Data / Rankings / Population under 18 / US states

US states by population under 18

Utah had the highest population under 18 of 51 states in 2019, at 29.3%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 16.6%. The median was 22.1% and the figure for the United States was 22.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest29.3Utah
Lowest16.6District of Columbia
Median22.151 states
United States22.2History

Map of states, 2019

Alabama: 22.1 %Alaska: 24.6 %Arizona: 22.8 %Arkansas: 23.3 %California: 22.2 %Colorado: 22.1 %Connecticut: 20.6 %Delaware: 21 %District of Columbia: 16.6 %Florida: 19.6 %Georgia: 23.5 %Hawaii: 20.7 %Idaho: 25.4 %Illinois: 22.1 %Indiana: 23.6 %Iowa: 23.3 %Kansas: 24.2 %Kentucky: 22.7 %Louisiana: 23.4 %Maine: 18.6 %Maryland: 22.1 %Massachusetts: 19.6 %Michigan: 21.6 %Minnesota: 23.2 %Mississippi: 23.2 %Missouri: 22.5 %Montana: 21.7 %Nebraska: 24.8 %Nevada: 22.5 %New Hampshire: 18.9 %New Jersey: 21.7 %New Mexico: 22.8 %New York: 20.5 %North Carolina: 22 %North Dakota: 23.5 %Ohio: 22.1 %Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oregon: 20.6 %Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Rhode Island: 19.3 %South Carolina: 21.7 %South Dakota: 24.6 %Tennessee: 22.2 %Texas: 25.2 %Utah: 29.3 %Vermont: 18.5 %Virginia: 21.9 %Washington: 21.9 %West Virginia: 20.2 %Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wyoming: 23.6 %
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 22
  • 22 to 23
  • 23 to 24
  • 24 and over
%, 2019. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2019

Utah: 29.3 %Utah29.3Idaho: 25.4 %Idaho25.4Texas: 25.2 %Texas25.2Nebraska: 24.8 %Nebraska24.8South Dakota: 24.6 %South Dakota24.6Alaska: 24.6 %Alaska24.6Kansas: 24.2 %Kansas24.2Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oklahoma24.1Wyoming: 23.6 %Wyoming23.6Indiana: 23.6 %Indiana23.6North Dakota: 23.5 %North Dakota23.5Georgia: 23.5 %Georgia23.5Louisiana: 23.4 %Louisiana23.4Arkansas: 23.3 %Arkansas23.3Iowa: 23.3 %Iowa23.3Mississippi: 23.2 %Mississippi23.2Minnesota: 23.2 %Minnesota23.2New Mexico: 22.8 %New Mexico22.8Arizona: 22.8 %Arizona22.8Kentucky: 22.7 %Kentucky22.7Missouri: 22.5 %Missouri22.5Nevada: 22.5 %Nevada22.5California: 22.2 %California22.2Tennessee: 22.2 %Tennessee22.2Alabama: 22.1 %Alabama22.1Maryland: 22.1 %Maryland22.1Colorado: 22.1 %Colorado22.1Illinois: 22.1 %Illinois22.1Ohio: 22.1 %Ohio22.1North Carolina: 22 %North Carolina22Virginia: 21.9 %Virginia21.9Washington: 21.9 %Washington21.9Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wisconsin21.9South Carolina: 21.7 %South Carolina21.7New Jersey: 21.7 %New Jersey21.7Montana: 21.7 %Montana21.7Michigan: 21.6 %Michigan21.6Delaware: 21 %Delaware21Hawaii: 20.7 %Hawaii20.7Oregon: 20.6 %Oregon20.6Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Pennsylvania20.5New York: 20.5 %New York20.5West Virginia: 20.2 %West Virginia20.2Florida: 19.6 %Florida19.6Massachusetts: 19.6 %Massachusetts19.6Rhode Island: 19.3 %Rhode Island19.3New Hampshire: 18.9 %New Hampshire18.9Maine: 18.6 %Maine18.6Vermont: 18.5 %Vermont18.5District of Columbia: 16.6 %District of Columbia16.6Utah: 29.3 %Utah29.3Idaho: 25.4 %Idaho25.4Texas: 25.2 %Texas25.2Nebraska: 24.8 %Nebraska24.8South Dakota: 24.6 %South Dakota24.6Alaska: 24.6 %Alaska24.6Kansas: 24.2 %Kansas24.2Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oklahoma24.1Wyoming: 23.6 %Wyoming23.6Indiana: 23.6 %Indiana23.6North Dakota: 23.5 %North Dakota23.5Georgia: 23.5 %Georgia23.5Louisiana: 23.4 %Louisiana23.4Arkansas: 23.3 %Arkansas23.3Iowa: 23.3 %Iowa23.3Mississippi: 23.2 %Mississippi23.2Minnesota: 23.2 %Minnesota23.2New Mexico: 22.8 %New Mexico22.8Arizona: 22.8 %Arizona22.8Kentucky: 22.7 %Kentucky22.7Missouri: 22.5 %Missouri22.5Nevada: 22.5 %Nevada22.5California: 22.2 %California22.2Tennessee: 22.2 %Tennessee22.2Alabama: 22.1 %Alabama22.1Maryland: 22.1 %Maryland22.1Colorado: 22.1 %Colorado22.1Illinois: 22.1 %Illinois22.1Ohio: 22.1 %Ohio22.1North Carolina: 22 %North Carolina22Virginia: 21.9 %Virginia21.9Washington: 21.9 %Washington21.9Wisconsin: 21.9 %Wisconsin21.9South Carolina: 21.7 %South Carolina21.7New Jersey: 21.7 %New Jersey21.7Montana: 21.7 %Montana21.7Michigan: 21.6 %Michigan21.6Delaware: 21 %Delaware21Hawaii: 20.7 %Hawaii20.7Oregon: 20.6 %Oregon20.6Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Pennsylvania20.5New York: 20.5 %New York20.5West Virginia: 20.2 %West Virginia20.2Florida: 19.6 %Florida19.6Massachusetts: 19.6 %Massachusetts19.6Rhode Island: 19.3 %Rhode Island19.3New Hampshire: 18.9 %New Hampshire18.9Maine: 18.6 %Maine18.6Vermont: 18.5 %Vermont18.5District of Columbia: 16.6 %District of Columbia16.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2019 (%)Change on 2018
1Utah29.3-0.4 pts
2Idaho25.4-0.3 pts
3Texas25.2-0.3 pts
4Nebraska24.8-0.1 pts
5South Dakota24.6-0.1 pts
6Alaska24.6-0.3 pts
7Kansas24.2-0.2 pts
8Oklahoma24.1-0.2 pts
9Wyoming23.6-0.2 pts
10Indiana23.6-0.1 pts
11North Dakota23.5+0.1 pts
12Georgia23.5-0.3 pts
13Louisiana23.4-0.1 pts
14Arkansas23.3-0.1 pts
15Iowa23.3-0.1 pts
16Mississippi23.2-0.3 pts
17Minnesota23.2-0.1 pts
18New Mexico22.8-0.3 pts
19Arizona22.8-0.3 pts
20Kentucky22.7-0.1 pts
21Missouri22.5-0.1 pts
22Nevada22.5-0.3 pts
23California22.2-0.3 pts
24Tennessee22.2-0.2 pts
25Alabama22.1-0.2 pts
26Maryland22.1-0.1 pts
27Colorado22.1-0.3 pts
28Illinois22.1-0.2 pts
29Ohio22.1-0.2 pts
30North Carolina22-0.2 pts
31Virginia21.9-0.1 pts
32Washington21.9-0.2 pts
33Wisconsin21.9-0.2 pts
34South Carolina21.7-0.2 pts
35New Jersey21.7-0.1 pts
36Montana21.7-0.2 pts
37Michigan21.6-0.2 pts
38Delaware21-0.2 pts
39Hawaii20.7-0.2 pts
40Oregon20.6-0.2 pts
41Connecticut20.6-0.2 pts
42Pennsylvania20.5-0.1 pts
43New York20.5-0.2 pts
44West Virginia20.2-0.1 pts
45Florida19.6-0.2 pts
46Massachusetts19.6-0.2 pts
47Rhode Island19.3-0.2 pts
48New Hampshire18.9-0.2 pts
49Maine18.6-0.1 pts
50Vermont18.5-0.2 pts
51District of Columbia16.6-0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of total population on 1 July. United States: Census Bureau county population estimates by age; states and the nation are sums of their counties.

Uses the US age of majority. Not comparable with population_0_14_share, which stops at 14.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties (US states by population under 18, 2019) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html

MLA 9

Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, US states by population under 18, 2019. U.S. Census Bureau, 25 June 2026, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. US states by population under 18, 2019. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties, US states by population under 18, 2019 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_population_2019,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: US states by population under 18, 2019}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties: US states by population under 18, 2019
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2019.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank US states by population under 18 using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest population under 18?

Utah, with 29.3% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population under 18?

District of Columbia, with 16.6% in 2019.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county population by age and sex: residents aged 0 to 17 as a percentage of the total on 1 July, 2010 to 2019 from the 2010 to 2020 intercensal file and 2020 onwards from the latest vintage; states and the nation summed from counties. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Population under 18: other rankings

US states: more rankings