Child population by state

California has the most children, 8,174,798 residents under 18 on July 1, 2025, followed by Texas (7,600,514). As a share of the population, Utah ranks first (26.1% under 18) and Vermont last (17.0%), against 21.1%¹ nationally.

Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).

Share of residents under 18 on July 1, 2025

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Period: July 1, 2025.

Full table ↓

Most children by number: California, then Texas

California had 8,174,798 residents under 18 on July 1, 2025, the most in the nation, and Texas had 7,600,514. Together the two hold more than a fifth of the country's 72.0 million children. Florida (4,442,722), New York (3,905,391) and Illinois (2,618,601¹) follow.

States with the most residents under 18 on July 1, 2025

California8,174,798

Texas7,600,514

Florida4,442,722

New York3,905,391

Illinois2,618,601

Pennsylvania2,570,631

Ohio2,531,907

Georgia2,505,970

North Carolina2,359,942

Michigan2,062,770

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Residents under 18, 2025
California	8,174,798
Texas	7,600,514
Florida	4,442,722
New York	3,905,391
Illinois	2,618,601
Pennsylvania	2,570,631
Ohio	2,531,907
Georgia	2,505,970
North Carolina	2,359,942
Michigan	2,062,770

At the other end, Vermont has 109,614 children, the District of Columbia 124,070 and Wyoming 127,334. The median state, 1,016,783¹ children, is Kentucky.

The count mostly mirrors total population, so it says little about how young a state is. Florida has the 3rd most children but the 7th lowest share of them (18.9%). California's share, 20.8%, is 0.3 percentage points below the US figure (21.1%). Utah is the reverse: it ranks 24th fewest by number (922,267¹) but first by share.

Share of residents under 18 by state, July 1, 2025

1	Utah	26.1%	Higher	−2.8%	922,267	6.5%
2	Texas	24.0%	Higher	−1.3%	7,600,514	6.3%
3	Nebraska	23.7%	Higher	−1.0%	479,249	6.1%
4	South Dakota	23.5%	Higher	−1.1%	220,142	6.1%
5	Alaska	23.3%	Higher	−1.3%	171,700	6.1%
6	Idaho	23.3%	Higher	−1.8%	472,102	5.7%
7	Oklahoma	23.2%	Higher	−0.9%	957,701	6.0%
8	Kansas	22.9%	Higher	−1.2%	682,768	5.8%
9	North Dakota	22.9%	Higher	−0.6%	182,970	6.1%
10	Louisiana	22.7%	Higher	−0.8%	1,049,955	6.0%
11	Indiana	22.6%	Higher	−0.9%	1,576,165	5.8%
12	Arkansas	22.4%	Higher	−0.9%	698,768	5.8%
13	Mississippi	22.3%	Higher	−1.0%	658,440	5.8%
14	Iowa	22.2%	Higher	−1.0%	719,648	5.7%
15	Georgia	22.2%	Higher	−1.2%	2,505,970	5.7%
16	Kentucky	22.1%	Higher	−0.6%	1,016,783	5.8%
17	Minnesota	22.0%	Higher	−1.1%	1,283,313	5.5%
18	Missouri	21.7%	Higher	−0.8%	1,360,128	5.5%
19	Wyoming	21.6%	Higher	−1.8%	127,334	5.2%
20	Tennessee	21.5%	Higher	−0.6%	1,575,727	5.8%
21	Alabama	21.5%	Higher	−0.5%	1,117,927	5.7%
22	Maryland	21.3%	Higher	−0.8%	1,336,867	5.5%
23	Ohio	21.3%	Higher	−0.8%	2,531,907	5.4%
24	North Carolina	21.1%	Higher	−1.0%	2,359,942	5.6%
25	Arizona	21.0%	Lower	−1.8%	1,597,315	5.2%
26	Virginia	20.9%	Lower	−1.0%	1,860,305	5.4%
27	New Jersey	20.9%	Lower	−0.8%	1,990,926	5.5%
28	California	20.8%	Lower	−1.5%	8,174,798	5.2%
29	New Mexico	20.7%	Lower	−2.0%	439,452	5.0%
30	Nevada	20.7%	Lower	−1.8%	678,525	5.1%
31	South Carolina	20.6%	Lower	−1.1%	1,148,440	5.3%
32	Illinois	20.6%	Lower	−1.4%	2,618,601	5.1%
33	Wisconsin	20.5%	Lower	−1.3%	1,222,107	5.1%
34	Washington	20.4%	Lower	−1.4%	1,634,836	5.3%
35	Michigan	20.4%	Lower	−1.1%	2,062,770	5.1%
36	Colorado	20.3%	Lower	−1.6%	1,220,203	5.3%
37	Montana	20.2%	Lower	−1.3%	231,653	4.9%
38	Delaware	19.8%	Lower	−1.2%	209,989	5.1%
39	Pennsylvania	19.7%	Lower	−0.8%	2,570,631	5.0%
40	Hawaii	19.7%	Lower	−1.2%	281,717	5.2%
41	New York	19.5%	Lower	−1.0%	3,905,391	5.2%
42	West Virginia	19.5%	Lower	−0.7%	344,349	4.9%
43	Connecticut	19.5%	Lower	−1.1%	718,295	5.0%
44	Oregon	19.0%	Lower	−1.5%	811,814	4.6%
45	Florida	18.9%	Lower	−0.9%	4,442,722	4.9%
46	Massachusetts	18.6%	Lower	−1.1%	1,327,574	4.9%
47	District of Columbia	17.9%	Lower	−0.2%	124,070	5.5%
48	Rhode Island	17.7%	Lower	−1.5%	197,654	4.6%
49	New Hampshire	17.3%	Lower	−1.3%	245,065	4.4%
50	Maine	17.3%	Lower	−1.3%	244,245	4.3%
51	Vermont	17.0%	Lower	−1.3%	109,614	4.0%
	United States	21.1%			72,021,348	5.4%

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.

Utah stands apart. Its share of residents under 18 is 26.1%, 5.0 percentage points above the US figure (21.1%) and higher than every bordering state (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming). Texas (24.0%) and Nebraska (23.7%) come next, then South Dakota (23.5%), with Alaska and Idaho tied at 23.3%¹.

The shares are close together in the middle: the median state is at 20.9%, just under the national figure. 24 states are above the national figure while 27, counting DC, are below it. North Carolina matches the US figure exactly (21.1%¹).

Plains states high, New England low

Four of the ten highest shares are in the Great Plains: Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas (22.9%) and North Dakota (22.9%). The rest of the top ten are Utah, Texas, Alaska, Idaho, Oklahoma (23.2%) and Louisiana (22.7%¹).

The lowest shares cluster in New England. Vermont (17.0%), New Hampshire and Maine (both 17.3%) and Rhode Island (17.7%) are the four lowest states, and Massachusetts (18.6%) is sixth lowest. In the Northeast the highest share belongs to New Jersey, at 20.9%, which is still 0.2 percentage points below the US figure (21.1%). The District of Columbia (17.9%) ranks 5th lowest, and Florida (18.9%) and Oregon (19.0%¹) complete the bottom eight.

By Census region:

West: from 26.1% in Utah to 19.0% in Oregon, the widest range of any region.
Midwest: from 23.7% in Nebraska to 20.4% in Michigan.
South: from 24.0% in Texas to 17.9% in the District of Columbia.
Northeast: from 20.9% in New Jersey to 17.0% in Vermont¹.

Fewer children than in 2020

The country had 72,021,348 residents under 18 on July 1, 2025, 1,638,599 (2.2%) fewer than in 2020. The share fell from 22.2% to 21.1%. The share of children was lower in 2025 than in 2020 in every state and in DC, Utah included: its share went down from 28.9% in 2020, and its number of children fell by 26,699 (2.8%)¹.

The number of children rose only in the states below and DC, most of them in the South:

Texas: up 212,502 (2.9%), to 7,600,514
Florida: up 166,093 (3.9%)
North Carolina: up 52,861 (2.3%)
Tennessee: up 40,585 (2.6%)
South Carolina: up 33,625 (3.0%)
Idaho: up 9,192 (2.0%)
Alabama: up 7,721 (0.7%)
District of Columbia: up 2,683 (2.2%)
South Dakota: up 1,453 (0.7%)
Delaware: up 1,273 (0.6%)
Oklahoma: up 1,257 (0.1%)¹

The largest losses were in the big coastal and Great Lakes states. California had 647,868 (7.3%) fewer children than in 2020, New York 231,714 (5.6%) fewer and Illinois 200,596 (7.1%) fewer. In percentage terms New Mexico's drop, 40,226 (8.4%), was larger than California's. Hawaii (21,321 (7.0%)) and Oregon (58,226 (6.7%)) also lost a larger share of their children than New York (231,714 (5.6%)¹).

Vermont shows the two sides of the shift: it had 109,614 children, down from 117,905 in 2020, while its residents aged 65 and older went up from 133,334 in 2020¹. The birth and fertility rate ranking and the older population ranking cover the two ends of that change.

The youngest children: under 5

The share of residents under 5 shows where young families are concentrated now, before these children reach school age. Utah again leads, at 6.5%, followed by Texas (6.3%). Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota all have 6.1%, a four-way tie that ranks between 3rd and 6th. The lowest shares are in Vermont (4.0%), Maine (4.3%) and New Hampshire (4.4%). Nationally, 5.4% of residents were under 5 (down from 5.8% in 2020¹).

Share of residents under 5 on July 1, 2025

Utah6.5%

Texas6.3%

Nebraska6.1%

South Dakota6.1%

Alaska6.1%

North Dakota6.1%

Louisiana6.0%

Oklahoma6.0%

Mississippi5.8%

Kansas5.8%

Indiana5.8%

Kentucky5.8%

Arkansas5.8%

Tennessee5.8%

Idaho5.7%

Alabama5.7%

Iowa5.7%

Georgia5.7%

North Carolina5.6%

Missouri5.5%

Minnesota5.5%

District of Columbia5.5%

New Jersey5.5%

Maryland5.5%

Ohio5.4%

United States5.4%

Virginia5.4%

South Carolina5.3%

Colorado5.3%

Washington5.3%

Arizona5.2%

New York5.2%

California5.2%

Wyoming5.2%

Hawaii5.2%

Delaware5.1%

Nevada5.1%

Illinois5.1%

Michigan5.1%

Wisconsin5.1%

Pennsylvania5.0%

New Mexico5.0%

Connecticut5.0%

Montana4.9%

Florida4.9%

Massachusetts4.9%

West Virginia4.9%

Oregon4.6%

Rhode Island4.6%

New Hampshire4.4%

Maine4.3%

Vermont4.0%

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.

Show the numbers

State	Under 5
Utah	6.5%
Texas	6.3%
Nebraska	6.1%
South Dakota	6.1%
Alaska	6.1%
North Dakota	6.1%
Louisiana	6.0%
Oklahoma	6.0%
Mississippi	5.8%
Kansas	5.8%
Indiana	5.8%
Kentucky	5.8%
Arkansas	5.8%
Tennessee	5.8%
Idaho	5.7%
Alabama	5.7%
Iowa	5.7%
Georgia	5.7%
North Carolina	5.6%
Missouri	5.5%
Minnesota	5.5%
District of Columbia	5.5%
New Jersey	5.5%
Maryland	5.5%
Ohio	5.4%
United States	5.4%
Virginia	5.4%
South Carolina	5.3%
Colorado	5.3%
Washington	5.3%
Arizona	5.2%
New York	5.2%
California	5.2%
Wyoming	5.2%
Hawaii	5.2%
Delaware	5.1%
Nevada	5.1%
Illinois	5.1%
Michigan	5.1%
Wisconsin	5.1%
Pennsylvania	5.0%
New Mexico	5.0%
Connecticut	5.0%
Montana	4.9%
Florida	4.9%
Massachusetts	4.9%
West Virginia	4.9%
Oregon	4.6%
Rhode Island	4.6%
New Hampshire	4.4%
Maine	4.3%
Vermont	4.0%

Some states rank higher on young children than on all children. North Dakota is tied for 8th highest for the under-18 share but tied for 3rd highest for the under-5 share; Tennessee is tied for 20th highest for under 18 and tied for 9th highest for under 5. Tennessee's under-5 share was unchanged from 5.8% in 2020, as were those of New Jersey (5.5%) and Connecticut (5.0%); in every other state and DC it fell. The District of Columbia's under-5 share went down from 6.5% in 2020, a larger drop than Utah's, while its under-18 share barely changed (down from 18.1% in 2020¹).

Child poverty follows a different map

The states with the largest shares of children are not the states where child poverty is highest. The Census Bureau's American Community Survey puts the share of children under 18 living below the poverty line at 14.8% (±0.1 percentage points) nationally in 2025, down from 15.5% in 2024. Louisiana has the highest rate, 25.2% (±1.2 percentage points), ranking between 1st and 3rd once margins of error are taken into account, with Mississippi (24.6%) and the District of Columbia (24.5%³) close behind.

Utah has both the highest share of children and one of the lowest child poverty rates, 8.6% (±0.7 percentage points), 6.2 percentage points below the US figure (14.8%) and between 47th and 51st among the states. North Dakota, whose share of children is tied for 8th highest, has a child poverty rate of 7.5% (±1.1 percentage points), down from 12.8% in 2024³. Louisiana, by contrast, has both a child share 1.7 percentage points above the US figure (21.1%)¹ and the highest child poverty rate. The poverty rate ranking has every state.

How to read these figures

Source and date. The counts and shares come from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, for July 1, 2025. "Children" means residents under 18. These are official estimates, not survey results, so they carry no margin of error; the rank ranges in the table only mark ties.
The 2020 comparison uses the same vintage's figures for 2020. Each new vintage revises the earlier years, so the change since 2020 can differ from figures published a year ago. The Vintage 2026 estimates by age are expected in June 2027.
Other child counts use other ages. Health coverage and Medicaid statistics often count children under 19; school enrollment counts pupils, not residents. Do not compare them directly with the under-18 figures here.
Poverty figures are survey estimates from the American Community Survey, with 90% margins of error; a difference of a few tenths of a point between two states is often not statistically significant.
States only. This site covers the 50 states and DC; it does not publish figures for counties or cities.

Questions about children by state

Which state has the most kids?

By number, California: 8,174,798 residents under 18 on July 1, 2025. By share of the population, Utah, where 26.1% of residents are children, 5.0 percentage points above the US figure (21.1%)¹.

Which state has the fewest children?

Vermont, with 109,614 residents under 18. It also has the lowest share of children of any state, 17.0%. The District of Columbia has 124,070¹.

How many children live in the United States?

72,021,348 people under 18 on July 1, 2025, or 21.1% of the population. That is 1,638,599 (2.2%)¹ fewer than in 2020.

What percentage of the US population is under 18?

21.1% on July 1, 2025, down from 22.2% in 2020. Children under 5 made up 5.4%¹.

Related rankings

Sources

Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Vintage 2025 (July 1 2020-2025); released June 25, 2026. www2.census.gov
Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.census.gov
Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B17001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov

Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.