U.S. States · Highest to lowest
States ranked by population
Total state population is the simplest measure of demographic weight. It anchors every other state-level statistic and shapes federal funding, congressional representation, and electoral votes.
Top 5
California, Texas, Florida, and New York remain the top four — the same order they've held since 2014, when Florida passed New York for third.
- #1 California39,242,785
- #2 Texas29,640,343
- #3 Florida21,928,881
- #4 New York19,872,319
- #5 Pennsylvania12,986,518
Bottom 5
Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, and South Dakota anchor the bottom. All have populations under one million.
- #51 Wyoming579,761
- #50 Vermont645,254
- #49 District of Columbia672,079
- #48 Alaska733,971
- #47 North Dakota779,361
All 50 states
| # | State | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CaliforniaCA | 39,242,785 |
| 2 | TexasTX | 29,640,343 |
| 3 | FloridaFL | 21,928,881 |
| 4 | New YorkNY | 19,872,319 |
| 5 | PennsylvaniaPA | 12,986,518 |
| 6 | IllinoisIL | 12,692,653 |
| 7 | OhioOH | 11,780,046 |
| 8 | GeorgiaGA | 10,822,590 |
| 9 | North CarolinaNC | 10,584,340 |
| 10 | MichiganMI | 10,051,595 |
| 11 | New JerseyNJ | 9,267,014 |
| 12 | VirginiaVA | 8,657,499 |
| 13 | WashingtonWA | 7,740,984 |
| 14 | ArizonaAZ | 7,268,175 |
| 15 | MassachusettsMA | 6,992,395 |
| 16 | TennesseeTN | 6,986,082 |
| 17 | IndianaIN | 6,811,752 |
| 18 | MarylandMD | 6,170,738 |
| 19 | MissouriMO | 6,168,181 |
| 20 | WisconsinWI | 5,892,023 |
| 21 | ColoradoCO | 5,810,774 |
| 22 | MinnesotaMN | 5,713,716 |
| 23 | South CarolinaSC | 5,212,774 |
| 24 | AlabamaAL | 5,054,253 |
| 25 | LouisianaLA | 4,621,025 |
| 26 | KentuckyKY | 4,510,725 |
| 27 | OregonOR | 4,238,714 |
| 28 | OklahomaOK | 3,995,260 |
| 29 | ConnecticutCT | 3,598,348 |
| 30 | UtahUT | 3,331,187 |
| 31 | IowaIA | 3,195,937 |
| 32 | NevadaNV | 3,141,000 |
| 33 | ArkansasAR | 3,032,651 |
| 34 | MississippiMS | 2,951,438 |
| 35 | KansasKS | 2,937,569 |
| 36 | New MexicoNM | 2,114,768 |
| 37 | NebraskaNE | 1,965,926 |
| 38 | IdahoID | 1,893,296 |
| 39 | West VirginiaWV | 1,784,462 |
| 40 | HawaiiHI | 1,445,635 |
| 41 | New HampshireNH | 1,387,834 |
| 42 | MaineME | 1,377,400 |
| 43 | MontanaMT | 1,105,072 |
| 44 | Rhode IslandRI | 1,095,371 |
| 45 | DelawareDE | 1,005,872 |
| 46 | South DakotaSD | 899,194 |
| 47 | North DakotaND | 779,361 |
| 48 | AlaskaAK | 733,971 |
| 49 | District of ColumbiaDC | 672,079 |
| 50 | VermontVT | 645,254 |
| 51 | WyomingWY | 579,761 |
Methodology
- What this measures
- ACS5 Table B01003: total resident population, including all ages, all races, citizens and non-citizens, in housing units and group quarters.
- Why it matters
- Population determines House seats, electoral votes, and federal funding formulas. It also shapes how state-level rankings should be read — a 1% change in California's metric moves more people than the entire population of Wyoming.
- Caveats
- ACS5 estimates are 5-year averages and lag the decennial census. For real-time state population estimates, the Census Population Estimates Program is more current.
- Source
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, vintage 2023 (released December 2024). census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Frequently asked
- Which state grew the most?
- Texas and Florida have added the most residents in absolute terms over the last decade. Idaho, Utah, and South Carolina lead on percentage growth.
- Why isn't DC included?
- DC isn't a state. We rank the 50 states. DC has a population of roughly 700,000 — it would rank between Vermont and Wyoming.