August 1, 2014 | Number of The Day
Number of people living in NJ per square mile

Most New Jerseyans know that the state is the most densely populated in the nation — despite the miles of open space in South Jersey and some protected areas. But they might be surprised to learn that New Jersey has an average of 1,196 people living within a square mile.

That compares to an average of 87 people per square mile nationally.

Rhode Island, physically much smaller than New Jersey with 1,034 square miles to New Jersey’s 7,354 square miles, has a similar, if smaller, density with 1,018 people living within each square mile. Massachusetts is the third-densest with 839 people each mile.

To no one’s surprise, Alaska is the least densely populated: one person per square mile. Wyoming is second with six.