At present, the United States houses 3,143 counties and county equivalent areas. The average number of counties in each state of the country is 62. Texas is home to the maximum number of counties - 254. On the other hand, Delaware has the lowest number of counties - 3. The center of the government of a county is known as the county seat. In the northeastern United States, many counties utilize the expression 'shire town' to represent the county seat. The county with the lowest population in the U.S. is Loving County in Texas, home to just 82 people (2010 estimate).