Largest U.S. Counties by Population 2026: Top 100
2026 U.S. County Population Snapshot
Los Angeles County is the most populous U.S. county-level geography in the latest completed Census Bureau estimate series, with 9,694,934 residents as of July 1, 2025. Cook County ranks second at 5,194,625, followed by Harris County at 5,045,026.
This 2026 snapshot uses U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program Vintage 2025 data released March 26, 2026. The metric is resident population in persons, and higher population ranks higher.
Coverage: 100 county and county-equivalent geographies. Source mode: one official Census population dataset. Statuses: 100 official_value, 0 calculated_value, 0 official_forecast, 0 modeled_projection.
Los Angeles County, California; official July 1, 2025 resident population estimate.
Tulsa County, Oklahoma, occupies rank 100.
Exactly 100 confirmed county and county-equivalent records are ranked.
Census PEP Vintage 2025; all ranking values are official_value.
What the ranking measures
The ranking uses the Census Bureau field POPESTIMATE2025, the official resident population estimate for July 1, 2025. Census population estimates update the population base using births, deaths and net migration.
The geography follows Census county-level entities rather than ordinary incorporated-place or metropolitan-area totals. Census-designated county equivalents remain eligible, including Connecticut planning regions and independent cities where applicable. This is why Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, can appear in the national county ranking.
Population size is different from population growth. A county can rank high because of its existing population even when a smaller county is growing faster.
Top 10 largest U.S. counties by population
Los Angeles County leads by a wide margin. Cook County and Harris County are the only other entries above five million residents, while Maricopa County ranks fourth with 4,689,558.
Top 10 by July 1, 2025 resident population estimate
| Rank | County / equivalent | Population | Region / source note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles CountyCalifornia | 9,694,934 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 2 | Cook CountyIllinois | 5,194,625 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 3 | Harris CountyTexas | 5,045,026 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 4 | Maricopa CountyArizona | 4,689,558 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 5 | San Diego CountyCalifornia | 3,282,248 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 6 | Orange CountyCalifornia | 3,149,507 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 7 | Miami-Dade CountyFlorida | 2,802,029 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 8 | Dallas CountyTexas | 2,661,397 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 9 | Kings CountyNew York | 2,653,963 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 10 | Riverside CountyCalifornia | 2,544,916 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
Rank is based on raw POPESTIMATE2025 values in descending order. No rounding is used before ranking.
Chart: Top 20 most populous counties
The chart uses the same raw population values as the ranking table, with Los Angeles County scaled to 100%.
Methodology
Metric
Resident population estimate in persons. Source field: POPESTIMATE2025.
Target date
July 1, 2025. Vintage 2025 county estimates were released March 26, 2026.
Ranking direction
Descending. Larger raw population values rank higher.
Value status
All 100 values are official_value because Census publishes each population estimate directly.
Geographic universe: county-level Census observations with SUMLEV=050 in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Puerto Rico municipios are excluded from this U.S. ranking. Eligible records include counties and Census-designated county equivalents.
County equivalents can include Connecticut planning regions and independent cities. Ordinary incorporated-place totals and metropolitan-area totals are not added to the county dataset.
Ranking formula: sort eligible POPESTIMATE2025 values from highest to lowest and assign ranks 1 through 100 to the 100 largest records. No ranking value is modeled, projected, averaged or imputed by StatRanker.
The Census Bureau produces resident population estimates from a population base plus births, minus deaths, plus net migration, with additional agency consistency adjustments.
Missing observations are not imputed and conflicting sources are not averaged. The metric does not measure population growth, growth rate, density, city population, metropolitan population or land area.
Main ranking: Top 100 largest U.S. counties by population
Search by county or state, filter by Census region or status, change the sort order, or limit the table to the Top 10 or Top 20. Without JavaScript, all 100 rows remain visible.
U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 resident population estimates, July 1, 2025
| Rank | County / equivalent | Population | Region / source note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles CountyCalifornia | 9,694,934 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 2 | Cook CountyIllinois | 5,194,625 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 3 | Harris CountyTexas | 5,045,026 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 4 | Maricopa CountyArizona | 4,689,558 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 5 | San Diego CountyCalifornia | 3,282,248 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 6 | Orange CountyCalifornia | 3,149,507 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 7 | Miami-Dade CountyFlorida | 2,802,029 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 8 | Dallas CountyTexas | 2,661,397 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 9 | Kings CountyNew York | 2,653,963 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 10 | Riverside CountyCalifornia | 2,544,916 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 11 | Clark CountyNevada | 2,407,226 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 12 | Queens CountyNew York | 2,358,182 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 13 | King CountyWashington | 2,344,939 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 14 | Tarrant CountyTexas | 2,248,466 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 15 | San Bernardino CountyCalifornia | 2,224,091 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 16 | Bexar CountyTexas | 2,160,088 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 17 | Broward CountyFlorida | 2,013,317 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 18 | Santa Clara CountyCalifornia | 1,914,391 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 19 | Wayne CountyMichigan | 1,769,038 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 20 | Middlesex CountyMassachusetts | 1,669,979 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 21 | New York CountyNew York | 1,664,862 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 22 | Alameda CountyCalifornia | 1,636,630 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 23 | Sacramento CountyCalifornia | 1,618,460 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 24 | Palm Beach CountyFlorida | 1,575,726 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 25 | Philadelphia CountyPennsylvania | 1,574,281 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 26 | Hillsborough CountyFlorida | 1,574,115 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 27 | Suffolk CountyNew York | 1,546,090 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 28 | Orange CountyFlorida | 1,528,002 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 29 | Bronx CountyNew York | 1,406,332 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 30 | Nassau CountyNew York | 1,398,939 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 31 | Travis CountyTexas | 1,389,670 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 32 | Franklin CountyOhio | 1,361,536 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 33 | Collin CountyTexas | 1,297,179 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 34 | Oakland CountyMichigan | 1,288,337 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 35 | Hennepin CountyMinnesota | 1,284,784 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 36 | Wake CountyNorth Carolina | 1,257,235 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 37 | Mecklenburg CountyNorth Carolina | 1,233,383 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 38 | Cuyahoga CountyOhio | 1,232,925 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 39 | Allegheny CountyPennsylvania | 1,225,035 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 40 | Salt Lake CountyUtah | 1,220,916 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 41 | Contra Costa CountyCalifornia | 1,170,070 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 42 | Fairfax CountyVirginia | 1,167,873 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 43 | Fulton CountyGeorgia | 1,098,791 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 44 | Pima CountyArizona | 1,074,685 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 45 | Montgomery CountyMaryland | 1,074,582 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 46 | Denton CountyTexas | 1,069,346 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 47 | Duval CountyFlorida | 1,062,963 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 48 | Fresno CountyCalifornia | 1,035,456 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 49 | Gwinnett CountyGeorgia | 1,018,099 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 50 | Westchester CountyNew York | 1,015,743 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 51 | Capitol Planning RegionConnecticut | 994,115 | Northeast · county-equivalent · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 52 | Marion CountyIndiana | 992,196 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 53 | St. Louis CountyMissouri | 990,911 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 54 | Honolulu CountyHawaii | 988,703 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 55 | Bergen CountyNew Jersey | 977,026 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 56 | Fort Bend CountyTexas | 975,191 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 57 | Prince George's CountyMaryland | 970,374 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 58 | Pinellas CountyFlorida | 948,563 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 59 | Erie CountyNew York | 946,741 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 60 | Pierce CountyWashington | 946,288 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 61 | DuPage CountyIllinois | 934,298 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 62 | Kern CountyCalifornia | 927,068 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 63 | Milwaukee CountyWisconsin | 924,216 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 64 | Hidalgo CountyTexas | 921,549 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 65 | Shelby CountyTennessee | 910,226 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 66 | Essex CountyNew Jersey | 896,379 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 67 | Worcester CountyMassachusetts | 888,502 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 68 | Macomb CountyMichigan | 886,221 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 69 | Middlesex CountyNew Jersey | 883,335 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 70 | El Paso CountyTexas | 877,858 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 71 | Montgomery CountyPennsylvania | 877,643 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 72 | Lee CountyFlorida | 875,607 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 73 | Polk CountyFlorida | 874,790 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 74 | Snohomish CountyWashington | 870,656 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 75 | Baltimore CountyMaryland | 847,650 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 76 | Hamilton CountyOhio | 838,418 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 77 | Ventura CountyCalifornia | 830,851 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 78 | Essex CountyMassachusetts | 826,653 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 79 | San Francisco CountyCalifornia | 826,079 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 80 | San Joaquin CountyCalifornia | 823,815 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 81 | Oklahoma CountyOklahoma | 822,125 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 82 | Multnomah CountyOregon | 795,391 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 83 | Jefferson CountyKentucky | 795,222 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 84 | Cobb CountyGeorgia | 793,345 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 85 | Suffolk CountyMassachusetts | 791,891 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 86 | Montgomery CountyTexas | 781,194 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 87 | DeKalb CountyGeorgia | 774,394 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 88 | Utah CountyUtah | 759,859 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 89 | El Paso CountyColorado | 757,040 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 90 | Williamson CountyTexas | 752,827 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 91 | Monroe CountyNew York | 750,506 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 92 | Davidson CountyTennessee | 745,904 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 93 | San Mateo CountyCalifornia | 743,568 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 94 | Denver CountyColorado | 740,613 | West · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 95 | Norfolk CountyMassachusetts | 739,749 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 96 | Hudson CountyNew Jersey | 735,033 | Northeast · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 97 | Jackson CountyMissouri | 732,994 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 98 | Lake CountyIllinois | 719,339 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 99 | Will CountyIllinois | 712,253 | Midwest · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
| 100 | Tulsa CountyOklahoma | 698,782 | South · Census PEP V2025 (released 2026) · target 2025 · official_value |
Single-source ranking: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program Vintage 2025. Raw POPESTIMATE2025 values determine rank.
Insights from the Top 100
Key Insight
Los Angeles County is the clear population outlier at 9.69 million residents. Cook, Harris and Maricopa form the next tier at roughly 4.7–5.2 million.
Notable Pattern
Exactly 50 entries have at least one million residents. Westchester County is rank 50 at 1,015,743; Capitol Planning Region at rank 51 is below one million.
Regional Concentration
The Top 100 contains 36 Southern entries, 27 Western entries, 22 Northeastern entries and 15 Midwestern entries.
State Concentration
California contributes 15 Top 100 entries, followed by Texas with 12. Florida and New York each contribute 9.
What the ranking means
This ranking measures population scale, not growth. A large long-established county can remain near the top even when faster percentage growth is occurring elsewhere.
County rankings should also be kept separate from city and metropolitan rankings because the geographic units differ. In this county ranking, New York City appears through separate county-level borough geographies rather than one combined city figure.
For growth rather than size, use the Fastest-Growing U.S. Counties 2026 ranking. For regional population scale, use U.S. Metro Areas by Population 2026.
FAQ
What is the largest U.S. county by population?
Los Angeles County, California, ranks first with an official July 1, 2025 resident population estimate of 9,694,934.
Are these 2026 population estimates?
No. This is a 2026 snapshot using Census Vintage 2025 estimates. Every ranked population value refers to July 1, 2025.
Are the population values directly published by the Census Bureau?
Yes. All 100 population values come directly from POPESTIMATE2025 in the Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. StatRanker assigns rank from those raw values.
Why is Capitol Planning Region included?
Connecticut planning regions are Census county equivalents. The ranking follows Census county-level geography, so eligible county equivalents are included.
Are independent cities included?
They are eligible when the Census Bureau classifies them as county equivalents and they fall within the ranking cutoff. Ordinary incorporated-place totals are not mixed into the dataset.
How many entries have at least one million residents?
Fifty entries in the Top 100 have populations of at least one million. Westchester County is rank 50 with 1,015,743 residents.
Does a high population rank mean a county is growing quickly?
No. Population size and population growth are different metrics. A large county may grow slowly, while a smaller county may have a much higher growth rate.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau — County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020–2025
Official landing page for the Vintage 2025 county population estimate series.
Purpose: confirms the current completed county vintage and official dataset series.
https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html
U.S. Census Bureau — CO-EST2025-ALLDATA CSV
Official county-level all-data file containing POPESTIMATE2025.
Purpose: primary numeric source for every population value in the Top 100.
U.S. Census Bureau — March 26, 2026 Population Estimates Release
Official release covering Vintage 2025 county and metropolitan population estimates.
Purpose: confirms the release date and national context for the 2025 estimates.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/2025-popest-metro-micro-counties.html
U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2025 Methodology
Official methodology for the Population Estimates Program Vintage 2025 series.
Purpose: documents the population base, births, deaths, migration and consistency procedures behind the estimates.
U.S. Census Bureau — CO-EST2025-ALLDATA File Layout
Official technical definition of the fields in the county all-data file.
Purpose: confirms SUMLEV and the meaning of POPESTIMATE2025 as the July 1, 2025 resident population estimate.
