Least Dense in California

Top 100 cities ranked by least dense

Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense Highest Income Lowest Income Lowest Unemployment Highest Unemployment Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Highest Home Value Most Affordable Highest Rent Lowest Rent Most Educated Youngest Cities Oldest Cities Safest Cities Highest Crime Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities

All Countries · United States · California

Least Dense — California

1 Lucerne Valley 56/mi²

2 California City 73/mi²

3 Durham 75/mi²

4 Bear Valley Springs 149/mi²

5 Palermo 187/mi²

6 Joshua Tree 188/mi²

7 Acton 197/mi²

8 Wilton 214/mi²

9 Piñon Hills 223/mi²

10 Yosemite Lakes 244/mi²

11 Mammoth Lakes 291/mi²

12 Salton City 291/mi²

13 Rancho Mission Viejo 300/mi²

14 Phelan 301/mi²

15 Burbank 321/mi²

16 Thousand Palms 324/mi²

17 Oak Hills 336/mi²

18 Oroville East 341/mi²

19 Happy Valley 358/mi²

20 Valley Center 375/mi²

21 Big Bear City 390/mi²

22 Jamul 393/mi²

23 Rosamond 400/mi²

24 Prunedale 419/mi²

25 Lake Mathews 424/mi²

26 Woodside 452/mi²

27 Topanga 459/mi²

28 Rancho Murieta 472/mi²

29 Taft 473/mi²

30 Palm Springs 476/mi²

31 Twentynine Palms 489/mi²

32 Thermalito 524/mi²

33 Truckee 524/mi²

34 Malibu 530/mi²

35 Shafter 533/mi²

36 Cottonwood CDP (Shasta County) 542/mi²

37 Yucca Valley 546/mi²

38 Magalia 555/mi²

39 Alpine 577/mi²

40 Ramona 594/mi²

41 Hidden Valley Lake 600/mi²

42 San Diego Country Estates 604/mi²

43 Lake Arrowhead 608/mi²

44 Barstow 610/mi²

45 San Martin 621/mi²

46 Bonadelle Ranchos 653/mi²

47 Rosedale 660/mi²

48 Rancho Calaveras 663/mi²

49 Blythe 673/mi²

50 Rancho Mirage 687/mi²

51 Avenal 690/mi²

52 Pollock Pines 703/mi²

53 Plumas Lake 711/mi²

54 Boulder Creek 713/mi²

55 Cambria 717/mi²

56 Calimesa 717/mi²

57 Adelanto 719/mi²

58 Good Hope 740/mi²

59 Crestline 750/mi²

60 Diamond Springs 760/mi²

61 Yreka 785/mi²

62 Big Bear Lake 806/mi²

63 Ben Lomond 818/mi²

64 McKinleyville 821/mi²

65 Interlaken 836/mi²

66 Alta Sierra CDP (Nevada County) 849/mi²

67 Garnet 886/mi²

68 La Habra Heights 900/mi²

69 Cherry Valley 912/mi²

70 Camp Pendleton Mainside 912/mi²

71 McSwain 921/mi²

72 Los Altos Hills 922/mi²

73 Aptos 931/mi²

74 Loomis 942/mi²

75 Shasta Lake 948/mi²

76 Golden Hills 957/mi²

77 Montecito 961/mi²

78 Apple Valley 980/mi²

79 Granite Bay 992/mi²

80 Nuevo 995/mi²

81 Sun Village 1,019/mi²

82 Mecca 1,022/mi²

83 Mead Valley 1,026/mi²

84 El Dorado Hills 1,043/mi²

85 El Granada 1,065/mi²

86 St. Helena 1,084/mi²

87 La Quinta 1,085/mi²

88 Desert Hot Springs 1,088/mi²

89 Templeton 1,088/mi²

90 Lucas Valley-Marinwood 1,105/mi²

91 Silver Lakes 1,107/mi²

92 Williams 1,125/mi²

93 Atascadero 1,141/mi²

94 Nipomo 1,145/mi²

95 Ione 1,159/mi²

96 Los Osos 1,179/mi²

97 Running Springs 1,201/mi²

98 Tehachapi 1,204/mi²

99 Poway 1,241/mi²

100 Eucalyptus Hills 1,255/mi²

The least densely populated cities in California offer spacious living with more land per resident. Lucerne Valley has just 56 people per square mile. These cities provide room to spread out with larger lot sizes and more open space.

Low-density cities typically feature more single-family homes with larger yards, easier parking, and less traffic congestion. They appeal to families seeking space, privacy, and access to nature without moving to a fully rural area.

While the spread-out nature of these cities means longer drives to amenities and greater reliance on personal vehicles, many residents value the trade-off for quieter neighborhoods and a more relaxed pace of life.

Did You Know?

1. In Lucerne Valley, there are only 56 people per square mile — each resident has roughly 495,264 square feet of city space.
2. Low-density cities often have significantly lower housing costs due to more available land for development.
3. Many of the least dense cities are located in the western United States, where vast open spaces define the landscape.

Browse Rankings by Region

United States — By Region

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

By Country

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Benin Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Finland France Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Guadeloupe Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Moldova Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territory Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Netherlands Togo Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe