This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for managing wireless local area network (WLAN) density. The WLAN density is managed to limit how many APs can utilize a first portion of a first frequency band in a geographical area. A limit of APs may be based on an estimated amount of interference that would be caused by the APs to an incumbent system that also uses the first portion of the frequency band. The WLAN density control may prevent the estimated amount of interference caused by APs in a geographical area from exceeding a threshold interference level based on the presence of the incumbent system. WLAN density control may involve the AP configuration of a first AP or may involve the density of client devices associated with one or more APs in the geographical area.