Data / Rankings / Population / US states

US states by population

California had the highest population of 51 states in 2021, at 39.15 million. Wyoming had the lowest, at 579,662. The median was 4.51 million and the figure for the United States was 332.1 million. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest39,152,927California
Lowest579,662Wyoming
Median4,508,34851 states
United States332,100,166History

All states, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

CaliforniaCalifornia: 39,152,927 persons39,152,927TexasTexas: 29,572,672 persons29,572,672FloridaFlorida: 21,836,698 persons21,836,698New YorkNew York: 19,835,345 persons19,835,345PennsylvaniaPennsylvania: 13,016,628 persons13,016,628IllinoisIllinois: 12,703,354 persons12,703,354OhioOhio: 11,761,443 persons11,761,443GeorgiaGeorgia: 10,793,038 persons10,793,038North CarolinaNorth Carolina: 10,565,503 persons10,565,503MichiganMichigan: 10,042,362 persons10,042,362New JerseyNew Jersey: 9,266,509 persons9,266,509VirginiaVirginia: 8,660,007 persons8,660,007WashingtonWashington: 7,744,316 persons7,744,316ArizonaArizona: 7,274,022 persons7,274,022MassachusettsMassachusetts: 6,996,721 persons6,996,721TennesseeTennessee: 6,966,687 persons6,966,687IndianaIndiana: 6,814,223 persons6,814,223MarylandMaryland: 6,176,035 persons6,176,035MissouriMissouri: 6,172,551 persons6,172,551WisconsinWisconsin: 5,882,128 persons5,882,128ColoradoColorado: 5,814,368 persons5,814,368MinnesotaMinnesota: 5,714,055 persons5,714,055South CarolinaSouth Carolina: 5,194,346 persons5,194,346AlabamaAlabama: 5,050,058 persons5,050,058LouisianaLouisiana: 4,628,595 persons4,628,595KentuckyKentucky: 4,508,348 persons4,508,348OregonOregon: 4,254,691 persons4,254,691OklahomaOklahoma: 3,992,760 persons3,992,760ConnecticutConnecticut: 3,607,765 persons3,607,765UtahUtah: 3,339,874 persons3,339,874IowaIowa: 3,199,037 persons3,199,037NevadaNevada: 3,148,472 persons3,148,472ArkansasArkansas: 3,027,127 persons3,027,127MississippiMississippi: 2,947,603 persons2,947,603KansasKansas: 2,938,966 persons2,938,966New MexicoNew Mexico: 2,117,300 persons2,117,300NebraskaNebraska: 1,964,697 persons1,964,697IdahoIdaho: 1,904,855 persons1,904,855West VirginiaWest Virginia: 1,785,921 persons1,785,921HawaiiHawaii: 1,446,909 persons1,446,909New HampshireNew Hampshire: 1,387,907 persons1,387,907MaineMaine: 1,379,009 persons1,379,009MontanaMontana: 1,106,416 persons1,106,416Rhode IslandRhode Island: 1,097,381 persons1,097,381DelawareDelaware: 1,005,130 persons1,005,130South DakotaSouth Dakota: 896,303 persons896,303North DakotaNorth Dakota: 777,977 persons777,977AlaskaAlaska: 734,590 persons734,590District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia: 669,637 persons669,637VermontVermont: 647,238 persons647,238WyomingWyoming: 579,662 persons579,662
persons. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankStates2021
persons		Change on 2020
1California39,152,927-0.9%
2Texas29,572,672+1.1%
3Florida21,836,698+1.1%
4New York19,835,345-1.4%
5Pennsylvania13,016,628+0.2%
6Illinois12,703,354-0.7%
7Ohio11,761,443-0.3%
8Georgia10,793,038+0.6%
9North Carolina10,565,503+1.1%
10Michigan10,042,362-0.3%
11New Jersey9,266,509-0%
12Virginia8,660,007+0.3%
13Washington7,744,316+0.2%
14Arizona7,274,022+1.2%
15Massachusetts6,996,721+0.2%
16Tennessee6,966,687+0.6%
17Indiana6,814,223+0.4%
18Maryland6,176,035-0%
19Missouri6,172,551+0.3%
20Wisconsin5,882,128-0.3%
21Colorado5,814,368+0.5%
22Minnesota5,714,055+0.1%
23South Carolina5,194,346+1.2%
24Alabama5,050,058+0.3%
25Louisiana4,628,595-0.5%
26Kentucky4,508,3480%
27Oregon4,254,691+0.3%
28Oklahoma3,992,760+0.7%
29Connecticut3,607,765+0.8%
30Utah3,339,874+1.7%
31Iowa3,199,037+0.2%
32Nevada3,148,472+1%
33Arkansas3,027,127+0.4%
34Mississippi2,947,603-0.4%
35Kansas2,938,9660%
36New Mexico2,117,300-0.1%
37Nebraska1,964,697+0.1%
38Idaho1,904,855+3%
39West Virginia1,785,921-0.3%
40Hawaii1,446,909-0.3%
41New Hampshire1,387,907+0.7%
42Maine1,379,009+1.1%
43Montana1,106,416+1.8%
44Rhode Island1,097,381+0.1%
45Delaware1,005,130+1.3%
46South Dakota896,303+1%
47North Dakota777,977-0.2%
48Alaska734,590+0.2%
49District of Columbia669,637-0.2%
50Vermont647,238+0.7%
51Wyoming579,662+0.3%

Other periods

About this ranking

Resident population. Spain and the EU: 1 January, with Spanish figures from the official municipal register (Padrón). United States: Census Bureau population estimates for 1 July. Other countries and the World: World Bank mid-year estimates, which count all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

For Denmark, Statistics Denmark counts the registered resident population on 1 January. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are excluded. The annual series selects the first-quarter reference date from FOLK1A. The World Bank series exists for every country, so use it (through compare) to rank countries on one basis.

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. Annual estimates of the resident population for the United States, states and counties, 1 July (Population Estimates Program). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which state has the highest population?

California, with 39.15 million in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest population?

Wyoming, with 579,662 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, Annual estimates of the resident population for the United States, states and counties, 1 July (Population Estimates Program). Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Population: other rankings

US states: more rankings