Data / Rankings / Population under 18 / US states

US states by population under 18

Utah had the highest population under 18 of 51 states in 2020, at 28.9%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 18.1%. 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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Highest28.9Utah
Lowest18.1District of Columbia
Median22.151 states
United States22.2History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 22.1 %Alaska: 24.6 %Arizona: 22.7 %Arkansas: 23.3 %California: 22.3 %Colorado: 21.9 %Connecticut: 20.6 %Delaware: 21 %District of Columbia: 18.1 %Florida: 19.8 %Georgia: 23.4 %Hawaii: 20.9 %Idaho: 25 %Illinois: 22 %Indiana: 23.5 %Iowa: 23.2 %Kansas: 24.1 %Kentucky: 22.7 %Louisiana: 23.5 %Maine: 18.6 %Maryland: 22.2 %Massachusetts: 19.6 %Michigan: 21.5 %Minnesota: 23.1 %Mississippi: 23.3 %Missouri: 22.5 %Montana: 21.5 %Nebraska: 24.7 %Nevada: 22.4 %New Hampshire: 18.7 %New Jersey: 21.7 %New Mexico: 22.6 %New York: 20.6 %North Carolina: 22.1 %North Dakota: 23.5 %Ohio: 22.1 %Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oregon: 20.5 %Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Rhode Island: 19.2 %South Carolina: 21.7 %South Dakota: 24.6 %Tennessee: 22.2 %Texas: 25.3 %Utah: 28.9 %Vermont: 18.3 %Virginia: 22 %Washington: 21.9 %West Virginia: 20.2 %Wisconsin: 21.7 %Wyoming: 23.4 %
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 22
  • 22 to 23
  • 23 to 24
  • 24 and over
%, 2020. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2020

Utah: 28.9 %Utah28.9Texas: 25.3 %Texas25.3Idaho: 25 %Idaho25Nebraska: 24.7 %Nebraska24.7South Dakota: 24.6 %South Dakota24.6Alaska: 24.6 %Alaska24.6Kansas: 24.1 %Kansas24.1Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oklahoma24.1North Dakota: 23.5 %North Dakota23.5Louisiana: 23.5 %Louisiana23.5Indiana: 23.5 %Indiana23.5Wyoming: 23.4 %Wyoming23.4Georgia: 23.4 %Georgia23.4Arkansas: 23.3 %Arkansas23.3Mississippi: 23.3 %Mississippi23.3Iowa: 23.2 %Iowa23.2Minnesota: 23.1 %Minnesota23.1Arizona: 22.7 %Arizona22.7Kentucky: 22.7 %Kentucky22.7New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Missouri: 22.5 %Missouri22.5Nevada: 22.4 %Nevada22.4California: 22.3 %California22.3Maryland: 22.2 %Maryland22.2Tennessee: 22.2 %Tennessee22.2North Carolina: 22.1 %North Carolina22.1Alabama: 22.1 %Alabama22.1Ohio: 22.1 %Ohio22.1Illinois: 22 %Illinois22Virginia: 22 %Virginia22Colorado: 21.9 %Colorado21.9Washington: 21.9 %Washington21.9Wisconsin: 21.7 %Wisconsin21.7South Carolina: 21.7 %South Carolina21.7New Jersey: 21.7 %New Jersey21.7Montana: 21.5 %Montana21.5Michigan: 21.5 %Michigan21.5Delaware: 21 %Delaware21Hawaii: 20.9 %Hawaii20.9New York: 20.6 %New York20.6Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Oregon: 20.5 %Oregon20.5Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Pennsylvania20.5West Virginia: 20.2 %West Virginia20.2Florida: 19.8 %Florida19.8Massachusetts: 19.6 %Massachusetts19.6Rhode Island: 19.2 %Rhode Island19.2New Hampshire: 18.7 %New Hampshire18.7Maine: 18.6 %Maine18.6Vermont: 18.3 %Vermont18.3District of Columbia: 18.1 %District of Columbia18.1Utah: 28.9 %Utah28.9Texas: 25.3 %Texas25.3Idaho: 25 %Idaho25Nebraska: 24.7 %Nebraska24.7South Dakota: 24.6 %South Dakota24.6Alaska: 24.6 %Alaska24.6Kansas: 24.1 %Kansas24.1Oklahoma: 24.1 %Oklahoma24.1North Dakota: 23.5 %North Dakota23.5Louisiana: 23.5 %Louisiana23.5Indiana: 23.5 %Indiana23.5Wyoming: 23.4 %Wyoming23.4Georgia: 23.4 %Georgia23.4Arkansas: 23.3 %Arkansas23.3Mississippi: 23.3 %Mississippi23.3Iowa: 23.2 %Iowa23.2Minnesota: 23.1 %Minnesota23.1Arizona: 22.7 %Arizona22.7Kentucky: 22.7 %Kentucky22.7New Mexico: 22.6 %New Mexico22.6Missouri: 22.5 %Missouri22.5Nevada: 22.4 %Nevada22.4California: 22.3 %California22.3Maryland: 22.2 %Maryland22.2Tennessee: 22.2 %Tennessee22.2North Carolina: 22.1 %North Carolina22.1Alabama: 22.1 %Alabama22.1Ohio: 22.1 %Ohio22.1Illinois: 22 %Illinois22Virginia: 22 %Virginia22Colorado: 21.9 %Colorado21.9Washington: 21.9 %Washington21.9Wisconsin: 21.7 %Wisconsin21.7South Carolina: 21.7 %South Carolina21.7New Jersey: 21.7 %New Jersey21.7Montana: 21.5 %Montana21.5Michigan: 21.5 %Michigan21.5Delaware: 21 %Delaware21Hawaii: 20.9 %Hawaii20.9New York: 20.6 %New York20.6Connecticut: 20.6 %Connecticut20.6Oregon: 20.5 %Oregon20.5Pennsylvania: 20.5 %Pennsylvania20.5West Virginia: 20.2 %West Virginia20.2Florida: 19.8 %Florida19.8Massachusetts: 19.6 %Massachusetts19.6Rhode Island: 19.2 %Rhode Island19.2New Hampshire: 18.7 %New Hampshire18.7Maine: 18.6 %Maine18.6Vermont: 18.3 %Vermont18.3District of Columbia: 18.1 %District of Columbia18.1
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Utah28.9-0.4 pts
2Texas25.3+0.1 pts
3Idaho25-0.4 pts
4Nebraska24.7-0.1 pts
5South Dakota24.60 pts
6Alaska24.6-0 pts
7Kansas24.1-0.1 pts
8Oklahoma24.1+0.1 pts
9North Dakota23.5+0.1 pts
10Louisiana23.5+0.1 pts
11Indiana23.5-0.1 pts
12Wyoming23.4-0.2 pts
13Georgia23.4-0 pts
14Arkansas23.30 pts
15Mississippi23.3+0.1 pts
16Iowa23.2-0.1 pts
17Minnesota23.1-0 pts
18Arizona22.7-0 pts
19Kentucky22.7-0 pts
20New Mexico22.6-0.2 pts
21Missouri22.50 pts
22Nevada22.4-0 pts
23California22.3+0.1 pts
24Maryland22.20 pts
25Tennessee22.2-0 pts
26North Carolina22.1+0.1 pts
27Alabama22.1-0.1 pts
28Ohio22.1-0 pts
29Illinois22-0.1 pts
30Virginia220 pts
31Colorado21.9-0.2 pts
32Washington21.9-0.1 pts
33Wisconsin21.7-0.1 pts
34South Carolina21.70 pts
35New Jersey21.7-0 pts
36Montana21.5-0.1 pts
37Michigan21.5-0.1 pts
38Delaware21+0.1 pts
39Hawaii20.9+0.2 pts
40New York20.6+0.1 pts
41Connecticut20.6-0 pts
42Oregon20.5-0.1 pts
43Pennsylvania20.50 pts
44West Virginia20.2-0 pts
45Florida19.8+0.2 pts
46Massachusetts19.6+0.1 pts
47Rhode Island19.2-0.1 pts
48New Hampshire18.7-0.2 pts
49Maine18.6-0.1 pts
50Vermont18.3-0.2 pts
51District of Columbia18.1+1.5 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, 2020) [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, 2020. 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=2020. 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, 2020. 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=2020.

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, 2020 [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=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_population_2020,
  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, 2020}},
  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=2020. 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, 2020
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=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2020.
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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Questions

Which state has the highest population under 18?

Utah, with 28.9% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population under 18?

District of Columbia, with 18.1% in 2020.

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