Library systems serving 1 million or more residents
Size class 1 million+35 profiled systems1,332 buildingsFY 2024
There are 35 profiled public library systems serving 1 million or more residents. The median system logged 2.09 visits and 2.84 physical checkouts per resident and spent $41.62 per resident in FY 2024. The middle half of the class runs from 1.38 to 2.58 visits per resident and from $30.31 to $58.14 in spending per resident.
California has the most systems in this class (8), followed by Florida (6) and Texas (4). Across the class, 89% of systems charged no overdue fines on print items.
Visits per resident by type of community
Each dot is one system in this size class, grouped by where its headquarters sits; the gold tick marks each group's median.
Most visits per resident
| System | State | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County Library | Minnesota | 1,297,847 | 3.69 | 8.86 | $57.68 |
| San Diego Public Library | California | 1,385,379 | 3.65 | 3.87 | $54.01 |
| New York Public Library | New York | 3,662,652 | 3.37 | 2.75 | $100.15 |
| Montgomery County Public Libraries | Maryland | 1,054,827 | 3.36 | 6.90 | $44.50 |
| King County Library System | Washington | 1,607,650 | 3.35 | 7.16 | $90.15 |
| Broward County Libraries Division | Florida | 1,776,271 | 3.03 | 1.69 | $44.10 |
| Fairfax County Public Library | Virginia | 1,169,440 | 2.75 | 7.09 | $40.63 |
| Queens Borough Public Library | New York | 2,405,464 | 2.71 | 2.64 | $62.46 |
| Palm Beach County Library System | Florida | 1,007,170 | 2.58 | 5.63 | $58.14 |
| Wake County Public Libraries | North Carolina | 1,194,900 | 2.55 | 7.46 | $29.66 |
Fewest visits per resident
| System | State | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Public Library | Texas | 1,302,868 | 0.36 | 3.01 | $32.59 |
| Maricopa County Library District | Arizona | 4,726,247 | 0.36 | 0.73 | $7.51 |
| Houston Public Library | Texas | 2,314,157 | 0.92 | 1.41 | $21.39 |
| Free Library of Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,603,797 | 1.02 | 1.24 | $73.89 |
| Harris County Public Library | Texas | 2,281,173 | 1.11 | 3.58 | $16.75 |
| Phoenix Public Library | Arizona | 1,697,696 | 1.25 | 2.86 | $30.31 |
| Riverside County Library System | California | 1,381,045 | 1.33 | 1.95 | $29.08 |
| Sacramento Public Library | California | 1,490,915 | 1.35 | 2.84 | $38.30 |
| Hawaii State Public Library System | Hawaii | 1,446,146 | 1.38 | 2.43 | $28.76 |
| San Antonio Public Library | Texas | 1,868,052 | 1.46 | 2.68 | $28.29 |
Highest spending per resident
| System | State | Residents | Visits per resident | Checkouts per resident | Spending per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Public Library | New York | 3,662,652 | 3.37 | 2.75 | $100.15 |
| King County Library System | Washington | 1,607,650 | 3.35 | 7.16 | $90.15 |
| Free Library of Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,603,797 | 1.02 | 1.24 | $73.89 |
| Queens Borough Public Library | New York | 2,405,464 | 2.71 | 2.64 | $62.46 |
| San Diego County Library | California | 1,111,527 | 2.50 | 5.26 | $61.63 |
| LA County Library | California | 3,248,285 | 1.70 | 1.70 | $60.09 |
| Los Angeles Public Library | California | 3,814,318 | 1.51 | 2.01 | $59.09 |
| Brooklyn Public Library | New York | 2,736,074 | 2.19 | 2.05 | $58.15 |
| Palm Beach County Library System | Florida | 1,007,170 | 2.58 | 5.63 | $58.14 |
| Hennepin County Library | Minnesota | 1,297,847 | 3.69 | 8.86 | $57.68 |
Other profiled systems in this class
- Chicago Public Library · IL
- Miami-Dade Public Library System · FL
- Las Vegas-Clark County Library District · NV
- Orange County Public Libraries · CA
- Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative · FL
- Orange County Library District · FL
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Library · NC
- Fulton County Library System · GA
- Pima County Public Library · AZ
- Jacksonville Public Library · FL
- Contra Costa County Library · CA