United States · State Index
US States - Ranking by Population 2026
50 states
| STATE | RANK | 2026 POP. ↓ | ANNUAL CHANGE | SINCE 2020 | DENSITY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | California | 1 | 39,650,000 | +0.5% | +0.28% | 98 |
 | Texas | 2 | 30,850,000 | +1.4% | +5.85% | 44 |
 | Florida | 3 | 22,000,000 | +1.2% | +2.14% | 158 |
 | New York | 4 | 19,500,000 | +0.2% | -3.47% | 160 |
 | Pennsylvania | 5 | 12,900,000 | +0.2% | -0.79% | 108 |
 | Illinois | 6 | 12,358,000 | -0.3% | -3.55% | 82 |
 | Ohio | 7 | 11,780,000 | +0.1% | -0.16% | 101 |
 | Georgia | 8 | 10,700,000 | +0.8% | -0.11% | 72 |
 | North Carolina | 9 | 10,600,000 | +0.9% | +1.54% | 84 |
 | Michigan | 10 | 10,000,000 | +0.1% | -0.77% | 40 |
 | New Jersey | 11 | 9,400,000 | +0.4% | +1.20% | 416 |
 | Virginia | 12 | 8,700,000 | +0.7% | +0.79% | 85 |
 | Arizona | 13 | 7,800,000 | +1.2% | +9.07% | 27 |
 | Washington | 14 | 7,800,000 | +1% | +2.43% | 45 |
 | Tennessee | 15 | 7,185,000 | +0.8% | +3.97% | 66 |
 | Massachusetts | 16 | 7,020,000 | +0.3% | -0.14% | 257 |
 | Indiana | 17 | 6,850,000 | +0.4% | +0.95% | 73 |
 | Missouri | 18 | 6,240,000 | +0.3% | +1.38% | 35 |
 | Maryland | 19 | 6,200,000 | +0.5% | +2.44% | 247 |
 | Colorado | 20 | 5,900,000 | +0.9% | +2.19% | 22 |
 | Wisconsin | 21 | 5,900,000 | +0.3% | +0.11% | 42 |
 | Minnesota | 22 | 5,790,000 | +0.6% | +1.46% | 26 |
 | South Carolina | 23 | 5,300,000 | +1.2% | +3.21% | 68 |
 | Alabama | 24 | 5,100,000 | +0.5% | +1.51% | 39 |
 | Louisiana | 25 | 4,650,000 | +0.3% | -0.17% | 42 |
 | Kentucky | 26 | 4,520,000 | +0.3% | +0.31% | 43 |
 | Oregon | 27 | 4,320,000 | +0.6% | +1.95% | 17 |
 | Oklahoma | 28 | 4,050,000 | +0.4% | +2.29% | 22 |
 | Connecticut | 29 | 3,600,000 | +0.1% | -0.16% | 287 |
 | Utah | 30 | 3,465,000 | +1.7% | +5.91% | 16 |
 | Nevada | 31 | 3,350,000 | +1.5% | +7.90% | 12 |
 | Iowa | 32 | 3,220,000 | +0.2% | +0.93% | 22 |
 | Arkansas | 33 | 3,042,000 | +0.3% | +1.01% | 23 |
 | Kansas | 34 | 2,960,000 | +0.2% | +0.75% | 14 |
 | Mississippi | 35 | 2,960,000 | -0.1% | -0.04% | 24 |
 | New Mexico | 36 | 2,100,000 | +0.3% | -0.83% | 7 |
 | Nebraska | 37 | 1,985,000 | +0.5% | +1.20% | 10 |
 | Idaho | 38 | 1,850,000 | +1.5% | +0.59% | 9 |
 | West Virginia | 39 | 1,780,000 | -0.2% | -0.76% | 28 |
 | Hawaii | 40 | 1,460,000 | +0.2% | +0.32% | 88 |
 | New Hampshire | 41 | 1,405,000 | +0.4% | +1.99% | 61 |
 | Maine | 42 | 1,360,000 | +0.2% | -0.17% | 15 |
 | Montana | 43 | 1,122,000 | +0.7% | +3.48% | 3 |
 | Rhode Island | 44 | 1,100,000 | +0.2% | +0.24% | 411 |
 | Delaware | 45 | 1,004,000 | +51% | -97.46% | 2 |
 | South Dakota | 46 | 900,000 | +0.8% | +1.73% | 5 |
 | North Dakota | 47 | 785,000 | +0.4% | +0.76% | 4 |
 | Alaska | 48 | 740,000 | +0.4% | +0.90% | 1 |
 | Vermont | 49 | 645,000 | +0.1% | +0.30% | 26 |
 | Wyoming | 50 | 580,000 | +0.3% | +0.55% | 2 |
US State Population Map
US State Population Overview
Most and Least Populous States
The most populated state is California with 39,650,000 residents, followed by Texas (30,850,000) and Florida (22,000,000). The least populous state is Wyoming with 580,000 residents.
States with the Highest and Lowest Growth Rates
| State | Annual Change ↓ |
|---|---|
| Delaware | +51.00% |
| Utah | +1.70% |
| Nevada | +1.50% |
| Idaho | +1.50% |
| Texas | +1.40% |
| Florida | +1.20% |
| Arizona | +1.20% |
| South Carolina | +1.20% |
| Washington | +1.00% |
| North Carolina | +0.90% |
Population Distribution
The population of the United States is distributed unevenly across the 50 states. States on the country's border tend to be the most populous, whether they be located on the West Coast (California), the East Coast (New York, Florida), or the southern border (Texas). Conversely, interior states such as those in the Great Plains and Midwest tend to be less populous.
Most states in the US are currently experiencing population growth. The greatest rate of growth belongs to Delaware (51.00%), followed by Utah (1.70%) and Nevada (1.50%).