Highest Ranking County in U.S. and each State based on 
  Population, 2000

U.S. or State            County                            Number
-----------------------------------------------------------------
United States            Los Angeles, CA                9,519,338
Alabama                  Jefferson                        662,047
Alaska                   Anchorage                        260,283
Arizona                  Maricopa                       3,072,149
Arkansas                 Pulaski                          361,474
California               Los Angeles                    9,519,338
Colorado                 Denver                           554,636
Connecticut              Fairfield                        882,567
Delaware                 New Castle                       500,265
Florida                  Dade                           2,253,362
Georgia                  Fulton                           816,006
Hawaii                   Honolulu                         876,156
Idaho                    Ada                              300,904
Illinois                 Cook                           5,376,741
Indiana                  Marion                           860,454
Iowa                     Polk                             374,601
Kansas                   Sedgwick                         452,869
Kentucky                 Jefferson                        693,604
Louisiana                Orleans                          484,674
Maine                    Cumberland                       265,612
Maryland                 Montgomery                       873,341
Massachusetts            Middlesex                      1,465,396
Michigan                 Wayne                          2,061,162
Minnesota                Hennepin                       1,116,200
Mississippi              Hinds                            250,800
Missouri                 St. Louis                      1,016,315
Montana                  Yellowstone                      129,352
Nebraska                 Douglas                          463,585
Nevada                   Clark                          1,375,765
New Hampshire            Hillsborough                     380,841
New Jersey               Bergen                           884,118
New Mexico               Bernalillo                       556,678
New York                 Kings                          2,465,326
North Carolina           Mecklenburg                      695,454
North Dakota             Cass                             123,138
Ohio                     Cuyahoga                       1,393,978
Oklahoma                 Oklahoma                         660,448
Oregon                   Multnomah                        660,486
Pennsylvania             Philadelphia                   1,517,550
Rhode Island             Providence                       621,602
South Carolina           Greenville                       379,616
South Dakota             Minnehaha                        148,281
Tennessee                Shelby                           897,472
Texas                    Harris                         3,400,578
Utah                     Salt Lake                        898,387
Vermont                  Chittenden                       146,571
Virginia                 Fairfax                          969,749
Washington               King                           1,737,034
West Virginia            Kanawha                          200,073
Wisconsin                Milwaukee                        940,164
Wyoming                  Laramie                           81,607

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau,
         County and City Data Book: 2000,
         Table B-1.