# Half of all Americans live in these 146 counties **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 16, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279 "2014-07-16T15:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/21 "2014-07-16T18:39:02Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Hocking Hills, Hollywood Hills; once a hillbilly… 😃 Sometimes I need an LA-Hick Dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/22 "2014-07-16T19:07:42Z")
I’ve lived in 23 of them, only 4 in blue (King WA, Davidson TN, Jackson MO, Milwaukee WI). I’ve lived in one county with under 10,000. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/23 "2014-07-16T19:31:47Z")
Montgomery County Ohio Volusia County Florida Los Angeles County California Ventura County California Sacramento County California (well, technically, it’s Placer County. But I could throw a pine cone from there to Sacramento County) ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/24 "2014-07-16T19:34:16Z")
I’ve lived in two places since i moved to the United States, and both are on the list: Baltimore City, and San Diego County. My wife, who is American, has lived in five counties in the lifetime, and they’re all also on the list. In addition to the two mentioned above, she’s lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Alameda Counties. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/25 "2014-07-16T22:41:57Z")
I’ve got 4 of them: Fulton, GA DeKalb, GA Davidson, TN Pima, AZ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/26 "2014-07-16T23:00:30Z")
I’ve lived in 8 of them: Cuyahoga, OH Franklin, OH Independent, MO New York, NY Kings, NY Bergen, NJ Nassau, NY Suffolk, NY And I’ve never lived in a non-shaded area. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/27 "2014-07-16T23:24:54Z")
I was born in a non-shaded county but have lived most of my life in shaded counties: Alameda County, CA Fairfax County, VA Los Angeles County, CA Sacramento County, CA I also lived in a non-shaded county for a couple of years when I was young (a different non-shaded county from the one I was born in) ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/28 "2014-07-17T01:18:07Z")
Lived in three counties in my life, all in Washington State Yakima Spokane (college years) Pierce (post-college years); the only blue county ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/29 "2014-07-17T01:23:26Z")
I’ve lived in two of those counties – the one in New Mexico is Bernalillo County, the seat of which is Albuquerque; and in Hawaii, that’s Honolulu County, which covers the entire island. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/30 "2014-07-17T01:31:38Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > I’ve lived in six of them. Anybody higher? Seven, but I was in the military for over 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/31 "2014-07-17T01:45:10Z")
Only 4 for me Monroe County NY Suffolk County MA Middlesex County MA Middlesex County NJ Now I am wondering which other Middlesex counties I should try living in. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/32 "2014-07-17T01:46:41Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Only 4 for me > > Monroe County NY > Suffolk County MA > Middlesex County MA > Middlesex County NJ > > Now I am wondering which other Middlesex counties I should try living in. STOP THE PRESSES! I’ve lived in 5. I forgot the 6 months I lived in Norfolk County MA ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/33 "2014-07-17T01:59:41Z")
Cook County, Illinois Montgomery County, Maryland Then there was the year I spent in Buffalo Grove (Lake County, IL), but I would be hard pressed to say that anyone is truly _living_ in that hellhole. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/34 "2014-07-17T03:23:15Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > STOP THE PRESSES! I’ve lived in 5. I forgot the 6 months I lived in Norfolk County MA I lived there for two years in South Weymouth. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/35 "2014-07-17T03:55:33Z")
I’ve lived in 3: Wayne County, MI Kent County, MI Cook County, IL My wife’s lived in 6: Broward County, FL Miami-Dade, FL Hillsborough County, FL Cook County, IL Wayne County, MI Kent County, MI ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/36 "2014-07-17T03:57:56Z")
About 157 million in 146 counties. However about 40 million of them live in just 10 counties. > **[List of the most populous counties in the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_populous_counties_in_the_United_States)** > > This is a list of the 100 most populous counties in the United States based on the national decennial US census conducted on April 1, 2020 and vintage Census population estimates for July 1, 2022. > Many of the counties on the list include major cities or metropolitan areas in all parts of the United States. Six of the listed counties have consolidated city and county government, namely the City and County of Honolulu, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, City an... Ive lived in one of those 146. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/37 "2014-07-17T05:14:53Z")
Hmmm… **8** , I think: Suffolk County, MA Middlesex County, MA New York County, NY District of Columbia Oakland County, MI Alameda County, CA Contra Costa County, CA San Francisco County, CA The only non-shaded county was where I was born - Tompkins County, NY ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/38 "2014-07-17T05:30:38Z")
I’ve got two. Jefferson County, CO, and where I currently live, Pima County, AZ. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/39 "2014-07-17T05:35:20Z")
I’ve only got four. Kane County, IL. Fairfax County, VA Kings County, NY New York County, NY ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2014, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279/40 "2014-07-17T05:51:20Z")
Born in Montgomery Co OH (Dayton) We don’t talk about 1962-1968 (hick town in IN) Except for unfortunate puberty and college, big city all the way: Dayton (Montgomery Co) Marion Co IN (Indianapolis) Contra Costa CA (inland from SF, Oakland, and Alameda (which is an island)) San Francisco Sacramento [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-of-all-americans-live-in-these-146-counties/693279.md?page=3)