Administrative divisions are the important foundation of national governance and social development, and the adjustment of administrative divisions is a critical way to promote regional coordinated development. Under the background of globalization and regionalization, timely adjustment of administrative divisions is a major step to reconstruct the regional development pattern and change the administrative rank potential energy of relevant regional governments. In the perspective of regional coordinated development, this paper constructs a regional administrative rank potential energy model based on the theory of regional interaction, spatial field energy model and power exponential function. Taking Hefei-Wuhu region as an example, this paper examines the change of administrative rank potential energy and its effect on regional coordinated development after the dismantling of the former Chaohu prefecture-level city. The results show that: (1) administrative rank potential energy is closely related to the administrative jurisdiction, administrative resources and the potential of regional coordinated development. (2) During 2005-2015, the growth rate of the overall administrative rank potential energy and coordinated development potential of the study area increased from 61.79% and 0.21% before the withdrawal of prefecture-level Chaohu city to 116.51% and 3.05% respectively. After the adjustment of administrative divisions, the growth rate of administrative rank potential energy is much higher than that of economic development and population increase. (3) The model of administrative rank potential energy can measure and express the adjustment of administrative divisions spatially. The result of the model is different from the complex influence brought by factors such as social development, which accords with the real status of social and economic development. The adjustment of administrative divisions focuses on both individual development and regional integration. It can not only significantly improve the administrative rank potential energy of the study area, promote social and economic development, but also help to break down spatial barriers and administrative barriers, and promote regional coordination and sustainable development.