: 86.1% (417 square miles)
- Urban area: 13.9% (67 square miles)
- Total land area: 484 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #2,141 nationwide
- Population density: 314.0 people / square mile (151,906 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #2,750 nationwide
#4. Hunterdon County
- Rural area: 86.2% (369 square miles)
- Urban area: 13.8% (59 square miles)
- Total land area: 428 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #2,373 nationwide
- Population density: 291.8 people / square mile (124,823 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #2,724 nationwide
#3. Sussex County
- Rural area: 86.9% (451 square miles)
- Urban area: 13.1% (68 square miles)
- Total land area: 519 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #2,008 nationwide
- Population density: 272.6 people / square mile (141,483 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #2,700 nationwide
#2. Warren County
- Rural area: 90.2% (322 square miles)
- Urban area: 9.8% (35 square miles)
- Total land area: 357 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #2,665 nationwide
- Population density: 296.6 people / square mile (105,862 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #2,731 nationwide
#1. Salem County
- Rural area: 93.4% (310 square miles)
- Urban area: 6.6% (22 square miles)
- Total land area: 332 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #2,733 nationwide
- Population density: 189.8 people / square mile (62,990 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #2,577 nationwide
