North Yorkshire is home to nearly 600,000 people living in almost 269,000 households. The county covers an area of 803,761 hectares and is predominantly rural. Broken down by population: 21% of people live in the two major towns (Harrogate and Scarborough) while 32% of people live in areas defined as 'sparse' (between 130 and 1,036 people per square mile) and 24% live in 'super sparse' areas (fewer than 129 people per square mile)