America's Most and Least Populated States in 2024

The United States is home to 335 million people — but that population is distributed in a wildly uneven way. The most populous state has 67 times more people than the least. Here's a look at the full population spectrum.

The Top 10 Most Populous States (2024 Census estimates)

1. California — 38.9 million. The most populous state by a wide margin. Los Angeles County alone has over 10 million people — more than 40 individual US states.
2. Texas — 30.5 million. The fastest-growing large state. Texas added more people in the 2020s than any other state, driven by migration from California and the Northeast.
3. Florida — 22.6 million. Now the third most populous state, having overtaken New York in the mid-2010s. Florida gained nearly 400,000 residents per year during the early 2020s.
4. New York — 19.6 million. The first state to lose its #3 position. Despite a population decline during and after COVID, New York City remains the single most populous city in the country at 8.3 million.
5. Pennsylvania — 13.0 million. Growth is slow but steady. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh anchor the state's urban population.
6. Illinois — 12.6 million. Lost about 250,000 people between 2010 and 2020. Chicago remains the third-largest US city, but the broader metro is shrinking in national rank.
7. Ohio — 11.8 million. A demographic bellwether state that often reflects national trends. Columbus is now the state's largest and fastest-growing metro.
8. Georgia — 11.0 million. Atlanta has grown dramatically into a major tech and film production hub. Georgia was one of the fastest-growing states in the 2010s.
9. North Carolina — 10.7 million. The Research Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) drives rapid growth. First state to pass 10 million people in the 2020 census.
10. Michigan — 10.0 million. Population has been largely flat since the decline of the auto industry, but Detroit has stabilized and Grand Rapids is growing.

The 10 Least Populous States

1. Wyoming — 580,000. The least populous state by a large margin. More pronghorn antelope live in Wyoming than people. Cheyenne, the capital, has just 65,000 residents.
2. Vermont — 648,000. The second-least populous, though Vermont has a strong per-capita identity — craft brewing, maple syrup, and Bernie Sanders.
3. Alaska — 734,000. Vast in land, sparse in people. Anchorage holds about 40% of the state's total population.
4. North Dakota — 780,000. Grew rapidly in the 2010s due to the Bakken oil boom; stabilized since then.
5. South Dakota — 910,000. Just under one million; home to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands.
6. Delaware — 1.0 million. The "First State" is tiny in both size and population but punches well above its weight as a corporate legal home (over 60% of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated here).
7. Rhode Island — 1.1 million. The smallest US state by area, but densely populated.
8. Montana — 1.1 million. Vast landscape — the fourth-largest state by area — but sparse settlement.
9. Maine — 1.4 million. Heavily rural; over half the population lives in small towns or unincorporated areas.
10. New Hampshire — 1.4 million. Densely forested but growing due to its proximity to Boston and lack of income tax.

Why the Gap Matters

The population disparity between states creates significant political asymmetry. Wyoming and California each have two US Senators — but California has 67 times more people. This is by design: the Senate gives equal weight to all states regardless of size, balancing the population-proportional House of Representatives.

Electoral College allocation follows a similar logic. California has 54 electoral votes; Wyoming has 3. But on a per-person basis, a Wyoming vote in the Electoral College carries about 3.6 times the weight of a California vote.

Population is one of the most dynamic facts in American geography. Check back after the 2030 Census — Texas and Florida are almost certain to gain congressional seats while Illinois, California, and New York may lose them.