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US States by Population 2024
United States, officially the United States of America (U.S. or U.S.A.), is a country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states. Besides the 48 conterminous states that occupy the middle latitudes of the continent, the United States includes the state of Alaska, at the northwestern extreme of North America, and the island state of Hawaii, in the mid-Pacific Ocean.
The U.S. also has five permanently inhabited territories: Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, and American Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean.
read about the Ancestry in United States
Statewise Population 2024
The United States is a federal republic of 50 states, a federal district (District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.)., five territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands), and several uninhabited island possessions. In 2023, more states gained population than has been seen since the start of the pandemic. At the state level, 42 states and the District of Columbia had an increase in population, up from 31 states and the District of Columbia in 2022 and 34 states in 2021.
The population of 50 U.S. States & Federal District
| # | States | Pop. 2024 | Pop. 2020 Census |
| 1 | California | 38,965,193 | 39,538,223 |
| 2 | Texas | 30,503,301 | 29,145,505 |
| 3 | Florida | 22,610,726 | 21,538,187 |
| 4 | New York (state) | 19,571,216 | 20,201,249 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,961,683 | 13,002,700 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,549,689 | 12,812,508 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,785,935 | 11,799,448 |
| 8 | Georgia | 11,029,227 | 10,711,908 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,835,491 | 10,439,388 |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,037,261 | 10,077,331 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,290,841 | 9,288,994 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,715,698 | 8,631,393 |
| 13 | Washington (state) | 7,812,880 | 7,705,281 |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,431,344 | 7,151,502 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 7,001,399 | 7,029,917 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 7,126,489 | 6,910,840 |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,862,199 | 6,785,528 |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,180,253 | 6,177,224 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,196,156 | 6,154,913 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,910,955 | 5,893,718 |
| 21 | Colorado | 5,877,610 | 5,773,714 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 5,737,915 | 5,706,494 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 5,373,555 | 5,118,425 |
| 24 | Alabama | 5,108,468 | 5,024,279 |
| 25 | Louisiana | 4,573,749 | 4,657,757 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 4,526,154 | 4,505,836 |
| 27 | Oregon | 4,233,358 | 4,237,256 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 4,053,824 | 3,959,353 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 3,617,176 | 3,605,944 |
| 30 | Utah | 3,417,734 | 3,271,616 |
| 31 | Iowa | 3,207,004 | 3,190,369 |
| 32 | Nevada | 3,194,176 | 3,104,614 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 3,067,732 | 3,011,524 |
| 35 | Mississippi | 2,939,690 | 2,961,279 |
| 34 | Kansas | 2,940,546 | 2,937,880 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 2,114,371 | 2,117,522 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 1,978,379 | 1,961,504 |
| 38 | Idaho | 1,964,726 | 1,839,106 |
| 39 | West Virginia | 1,770,071 | 1,793,716 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 1,435,138 | 1,455,271 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 1,402,054 | 1,377,529 |
| 42 | Maine | 1,395,722 | 1,362,359 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | 1,095,962 | 1,097,379 |
| 43 | Montana | 1,132,812 | 1,084,225 |
| 45 | Delaware | 1,031,890 | 989,948 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 919,318 | 886,667 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 783,926 | 779,094 |
| 48 | Alaska | 733,406 | 733,391 |
| 49 | Vermont | 647,464 | 643,077 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 584,057 | 576,851 |
| 50 | Washington DC – District of Columbia | 678,972 | 689,545 |
Source: 2020 United States Census
Population of unincorporated U.S. territories
The United States has five unincorporated overseas territories ( (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands). Let’s have look at their population estimates for 2020
| # | Territories | 2020 Population |
| 1 | Puerto Rico | 3,285,874 |
| 2 | Guam | 168,485 |
| 3 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 106,235 |
| 4 | American Samoa | 49,437 |
| 5 | Northern Mariana Islands | 51,433 |
Most Populated States in the United States
The five most populated states are California, Texas, Florida, New York (state) & Pennsylvania. Almost half of the country’s population lives in the Ten populated states of the United States & contributes 54% of the population. In the Top 10 states, Texas (15.9%) has the highest population growth rate during this decade followed by Florida (14.6%). Michigan with a growth rate of just 2% has dropped 2 spots from 8th to 10th.
The population is distributed unevenly across 50 US states. Generally, states that are around the country’s border – West Coast, East Coast, and Southern states – are the most populous. More interior states, such as those in the Great Plains and Midwest, tend to be less populous. However, some exceptions exist, such as Illinois, which is in the Midwest but has a high population, mainly centered in the Chicago area.
By far, the most populous state in the United States is California. It has nearly 40 million residents, comprising a whopping 12% of the country’s population. Next in line is Texas, After California and Texas comes Florida, with a population of about 21.9 million. It is also growing rapidly, with a growth rate of 3.30% per year. In 2010 Florida was in the 4th Spot, but in 2020 it replaced New York in the third spot.
New York is the fourth most populous in the country. Out of a population of 20 million, about half of its residents live in New York City. States in New England, along the Northeast seaboard, tend to be quite small geographically but with higher populations.
| Rank | Geographic Area | April 1, 2020 | July 1, 2023 |
| 1 | California | 39,538,212 | 38,965,193 |
| 2 | Texas | 29,145,459 | 30,503,301 |
| 3 | Florida | 21,538,216 | 22,610,726 |
| 4 | New York | 20,202,320 | 19,571,216 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 13,002,788 | 12,961,683 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,813,469 | 12,549,689 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,799,331 | 11,785,935 |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,713,771 | 11,029,227 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,439,459 | 10,835,491 |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,077,674 | 10,037,261 |
Source: 2020 United States Census
read about Top US Cities by Population
Least Populated States in the United States
Wyoming is the least populated state followed by Vermont & Alaska. 10 least populous states contribute only 3% of the United States population and the 20 lowest constitute only 10 % of the total.
The smallest state by population is Wyoming, with fewer than 600,000 residents and a negative growth rate of 0.60% per year. Other states with negative population growth include Louisiana, Connecticut, Kansas, West Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska. Surprisingly, despite the presence of the massive cities of New York City and Chicago, both New York and Illinois are experiencing negative population growth.
Most states are currently experiencing population growth, the greatest of which can be seen in Idaho, at 6.26%. Nevada and Arizona also have high population growth this year, at 5.23% and 5.06%, respectively.
Rhode Island is the smallest state by landmass, but it has a higher population than many larger states, including Alaska (the largest state by land mass), Montana, and Wyoming. Montana, though it has a vastly larger landmass than Rhode Island, has 10,000 fewer residents.
Please note that the numbers in this article may be slightly different from the most recent projections in the table below or elsewhere, as they are only updated every so often.
| # | States | Population 2020 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 5,76,851 |
| 49 | Vermont | 6,43,077 |
| 48 | Alaska | 7,33,391 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 7,79,094 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 8,86,667 |
| 45 | Delaware | 9,89,948 |
| 44 | Montana | 10,84,225 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 10,97,379 |
| 42 | Maine | 13,62,359 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 13,77,529 |
| – | District of Columbia | 7,05,749 |
*Washington DC/ District of Columbia also has a population almost near to Alaska i.e 7,05,749
Read about List of Counties in the United States
Top US States by Growth rate
Top 10 States by Numeric Growth: 2022 to 2023
| Rank | Geographic Area | July 1, 2022 | July 1, 2023 | Numeric Growth |
| 1 | Texas | 30,029,848 | 30,503,301 | 473,453 |
| 2 | Florida | 22,245,521 | 22,610,726 | 365,205 |
| 3 | North Carolina | 10,695,965 | 10,835,491 | 139,526 |
| 4 | Georgia | 10,913,150 | 11,029,227 | 116,077 |
| 5 | South Carolina | 5,282,955 | 5,373,555 | 90,600 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 7,048,976 | 7,126,489 | 77,513 |
| 7 | Arizona | 7,365,684 | 7,431,344 | 65,660 |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,679,099 | 8,715,698 | 36,599 |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,841,039 | 5,877,610 | 36,571 |
| 10 | Utah | 3,381,236 | 3,417,734 | 36,498 |
Top 10 States or State Equivalent by Percent Growth: 2022 to 2023
| Rank | Geographic Area | July 1, 2022 | July 1, 2023 | Percent Growth |
| 1 | South Carolina | 5,282,955 | 5,373,555 | 1.7 |
| 2 | Florida | 22,245,521 | 22,610,726 | 1.6 |
| 3 | Texas | 30,029,848 | 30,503,301 | 1.6 |
| 4 | Idaho | 1,938,996 | 1,964,726 | 1.3 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 10,695,965 | 10,835,491 | 1.3 |
| 6 | Delaware | 1,019,459 | 1,031,890 | 1.2 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 670,949 | 678,972 | 1.2 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 7,048,976 | 7,126,489 | 1.1 |
| 9 | Utah | 3,381,236 | 3,417,734 | 1.1 |
| 10 | Georgia | 10,913,150 | 11,029,227 | 1.1 |
States by Population Decile
Eight states saw their population fall in 2023: California (-75,423), Hawaii (-4,261), Illinois (-32,826), Louisiana (-14,274), New York (-101,984), Oregon (-6,021), Pennsylvania (-10,408), and West Virginia (-3,964). Collectively, these states had a population loss of 249,161 in 2023, compared to a loss of 509,789 in 2022. While many of these states have lost population annually since 2020, their population declines have slowed.
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