Key takeaways
- The Census Bureau counted 39,555 special district governments in 2022 and 40,199 in 2025 — more than any other type of local government.
- Illinois (3,218), Colorado (3,201), Texas (2,984) and California (2,949) had the most special districts in 2022.
- The 2025 increase came mainly from new special districts in Colorado, Florida, Nebraska and Texas, according to the Census Bureau.
- Special districts run transit, ports, water, sewer, fire protection, hospitals, parks, libraries and more — each with its own board and budget.
Special districts in every state
Number of special district governments, independent school districts and all local governments in each state, from the 2022 Census of Governments (the latest state-level table we could verify). Search by state.
Showing all 51 states
| # | State | Special districts | School districts | All local governments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 3,218 | 890 | 6,930 |
| 2 | Colorado | 3,201 | 180 | 3,715 |
| 3 | Texas | 2,984 | 1,070 | 5,533 |
| 4 | California | 2,949 | 1,006 | 4,494 |
| 5 | Missouri | 1,927 | 529 | 3,796 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 1,712 | 514 | 4,851 |
| 7 | Kansas | 1,468 | 306 | 3,768 |
| 8 | Florida | 1,374 | 95 | 1,947 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 1,303 | 267 | 2,541 |
| 10 | Washington | 1,275 | 295 | 1,890 |
| 11 | New York | 1,189 | 676 | 3,447 |
| 12 | Oregon | 1,029 | 223 | 1,528 |
| 13 | Ohio | 952 | 665 | 3,939 |
| 14 | Idaho | 807 | 118 | 1,168 |
| 15 | New Mexico | 769 | 96 | 1,003 |
| 16 | Arkansas | 753 | 234 | 1,562 |
| 17 | Montana | 736 | 310 | 1,228 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 703 | 437 | 3,062 |
| 19 | Indiana | 696 | 290 | 2,648 |
| 20 | North Dakota | 683 | 173 | 2,570 |
| 21 | Wyoming | 643 | 55 | 820 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 632 | 539 | 1,840 |
| 23 | Kentucky | 601 | 171 | 1,307 |
| 24 | Minnesota | 579 | 330 | 3,629 |
| 25 | Alabama | 541 | 138 | 1,208 |
| 26 | Georgia | 510 | 180 | 1,379 |
| 27 | South Dakota | 478 | 149 | 1,900 |
| 28 | Tennessee | 451 | 14 | 902 |
| 29 | Iowa | 445 | 342 | 1,826 |
| 30 | Michigan | 437 | 567 | 2,860 |
| 31 | Mississippi | 437 | 150 | 967 |
| 32 | Connecticut | 433 | 17 | 629 |
| 33 | Massachusetts | 415 | 85 | 856 |
| 34 | Arizona | 326 | 242 | 674 |
| 35 | North Carolina | 313 | 0 | 965 |
| 36 | Utah | 308 | 41 | 632 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 298 | 55 | 639 |
| 38 | South Carolina | 271 | 78 | 666 |
| 39 | Delaware | 255 | 19 | 334 |
| 40 | Maine | 227 | 101 | 828 |
| 41 | New Jersey | 222 | 521 | 1,328 |
| 42 | Virginia | 198 | 1 | 522 |
| 43 | Maryland | 162 | 0 | 342 |
| 44 | Vermont | 162 | 121 | 574 |
| 45 | Nevada | 135 | 17 | 187 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | 128 | 166 | 538 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 101 | 69 | 534 |
| 48 | Rhode Island | 84 | 4 | 127 |
| 49 | Alaska | 17 | 0 | 181 |
| 50 | Hawaii | 17 | 0 | 21 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Largest transit authorities
Transit agencies by annual unlinked passenger trips in National Transit Database report year 2024. Some are state public corporations rather than special districts in the Census sense; see our full list of the 50 largest transit agencies.
Showing all 10 agencies
| # | Agency | Trips, 2024 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MTA New York City TransitNew York | 2,902,018,903 | FTA NTD profile |
| 2 | Chicago Transit AuthorityIllinois | 309,197,026 | FTA NTD profile |
| 3 | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityCalifornia | 302,611,788 | FTA NTD profile |
| 4 | Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityDC, Maryland, Virginia | 262,474,117 | FTA NTD profile |
| 5 | Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityMassachusetts | 251,724,882 | FTA NTD profile |
| 6 | New Jersey Transit CorporationNew Jersey | 222,475,309 | FTA NTD profile |
| 7 | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation AuthorityPennsylvania | 200,711,934 | FTA NTD profile |
| 8 | MTA Bus CompanyNew York | 126,616,665 | FTA NTD profile |
| 9 | MTA Metro-North RailroadNew York | 74,395,798 | FTA NTD profile |
| 10 | San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit DistrictCalifornia | 54,927,366 | FTA NTD profile |
Largest ports and port authorities
The ten busiest U.S. ports by tonnage in 2022 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data), plus the two largest container ports not in the tonnage top ten. Some ports are run by special districts or authorities; others, like Los Angeles and Long Beach, are city departments.
Showing all 12 ports
| Port | Governance | Volume | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port HoustonTexas | Port authority / navigation district | 293.8 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of South LouisianaLouisiana | Port district | 226.2 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of Corpus ChristiTexas | Port authority / navigation district | 174.3 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of New York and New JerseyNew York / New Jersey | Bi-state port authority | 141.3 million short tons (2022); 8.9 million TEUs (2025) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of Long BeachCalifornia | City harbor department | 93.0 million short tons (2022); 9.9 million TEUs (2025) | Container News |
| Port of New OrleansLouisiana | State-created port board | 83.3 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of BeaumontTexas | Navigation district | 74.3 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of Greater Baton RougeLouisiana | Port commission | 73.4 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of VirginiaVirginia | State port authority | 69.4 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal DistrictLouisiana | Harbor district | 64.1 million short tons (2022) | Site Selection, citing USACE |
| Port of Los AngelesCalifornia | City harbor department | 10.2 million TEUs (2025) | Container News |
| Port of Savannah (Georgia Ports Authority)Georgia | State port authority | Nearly 5.7 million TEUs (2025) | Trade & Industry Development |
Large fire protection districts and authorities
Fire districts and regional fire authorities with the population and resources each reports on its own website or in public filings. This is a list of large examples, not a verified ranking.
Showing all 8 districts
| District | Population served | Size | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Fire AuthorityCalifornia | Over 1,984,758 | 78 stations; 23 member cities plus unincorporated county | OCFA |
| Contra Costa County Fire Protection DistrictCalifornia | 762,146 | About 495 square miles | Contra Costa LAFCO |
| Sacramento Metropolitan Fire DistrictCalifornia | Over 720,000 | 359 square miles | Metro Fire |
| South Metro Fire RescueColorado | Nearly 580,000 | 30 stations; 500+ firefighters; 287.5 square miles | South Metro Fire Rescue |
| Tualatin Valley Fire & RescueOregon | 551,423 | 29 stations; 467 response staff (FY2024) | TVF&R 2024 financial report |
| West Metro Fire RescueColorado | Nearly 300,000 | 17 stations; 400+ firefighters | West Metro Fire Rescue |
| Puget Sound Regional Fire AuthorityWashington | More than 260,000 | More than 120 square miles | Puget Sound Fire |
| San Ramon Valley Fire Protection DistrictCalifornia | 192,858 (district figure) | 10 stations; about 155 square miles | SRVFPD |
Large water and wastewater districts
Water and sewer districts and authorities by the population each reports serving. Wholesalers such as Metropolitan Water District and Tarrant Regional Water District serve people who are also counted by their retail member agencies, so don't add these figures together.
Showing all 10 districts
| District | Population served | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Water District of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia | 19 million | Wholesaler; 26 member agencies; about 5,200 square miles | MWD District at a Glance |
| Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoIllinois | About 5.19 million | Wastewater and stormwater; Chicago plus 128 communities | MWRD |
| Massachusetts Water Resources AuthorityMassachusetts | 3.1 million | Wholesale water and sewer; 61 communities | MWRA |
| Southern Nevada Water AuthorityNevada | More than 2 million | Wholesaler; 7 member agencies | SNWA |
| North Texas Municipal Water DistrictTexas | More than 2 million | Water, wastewater and solid waste; 13 member cities | NTMWD |
| Tarrant Regional Water DistrictTexas | More than 2 million | Wholesaler; 70+ customers in 11 counties | TRWD |
| WSSC WaterMaryland | 1.9 million | Water and sewer for Montgomery and Prince George's counties | WSSC Water |
| Las Vegas Valley Water DistrictNevada | More than 1.7 million | Retail water; SNWA member | LVVWD |
| East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictCalifornia | 1.5 million (water) | Wastewater for 740,000 | EBMUD |
| Irvine Ranch Water DistrictCalifornia | More than 500,000 | About 20% of Orange County | IRWD |
Selling to special districts
Special districts are independent governments created to do one job — run a port, supply water, fight fires, operate transit. Each has its own elected or appointed board, its own budget and, usually, its own procurement rules under state law.
- Small teams, real budgets. Many districts have a general manager and a handful of staff, so the person you reach often owns the decision.
- Boards approve contracts. Board agendas and minutes are public and show upcoming purchases, capital projects and contract renewals.
- Find them by state. State controllers, auditors and, in California, local agency formation commissions (LAFCOs) publish lists of districts.
- Use cooperative contracts. Smaller districts often buy through cooperative purchasing agreements instead of running their own solicitations.
See our special districts market page, the utilities by state directory and the cooperative purchasing guide.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Local Governments by Type and State (as reproduced in the Kansas Statistical Abstract)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Government Organization Summary Report: 2022 & 2025
- Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database 2024 agency profiles
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2022 tonnage rankings, via Site Selection