Data / Rankings / Population under 18 / US states

US states by population under 18

Utah had the highest population under 18 of 51 states in 2023, at 27.2%. Vermont had the lowest, at 17.6%. The median was 21.5% and the figure for the United States was 21.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest27.2Utah
Lowest17.6Vermont
Median21.551 states
United States21.6History

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 21.8 %Alaska: 23.8 %Arizona: 21.7 %Arkansas: 22.9 %California: 21.4 %Colorado: 20.8 %Connecticut: 19.9 %Delaware: 20.4 %District of Columbia: 18.1 %Florida: 19.4 %Georgia: 22.8 %Hawaii: 20.1 %Idaho: 24 %Illinois: 21.2 %Indiana: 23.1 %Iowa: 22.7 %Kansas: 23.5 %Kentucky: 22.4 %Louisiana: 23.2 %Maine: 17.8 %Maryland: 21.7 %Massachusetts: 18.9 %Michigan: 20.9 %Minnesota: 22.5 %Mississippi: 22.8 %Missouri: 22.1 %Montana: 20.9 %Nebraska: 24.2 %Nevada: 21.5 %New Hampshire: 17.9 %New Jersey: 21.2 %New Mexico: 21.5 %New York: 19.9 %North Carolina: 21.5 %North Dakota: 23.2 %Ohio: 21.7 %Oklahoma: 23.7 %Oregon: 19.6 %Pennsylvania: 20 %Rhode Island: 18.3 %South Carolina: 21.2 %South Dakota: 24.1 %Tennessee: 21.9 %Texas: 24.5 %Utah: 27.2 %Vermont: 17.6 %Virginia: 21.4 %Washington: 21 %West Virginia: 19.8 %Wisconsin: 21.1 %Wyoming: 22.4 %
  • Under 20
  • 20 to 21
  • 21 to 22
  • 22 to 23
  • 23 and over
%, 2023. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2023

Utah: 27.2 %Utah27.2Texas: 24.5 %Texas24.5Nebraska: 24.2 %Nebraska24.2South Dakota: 24.1 %South Dakota24.1Idaho: 24 %Idaho24Alaska: 23.8 %Alaska23.8Oklahoma: 23.7 %Oklahoma23.7Kansas: 23.5 %Kansas23.5North Dakota: 23.2 %North Dakota23.2Louisiana: 23.2 %Louisiana23.2Indiana: 23.1 %Indiana23.1Arkansas: 22.9 %Arkansas22.9Mississippi: 22.8 %Mississippi22.8Georgia: 22.8 %Georgia22.8Iowa: 22.7 %Iowa22.7Minnesota: 22.5 %Minnesota22.5Kentucky: 22.4 %Kentucky22.4Wyoming: 22.4 %Wyoming22.4Missouri: 22.1 %Missouri22.1Tennessee: 21.9 %Tennessee21.9Alabama: 21.8 %Alabama21.8Maryland: 21.7 %Maryland21.7Ohio: 21.7 %Ohio21.7Arizona: 21.7 %Arizona21.7North Carolina: 21.5 %North Carolina21.5Nevada: 21.5 %Nevada21.5New Mexico: 21.5 %New Mexico21.5California: 21.4 %California21.4Virginia: 21.4 %Virginia21.4New Jersey: 21.2 %New Jersey21.2Illinois: 21.2 %Illinois21.2South Carolina: 21.2 %South Carolina21.2Wisconsin: 21.1 %Wisconsin21.1Washington: 21 %Washington21Michigan: 20.9 %Michigan20.9Montana: 20.9 %Montana20.9Colorado: 20.8 %Colorado20.8Delaware: 20.4 %Delaware20.4Hawaii: 20.1 %Hawaii20.1Pennsylvania: 20 %Pennsylvania20Connecticut: 19.9 %Connecticut19.9New York: 19.9 %New York19.9West Virginia: 19.8 %West Virginia19.8Oregon: 19.6 %Oregon19.6Florida: 19.4 %Florida19.4Massachusetts: 18.9 %Massachusetts18.9Rhode Island: 18.3 %Rhode Island18.3District of Columbia: 18.1 %District of Columbia18.1New Hampshire: 17.9 %New Hampshire17.9Maine: 17.8 %Maine17.8Vermont: 17.6 %Vermont17.6Utah: 27.2 %Utah27.2Texas: 24.5 %Texas24.5Nebraska: 24.2 %Nebraska24.2South Dakota: 24.1 %South Dakota24.1Idaho: 24 %Idaho24Alaska: 23.8 %Alaska23.8Oklahoma: 23.7 %Oklahoma23.7Kansas: 23.5 %Kansas23.5North Dakota: 23.2 %North Dakota23.2Louisiana: 23.2 %Louisiana23.2Indiana: 23.1 %Indiana23.1Arkansas: 22.9 %Arkansas22.9Mississippi: 22.8 %Mississippi22.8Georgia: 22.8 %Georgia22.8Iowa: 22.7 %Iowa22.7Minnesota: 22.5 %Minnesota22.5Kentucky: 22.4 %Kentucky22.4Wyoming: 22.4 %Wyoming22.4Missouri: 22.1 %Missouri22.1Tennessee: 21.9 %Tennessee21.9Alabama: 21.8 %Alabama21.8Maryland: 21.7 %Maryland21.7Ohio: 21.7 %Ohio21.7Arizona: 21.7 %Arizona21.7North Carolina: 21.5 %North Carolina21.5Nevada: 21.5 %Nevada21.5New Mexico: 21.5 %New Mexico21.5California: 21.4 %California21.4Virginia: 21.4 %Virginia21.4New Jersey: 21.2 %New Jersey21.2Illinois: 21.2 %Illinois21.2South Carolina: 21.2 %South Carolina21.2Wisconsin: 21.1 %Wisconsin21.1Washington: 21 %Washington21Michigan: 20.9 %Michigan20.9Montana: 20.9 %Montana20.9Colorado: 20.8 %Colorado20.8Delaware: 20.4 %Delaware20.4Hawaii: 20.1 %Hawaii20.1Pennsylvania: 20 %Pennsylvania20Connecticut: 19.9 %Connecticut19.9New York: 19.9 %New York19.9West Virginia: 19.8 %West Virginia19.8Oregon: 19.6 %Oregon19.6Florida: 19.4 %Florida19.4Massachusetts: 18.9 %Massachusetts18.9Rhode Island: 18.3 %Rhode Island18.3District of Columbia: 18.1 %District of Columbia18.1New Hampshire: 17.9 %New Hampshire17.9Maine: 17.8 %Maine17.8Vermont: 17.6 %Vermont17.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Utah27.2-0.6 pts
2Texas24.5-0.2 pts
3Nebraska24.2-0.2 pts
4South Dakota24.1-0.2 pts
5Idaho24-0.4 pts
6Alaska23.8-0.3 pts
7Oklahoma23.7-0.2 pts
8Kansas23.5-0.2 pts
9North Dakota23.2-0.1 pts
10Louisiana23.2-0.1 pts
11Indiana23.1-0.2 pts
12Arkansas22.9-0.2 pts
13Mississippi22.8-0.2 pts
14Georgia22.8-0.2 pts
15Iowa22.7-0.2 pts
16Minnesota22.5-0.2 pts
17Kentucky22.4-0.1 pts
18Wyoming22.4-0.3 pts
19Missouri22.1-0.2 pts
20Tennessee21.9-0.1 pts
21Alabama21.8-0.1 pts
22Maryland21.7-0.1 pts
23Ohio21.7-0.2 pts
24Arizona21.7-0.4 pts
25North Carolina21.5-0.2 pts
26Nevada21.5-0.4 pts
27New Mexico21.5-0.4 pts
28California21.4-0.3 pts
29Virginia21.4-0.2 pts
30New Jersey21.2-0.1 pts
31Illinois21.2-0.3 pts
32South Carolina21.2-0.2 pts
33Wisconsin21.1-0.2 pts
34Washington21-0.3 pts
35Michigan20.9-0.2 pts
36Montana20.9-0.3 pts
37Colorado20.8-0.3 pts
38Delaware20.4-0.2 pts
39Hawaii20.1-0.2 pts
40Pennsylvania20-0.1 pts
41Connecticut19.9-0.2 pts
42New York19.9-0.2 pts
43West Virginia19.8-0.1 pts
44Oregon19.6-0.3 pts
45Florida19.4-0.1 pts
46Massachusetts18.9-0.2 pts
47Rhode Island18.3-0.3 pts
48District of Columbia18.10 pts
49New Hampshire17.9-0.3 pts
50Maine17.8-0.3 pts
51Vermont17.6-0.3 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, 2023) [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, 2023. 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=2023. 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, 2023. 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=2023.

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, 2023 [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=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_population_2023,
  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, 2023}},
  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=2023. 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, 2023
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=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/population-under-18/us-states?period=2023.
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 27.2% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population under 18?

Vermont, with 17.6% in 2023.

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