Most rural counties in Massachusetts
A surprising number of U.S. counties have 100% rural land-702, in fact. compiled a list of the most rural counties in Massachusetts using data from the . 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.
#14. Suffolk County
- Rural area: 1.6% (1 square miles)
- Urban area: 98.4% (57 square miles)
- Total land area: 58 square miles
--- #13 largest county in state, #3,101 nationwide
- Population density: 13,776.5 people / square mile (801,162 residents)
--- #14 lowest density county in state, #3,136 nationwide
#13. Norfolk County
- Rural area: 11.8% (47 square miles)
- Urban area: 88.2% (349 square miles)
- Total land area: 396 square miles
--- #10 largest county in state, #2,544 nationwide
- Population density: 1,776.6 people / square mile (703,740 residents)
--- #12 lowest density county in state, #3,065 nationwide
#12. Middlesex County
- Rural area: 27.1% (222 square miles)
- Urban area: 72.9% (596 square miles)
- Total land area: 818 square miles
--- #3 largest county in state, #1,034 nationwide
- Population density: 1,963.6 people / square mile (1.6 million residents)
--- #13 lowest density county in state, #3,073 nationwide
#11. Essex County
- Rural area: 32.1% (158 square miles)
- Urban area: 67.9% (334 square miles)
- Total land area: 493 square miles
--- #9 largest county in state, #2,110 nationwide
- Population density: 1,597.8 people / square mile (787,038 residents)
--- #11 lowest density county in state, #3,052 nationwide
#10. Barnstable County
- Rural area: 40.4% (159 square miles)
- Urban area: 59.7% (235 square miles)
- Total land area: 394 square miles
--- #11 largest county in state, #2,557 nationwide
- Population density: 542.3 people / square mile (213,505 residents)
--- #6 lowest density county in state, #2,901 nationwide
#9. Plymouth County
- Rural area: 47.7% (314 square miles)
- Urban area: 52.3% (345 square miles)
- Total land area: 659 square miles
--- #5 largest county in state, #1,424 nationwide
- Population density: 786.9 people / square mile (518,597 residents)
--- #9 lowest density county in state, #2,962 nationwide
#8. Bristol County
- Rural area: 48.8% (270 square miles)
- Urban area: 51.2% (283 square miles)
- Total land area: 553 square miles
--- #7 largest county in state, #1,884 nationwide
- Population density: 1,018.5 people / square mile (563,301 residents)
--- #10 lowest density county in state, #2,995 nationwide
#7. Hampden County
- Rural area: 67.8% (419 square miles)
- Urban area: 32.2% (199 square miles)
- Total land area: 617 square miles
--- #6 largest county in state, #1,568 nationwide
- Population density: 756.1 people / square mile (466,647 residents)
--- #8 lowest density county in state, #2,950 nationwide
#6. Worcester County
- Rural area: 73.0% (1,103 square miles)
- Urban area: 27.0% (408 square miles)
- Total land area: 1,511 square miles
--- #1 largest county in state, #394 nationwide
- Population density: 547.2 people / square mile (826,655 residents)
--- #7 lowest density county in state, #2,902 nationwide
#5. Nantucket County
- Rural area: 82.5% (37 square miles)
- Urban area: 17.5% (8 square miles)
- Total land area: 45 square miles
--- #14 largest county in state, #3,107 nationwide
- Population density: 249.3 people / square mile (11,212 residents)
--- #4 lowest density county in state, #2,672 nationwide
#4. Hampshire County
- Rural area: 85.2% (449 square miles)
- Urban area: 14.8% (78 square miles)
- Total land area: 527 square miles
--- #8 largest county in state, #1,985 nationwide
- Population density: 306.0 people / square mile (161,361 residents)
--- #5 lowest density county in state, #2,739 nationwide
#3. Dukes County
- Rural area: 90.5% (93 square miles)
- Urban area: 9.5% (10 square miles)
- Total land area: 103 square miles
--- #12 largest county in state, #3,084 nationwide
- Population density: 168.8 people / square mile (17,430 residents)
--- #3 lowest density county in state, #2,534 nationwide
#2. Berkshire County
- Rural area: 93.6% (867 square miles)
- Urban area: 6.4% (59 square miles)
- Total land area: 927 square miles
--- #2 largest county in state, #780 nationwide
- Population density: 135.9 people / square mile (125,927 residents)
--- #2 lowest density county in state, #2,419 nationwide
#1. Franklin County
- Rural area: 96.4% (674 square miles)
- Urban area: 3.6% (25 square miles)
- Total land area: 699 square miles
--- #4 largest county in state, #1,324 nationwide
- Population density: 100.9 people / square mile (70,529 residents)
--- #1 lowest density county in state, #2,258 nationwide
