Presented herein are techniques for using mobile client density to compensate for variations in path loss between neighboring access points. In one example, a device (e.g., wireless controller) determines one or more mobile client density variation trends in a wireless network location and determines one or more neighbor message power variation trends between at least first and second access points within the wireless network location. The device generates one or more correlation bias factors using the mobile client density variation trends and the neighbor message power variation trends. The device determines a path loss between at least the first and second access points based on the correlation bias factor and data associated with neighbor messages sent between the first and second access points.