Data / Rankings / Population under 18 / US states

US states by population under 18

Utah had the highest population under 18 of 51 states in 2021, at 28.4%. District of Columbia had the lowest, at 18%. The median was 22% and the figure for the United States was 22%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest28.4Utah
Lowest18District of Columbia
Median2251 states
United States22History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 22 %Alaska: 24.3 %Arizona: 22.4 %Arkansas: 23.2 %California: 22.1 %Colorado: 21.6 %Connecticut: 20.2 %Delaware: 20.7 %District of Columbia: 18 %Florida: 19.6 %Georgia: 23.2 %Hawaii: 20.5 %Idaho: 24.7 %Illinois: 21.7 %Indiana: 23.3 %Iowa: 23 %Kansas: 23.9 %Kentucky: 22.6 %Louisiana: 23.4 %Maine: 18.3 %Maryland: 22 %Massachusetts: 19.3 %Michigan: 21.3 %Minnesota: 22.9 %Mississippi: 23.1 %Missouri: 22.4 %Montana: 21.3 %Nebraska: 24.6 %Nevada: 22.1 %New Hampshire: 18.4 %New Jersey: 21.5 %New Mexico: 22.2 %New York: 20.3 %North Carolina: 21.8 %North Dakota: 23.4 %Ohio: 22 %Oklahoma: 24 %Oregon: 20.2 %Pennsylvania: 20.3 %Rhode Island: 18.8 %South Carolina: 21.5 %South Dakota: 24.5 %Tennessee: 22.1 %Texas: 25 %Utah: 28.4 %Vermont: 18 %Virginia: 21.8 %Washington: 21.6 %West Virginia: 20 %Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wyoming: 23.1 %
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 21
  • 21 to 22
  • 22 to 23
  • 23 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2021

Utah: 28.4 %Utah28.4Texas: 25 %Texas25Idaho: 24.7 %Idaho24.7Nebraska: 24.6 %Nebraska24.6South Dakota: 24.5 %South Dakota24.5Alaska: 24.3 %Alaska24.3Oklahoma: 24 %Oklahoma24Kansas: 23.9 %Kansas23.9North Dakota: 23.4 %North Dakota23.4Louisiana: 23.4 %Louisiana23.4Indiana: 23.3 %Indiana23.3Arkansas: 23.2 %Arkansas23.2Georgia: 23.2 %Georgia23.2Mississippi: 23.1 %Mississippi23.1Wyoming: 23.1 %Wyoming23.1Iowa: 23 %Iowa23Minnesota: 22.9 %Minnesota22.9Kentucky: 22.6 %Kentucky22.6Arizona: 22.4 %Arizona22.4Missouri: 22.4 %Missouri22.4New Mexico: 22.2 %New Mexico22.2Nevada: 22.1 %Nevada22.1California: 22.1 %California22.1Tennessee: 22.1 %Tennessee22.1Ohio: 22 %Ohio22Alabama: 22 %Alabama22Maryland: 22 %Maryland22North Carolina: 21.8 %North Carolina21.8Virginia: 21.8 %Virginia21.8Illinois: 21.7 %Illinois21.7Washington: 21.6 %Washington21.6Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wisconsin21.6Colorado: 21.6 %Colorado21.6South Carolina: 21.5 %South Carolina21.5New Jersey: 21.5 %New Jersey21.5Michigan: 21.3 %Michigan21.3Montana: 21.3 %Montana21.3Delaware: 20.7 %Delaware20.7Hawaii: 20.5 %Hawaii20.5New York: 20.3 %New York20.3Pennsylvania: 20.3 %Pennsylvania20.3Connecticut: 20.2 %Connecticut20.2Oregon: 20.2 %Oregon20.2West Virginia: 20 %West Virginia20Florida: 19.6 %Florida19.6Massachusetts: 19.3 %Massachusetts19.3Rhode Island: 18.8 %Rhode Island18.8New Hampshire: 18.4 %New Hampshire18.4Maine: 18.3 %Maine18.3Vermont: 18 %Vermont18District of Columbia: 18 %District of Columbia18Utah: 28.4 %Utah28.4Texas: 25 %Texas25Idaho: 24.7 %Idaho24.7Nebraska: 24.6 %Nebraska24.6South Dakota: 24.5 %South Dakota24.5Alaska: 24.3 %Alaska24.3Oklahoma: 24 %Oklahoma24Kansas: 23.9 %Kansas23.9North Dakota: 23.4 %North Dakota23.4Louisiana: 23.4 %Louisiana23.4Indiana: 23.3 %Indiana23.3Arkansas: 23.2 %Arkansas23.2Georgia: 23.2 %Georgia23.2Mississippi: 23.1 %Mississippi23.1Wyoming: 23.1 %Wyoming23.1Iowa: 23 %Iowa23Minnesota: 22.9 %Minnesota22.9Kentucky: 22.6 %Kentucky22.6Arizona: 22.4 %Arizona22.4Missouri: 22.4 %Missouri22.4New Mexico: 22.2 %New Mexico22.2Nevada: 22.1 %Nevada22.1California: 22.1 %California22.1Tennessee: 22.1 %Tennessee22.1Ohio: 22 %Ohio22Alabama: 22 %Alabama22Maryland: 22 %Maryland22North Carolina: 21.8 %North Carolina21.8Virginia: 21.8 %Virginia21.8Illinois: 21.7 %Illinois21.7Washington: 21.6 %Washington21.6Wisconsin: 21.6 %Wisconsin21.6Colorado: 21.6 %Colorado21.6South Carolina: 21.5 %South Carolina21.5New Jersey: 21.5 %New Jersey21.5Michigan: 21.3 %Michigan21.3Montana: 21.3 %Montana21.3Delaware: 20.7 %Delaware20.7Hawaii: 20.5 %Hawaii20.5New York: 20.3 %New York20.3Pennsylvania: 20.3 %Pennsylvania20.3Connecticut: 20.2 %Connecticut20.2Oregon: 20.2 %Oregon20.2West Virginia: 20 %West Virginia20Florida: 19.6 %Florida19.6Massachusetts: 19.3 %Massachusetts19.3Rhode Island: 18.8 %Rhode Island18.8New Hampshire: 18.4 %New Hampshire18.4Maine: 18.3 %Maine18.3Vermont: 18 %Vermont18District of Columbia: 18 %District of Columbia18
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Utah28.4-0.5 pts
2Texas25-0.3 pts
3Idaho24.7-0.3 pts
4Nebraska24.6-0.2 pts
5South Dakota24.5-0.2 pts
6Alaska24.3-0.2 pts
7Oklahoma24-0.1 pts
8Kansas23.9-0.2 pts
9North Dakota23.4-0.1 pts
10Louisiana23.4-0.2 pts
11Indiana23.3-0.2 pts
12Arkansas23.2-0.1 pts
13Georgia23.2-0.2 pts
14Mississippi23.1-0.1 pts
15Wyoming23.1-0.3 pts
16Iowa23-0.2 pts
17Minnesota22.9-0.2 pts
18Kentucky22.6-0.1 pts
19Arizona22.4-0.3 pts
20Missouri22.4-0.1 pts
21New Mexico22.2-0.4 pts
22Nevada22.1-0.3 pts
23California22.1-0.2 pts
24Tennessee22.1-0.1 pts
25Ohio22-0.1 pts
26Alabama22-0.1 pts
27Maryland22-0.2 pts
28North Carolina21.8-0.2 pts
29Virginia21.8-0.2 pts
30Illinois21.7-0.3 pts
31Washington21.6-0.2 pts
32Wisconsin21.6-0.2 pts
33Colorado21.6-0.4 pts
34South Carolina21.5-0.2 pts
35New Jersey21.5-0.2 pts
36Michigan21.3-0.2 pts
37Montana21.3-0.3 pts
38Delaware20.7-0.3 pts
39Hawaii20.5-0.3 pts
40New York20.3-0.2 pts
41Pennsylvania20.3-0.2 pts
42Connecticut20.2-0.4 pts
43Oregon20.2-0.3 pts
44West Virginia20-0.1 pts
45Florida19.6-0.2 pts
46Massachusetts19.3-0.3 pts
47Rhode Island18.8-0.4 pts
48New Hampshire18.4-0.2 pts
49Maine18.3-0.3 pts
50Vermont18-0.3 pts
51District of Columbia18-0.1 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_population_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2021.
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 28.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population under 18?

District of Columbia, with 18% in 2021.

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