US states by population
California is the most populous state, with 39,355,309 residents on July 1, 2025, followed by Texas (31,709,821) and Florida (23,462,518). Wyoming is the smallest (588,753). The United States as a whole had 341,784,8571 people.
Data as of January 27, 2026 (newest release used on this page).
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.
| 1 | California | 39,355,309 | 39,538,223 | −0.51% | 11.51% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Texas | 31,709,821 | 29,145,505 | 8.78% | 9.28% |
| 3 | Florida | 23,462,518 | 21,538,187 | 8.93% | 6.86% |
| 4 | New York | 20,002,427 | 20,201,249 | −1.00% | 5.85% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 13,059,432 | 13,002,700 | 0.44% | 3.82% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,719,141 | 12,812,508 | −0.80% | 3.72% |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,900,510 | 11,799,448 | 0.86% | 3.48% |
| 8 | Georgia | 11,302,748 | 10,711,908 | 5.50% | 3.31% |
| 9 | North Carolina | 11,197,968 | 10,439,388 | 7.25% | 3.28% |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,127,884 | 10,077,331 | 0.48% | 2.96% |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,548,215 | 9,288,994 | 2.79% | 2.79% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,880,107 | 8,631,393 | 2.88% | 2.60% |
| 13 | Washington | 8,001,020 | 7,705,281 | 3.81% | 2.34% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,623,818 | 7,151,502 | 6.51% | 2.23% |
| 15 | Tennessee | 7,315,076 | 6,910,840 | 5.83% | 2.14% |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 7,154,084 | 7,029,917 | 1.72% | 2.09% |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,973,333 | 6,785,528 | 2.75% | 2.04% |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,270,541 | 6,154,913 | 1.88% | 1.83% |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,265,347 | 6,177,224 | 1.35% | 1.83% |
| 20 | Colorado | 6,012,561 | 5,773,714 | 4.11% | 1.76% |
| 21 | Wisconsin | 5,972,787 | 5,893,718 | 1.33% | 1.75% |
| 22 | Minnesota | 5,830,405 | 5,706,494 | 2.17% | 1.71% |
| 23 | South Carolina | 5,570,274 | 5,118,425 | 8.83% | 1.63% |
| 24 | Alabama | 5,193,088 | 5,024,279 | 3.34% | 1.52% |
| 25 | Louisiana | 4,618,189 | 4,657,757 | −0.85% | 1.35% |
| 26 | Kentucky | 4,606,864 | 4,505,836 | 2.23% | 1.35% |
| 27 | Oregon | 4,273,586 | 4,237,256 | 0.86% | 1.25% |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 4,123,288 | 3,959,353 | 4.14% | 1.21% |
| 29 | Connecticut | 3,688,496 | 3,605,944 | 2.24% | 1.08% |
| 30 | Utah | 3,538,904 | 3,271,616 | 8.17% | 1.04% |
| 31 | Nevada | 3,282,188 | 3,104,614 | 5.69% | 0.96% |
| 32 | Iowa | 3,238,387 | 3,190,369 | 1.50% | 0.95% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 3,114,791 | 3,011,524 | 3.43% | 0.91% |
| 34 | Kansas | 2,977,220 | 2,937,880 | 1.34% | 0.87% |
| 35 | Mississippi | 2,954,160 | 2,961,279 | −0.24% | 0.86% |
| 36 | New Mexico | 2,125,498 | 2,117,522 | 0.38% | 0.62% |
| 37 | Idaho | 2,029,733 | 1,839,106 | 10.36% | 0.59% |
| 38 | Nebraska | 2,018,006 | 1,961,504 | 2.86% | 0.59% |
| 39 | West Virginia | 1,766,147 | 1,793,716 | −1.54% | 0.52% |
| 40 | Hawaii | 1,432,820 | 1,455,271 | −1.54% | 0.42% |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 1,415,342 | 1,377,529 | 2.74% | 0.41% |
| 42 | Maine | 1,414,874 | 1,362,359 | 3.79% | 0.41% |
| 43 | Montana | 1,144,694 | 1,084,225 | 5.58% | 0.33% |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 1,114,521 | 1,097,379 | 1.56% | 0.33% |
| 45 | Delaware | 1,059,952 | 989,948 | 7.07% | 0.31% |
| 46 | South Dakota | 935,094 | 886,667 | 5.46% | 0.27% |
| 47 | North Dakota | 799,358 | 779,094 | 2.60% | 0.23% |
| 48 | Alaska | 737,270 | 733,391 | 0.53% | 0.22% |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 693,645 | 689,545 | 0.59% | 0.20% |
| 50 | Vermont | 644,663 | 643,077 | 0.25% | 0.19% |
| 51 | Wyoming | 588,753 | 576,851 | 2.06% | 0.17% |
| United States | 341,784,857 | 331,449,281 | 3.10% | – |
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020. Period: July 1, 2025. "=" marks a tie at the displayed precision.
The largest states
Four states have more than 20 million residents: California, Texas, Florida and New York. Between them they hold 11.51%, 9.28%, 6.86% and 5.85% of the national population. The next tier runs from Pennsylvania (13,059,432) down to Michigan (10,127,8841), the tenth state and the last above ten million.
The order at the top has shifted over the decades. Texas had passed New York by the 2000 Census, and Florida passed New York in the annual estimates for 2015. Since the 2020 Census, Texas has added the most people (2,560,323), and in the year to July 2025 California was one of 5 states that lost residents: California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia1.
The smallest states
Wyoming is the least populous state, with 588,753 residents, followed by Vermont (644,663), Alaska (737,270) and North Dakota (799,358). The District of Columbia (693,645) is listed with the states in Census Bureau tables and is ranked here the same way; it has more residents than the two smallest states. Half of the states have fewer than 4,606,8641 residents, the median of the 51.
Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Period: July 1, 2025.
Show the numbers
| State | Population |
|---|---|
| Maine | 1,414,874 |
| Montana | 1,144,694 |
| Rhode Island | 1,114,521 |
| Delaware | 1,059,952 |
| South Dakota | 935,094 |
| North Dakota | 799,358 |
| Alaska | 737,270 |
| District of Columbia | 693,645 |
| Vermont | 644,663 |
| Wyoming | 588,753 |
Population size and land area are different rankings. Alaska has one of the smallest populations but is by far the largest state by area, while Rhode Island, the smallest state by area, has 1,114,5211 residents, more than six other states and DC.
Which population figure this ranking uses
The table uses the Census Bureau's population estimates for July 1, 2025 (Vintage 2025). They start from the April 2020 census and add births, subtract deaths and add net migration each year, using administrative records. They are the official current figures.
Other figures you will find elsewhere measure something else:
- The 2020 Census count (331,449,2812 for the US) is a count on April 1, 2020. It is the basis for the House apportionment of the 2020s and does not change, but it is five years old.
- American Community Survey totals are survey estimates weighted to the population estimates; they are useful for characteristics, not as a separate count.
- "2026 population" figures on some sites are projections. The Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2026 is scheduled for release in December 2026; until then, July 1, 2025 is the latest official date.
The 2020 Census and the growth since then are included in the table so you can see both at once. Every new vintage revises the earlier years, so the 2024 figures in this vintage can differ from those published a year ago.
Questions about state populations
What is the most populous state?
California, with 39,355,309 residents on July 1, 2025, or 11.51%1 of the US population. It has been the largest state at every census since 1970.
What are the five smallest states by population?
Wyoming (588,753), Vermont (644,663), Alaska (737,270), North Dakota (799,358) and South Dakota (935,094). The District of Columbia, which is not a state, has 693,6451 residents, more than Wyoming and Vermont.
Why do different websites show different state populations?
Some show the 2020 Census count, some the American Community Survey, and some project figures forward to the current year. The official current figure is the Census Bureau's July 1 estimate, used in this ranking. Figures labelled with the current year before the Census Bureau has published them are projections, not estimates.
Related rankings
Sources
- Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; released January 27, 2026. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Decennial censuses 1910-2020; released April 26, 2021. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2024 Cartographic Boundary Files; table cb_2024_us_state_20m; 2024; released April 10, 2025. www2.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.