Technical Abstract: A detailed analysis of the effect of plant population density on processing sweet corn is lacking in the peer-reviewed literature. Therefore, field experiments were conducted utilizing six hybrids commonly grown in the North Central Region (NCR), a primary production region of processing sweet corn in North America. The objectives were to: 1) quantify the effects of plant population density and commercial hybrid on sweet corn growth, development, ear traits, and yield, 2) determine plant population densities for maximum yield for growers and maximum gross profit margin for processors, and 3) compare plant population densities for maximum yield and maximum gross profit margin to population densities observed in processing sweet corn fields throughout the NCR. Increasing population density from 43,000 to 86,000 plants ha-1 increased the crop’s ability to intercept light, increased length of the vegetative period, decreased ear length, and perhaps most importantly, decreased recovery – the percent of kernel mass represented in green ear mass. In addition to variable growth responses among hybrids, plant populations for optimal yield also varied among hybrids; averaging 50,000 plants ha-1 in a poorer yielding hybrid (average maximum yield of 15.3 Mt ha-1) to 64,500 plants ha-1 in a higher yielding hybrid (average maximum yield of 20.0 Mt ha-1). Based on surveys of growers’ fields throughout the NCR, plant population densities average 56,000 plants ha-1, which is consistent with the average plant population density for optimal gross profit margin for processors ($9,741 ha-1). Growers could realize higher yields and profit if higher plant populations were used with certain hybrids.