Male to female ratio by state

States with more men than women

Only a small group of states has more male than female residents, and all of them are in the West or the northern Plains. In the Census Bureau's population estimates for July 1, 2025, the ratio is above 100 in Alaska (108.7), North Dakota (104.9), Wyoming (102.8), South Dakota (101.8), Utah (101.4), Colorado and Montana (both 100.9) and Idaho (100.4¹). Every other state, and the District, has more women than men.

Alaska108.7

North Dakota104.9

Wyoming102.8

South Dakota101.8

Utah101.4

Colorado100.9

Montana100.9

Idaho100.4

Nevada99.8

Nebraska99.7

Washington99.7

Iowa99.3

United States96.4

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

Show the numbers

State	Males per 100 females
Alaska	108.7
North Dakota	104.9
Wyoming	102.8
South Dakota	101.8
Utah	101.4
Colorado	100.9
Montana	100.9
Idaho	100.4
Nevada	99.8
Nebraska	99.7
Washington	99.7
Iowa	99.3
United States	96.4

Alaska stands well apart from the rest: its ratio is 13% above the US figure (96.4), and men make up 52.1% of the population, 3.0 percentage points above the US figure (49.1%). North Dakota's ratio is higher than every bordering state (Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota). Utah's ratio is higher than Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Nevada; lower than Wyoming¹.

In the American Community Survey the same states show more men than women, but not all of the gaps are measurable. In South Dakota the survey's estimate of women minus men is −1,196 (±4,414), a gap smaller than its margin of error, so the survey cannot say which sex is more numerous there. Nevada (1,290, ±5,315) and Hawaii (1,884, ±2,746²) have estimates of more women than men, but again by less than the margin of error.

Where women outnumber men most

The District of Columbia has 87.5 males per 100 females, 9% below the US figure (96.4) and lower than every bordering state (Maryland and Virginia). Delaware's 92.2 is the lowest of any state (the District of Columbia is lower); it is also lower than every bordering state (Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). Then come Maryland (92.7), Mississippi and Alabama (both 93.0), and South Carolina (93.1¹).

United States96.4

Connecticut94.4

Louisiana94.1

North Carolina93.9

Massachusetts93.9

New York93.8

Georgia93.5

South Carolina93.1

Alabama93.0

Mississippi93.0

Maryland92.7

Delaware92.2

District of Columbia87.5

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

Show the numbers

State	Males per 100 females
United States	96.4
Connecticut	94.4
Louisiana	94.1
North Carolina	93.9
Massachusetts	93.9
New York	93.8
Georgia	93.5
South Carolina	93.1
Alabama	93.0
Mississippi	93.0
Maryland	92.7
Delaware	92.2
District of Columbia	87.5

The low end is mostly Southern and East Coast. Of the ten lowest, only New York (93.8) and Massachusetts (93.9) are outside the South. Mississippi's ratio is lower than every bordering state (Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee)¹. In the survey, Delaware, Maryland and Mississippi share the same value, 92.5, and Maryland's possible ranks run between 48th and 50th³: the order among these three is not settled.

Every state ranked

The ratio and the male share are two ways of writing the same thing. The national ratio of 96.4 corresponds to a male share of 49.1%, and male shares run from 46.7% in the District of Columbia to 52.1% in Alaska. The median state has a ratio of 97.2¹, above the national figure, while several of the most populous states, including New York, Florida and Georgia, sit below it.

Women and men in numbers

Counting people rather than ratios changes the order. The American Community Survey estimated 174.0 million women and girls and 167.7 million men and boys in the United States in 2025, so females outnumbered males by 6.3 million (±58,464²).

12.1 million females and 11.4 million males live in Florida, a gap of 649,308 (±16,518). New York's is 633,513 (±9,334). These are the two largest gaps of any state, and their margins of error are too wide to say which is larger. California, whose ratio of 97.4¹ is above the national one, still has 513,411 (±10,404²) more females than males because of its size.

Where men are the majority, the surplus is small in absolute terms. Alaska has 385,099 males against 352,171 females. Utah (1,784,319 against 1,754,585²) and Colorado have male surpluses about as large as Alaska's, but in populations several times bigger, which is why their ratios are much closer to 100.

A West–South divide

In the population estimates every Western state is above the national ratio; the lowest in the region is California at 97.4¹. In the survey, New Mexico is the West's lowest (96.7), not statistically different from the US figure (96.4)³.

The South holds most of the bottom of the table. Its highest ratio belongs to West Virginia (98.2), higher than every bordering state (Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia). Oklahoma (98.0), Texas (97.8) and Kentucky (96.8¹) are the other Southern states above the national figure; every other Southern state, and the District, is below it.

The Midwest runs from North Dakota (104.9) down to Ohio (96.2). The Northeast runs from New Hampshire (98.4) to New York (93.8¹).

Age, life expectancy and the ratio

Women live longer than men, and that shows in the age of each sex. In 2022, life expectancy at birth in the United States was 80.2 years for women and 74.8 years⁵ for men. In 2025 the median age of women was 40.8 years and that of men 38.2 years⁶.

MenWomenUnited States

MenWomen

85+

80–84

75–79

70–74

65–69

60–64

55–59

50–54

45–49

40–44

35–39

30–34

25–29

20–24

15–19

10–14

5–9

0–4

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.

Show the numbers

Age	Men (%)	Women (%)	US men (%)	US women (%)
0-4	2.62	2.52	2.76	2.65
5-9	2.76	2.63	2.96	2.83
10-14	2.88	2.80	3.08	2.95
15-19	3.04	2.94	3.31	3.16
20-24	3.22	3.15	3.43	3.28
25-29	3.18	3.20	3.46	3.37
30-34	2.97	3.11	3.41	3.38
35-39	3.00	3.23	3.38	3.40
40-44	2.86	3.08	3.21	3.27
45-49	2.56	2.85	2.93	3.03
50-54	2.57	2.82	2.83	2.96
55-59	2.86	3.25	2.86	3.02
60-64	3.31	3.85	2.96	3.21
65-69	3.31	3.94	2.75	3.08
70-74	2.77	3.30	2.26	2.64
75-79	2.08	2.52	1.71	2.08
80-84	1.19	1.52	1.00	1.32
85+	0.83	1.32	0.78	1.28

Delaware, the state with the lowest ratio, is also one of the older ones: 22.8% of its residents were 65 and older in 2025, against 18.9% nationally, and the median woman there was 44.0 years against 40.3 years⁶ for the median man. Alaska is younger, with 15.8%¹ aged 65 and older.

Age does not explain every case. West Virginia and Mississippi share the shortest male life expectancy of any state, 69.5 years⁵ in 2022. West Virginia also has one of the oldest populations, with 22.5%¹ of residents 65 and older. Yet it has the highest ratio in the South while Mississippi is near the bottom of the nation. The District of Columbia is the opposite case: it has the fewest men per woman, but the median ages of its women and men are the same, 35.0 years⁶.

Reading the numbers

• Two official sources. The ranking uses the Census Bureau's population estimates for July 1, 2025, which have no margin of error. The table also shows the American Community Survey ratio for 2025, a sample survey with 90% margins of error. They agree closely: both put Alaska first (109.4, ±1.8 in the survey) and the District last (87.8).
• Close ranks are ties. In the survey, 26 states are significantly above the national ratio and 18, counting DC, are significantly below; the rest cannot be told apart from it. South Dakota ranks 4th highest in the estimates but ranks between 5th and 14th³ in the survey.
• Ties in the estimates. Several states in the middle, such as Illinois and Missouri (both 96.3¹), share the same ratio and are listed as tied.
• The District is a city. Its ratio describes one urban area and is not comparable with states that include rural counties.
• Sex, not gender. Both sources classify residents as male or female.
• Next update. Population estimates by age and sex for July 1, 2026 are expected in June 2027, and the next survey figures for 2026 around September 2027.