Facts: Largest and Smallest State by Population in the USA (2024 Update)

Kris [email protected] December 05, 2023 | 06:18

As of January 2024, the United States (US), comprising 50 states and other dependent areas, has the largest population in the world, with 339,996,563 individuals. These are the 50 states' population rankings in the United States!

Facts: Largest and Smallest State by Population in the USA (2024 Update)

Table of Contents
The 50 States in the United States ranked by population - Updated Top 10 US States with the Largest Populations (2023 Update) The Largest State by Population: California California Area and Population Density California Gender and Religion Statistics The Smallest State by Population: Wyoming Wyoming Area and Population Density Wyoming Gender and Religion Statistics Top 10 US States with the Smallest Populations (2023 Update) READ MORE: How Many People Are There In The World: Population Update & Analysis

Table of Contents

The 50 States in the United States ranked by population - Updated

Top 10 US States with the Largest Populations (2023 Update)

The Largest State by Population: California

California Area and Population Density

California Gender and Religion Statistics

The Smallest State by Population: Wyoming

Wyoming Area and Population Density

Wyoming Gender and Religion Statistics

Top 10 US States with the Smallest Populations (2023 Update)

In contrast to China and India, the US population is predicted to increase steadily over the course of the century. By 2067, it is anticipated that there will be more than 400 million people living in the US.

The main causes of the population growth in the United States are natural increase (the difference between births and deaths) and high immigration rates, which have declined since 2016.

The United States population increases by roughly 0.9% annually. The population grew by 0.60% in 2019, which was the slowest rate in a century. This is because there have been fewer births overall this year. In addition, the number of deaths increases as more baby boomers from the post-World War II era get older.

Even though the rate of population growth has recently decreased, continuous population growth is still anticipated. The following is a list of the 50 states in the union's population.

Top 10 Largest Landlocked Countries In The World by Land Area/Population

The 50 States in the United States Ranked by Population

Rank	State	Population
1	California	39,613,493
2	Texas	29,730,311
3	Florida	21,944,577
4	New York	19,299,981
5	Pennsylvania	12,804,123
6	Illinois	12,569,321
7	Ohio	11,714,618
8	Georgia	10,830,007
9	North Carolina	10,701,022
10	Michigan	9,992,427
11	New Jersey	8,874,520
12	Virginia	8,603,985
13	Washington	7,796,941
14	Arizona	7,520,103
15	Tennessee	6,944,260
16	Massachusetts	6,912,239
17	Indiana	6,805,663
18	Missouri	6,169,038
19	Maryland	6,065,436
20	Colorado	5,893,634
21	Wisconsin	5,852,490
22	Minnesota	5,706,398
23	South Carolina	5,277,830
24	Alabama	4,934,193
25	Louisiana	4,627,002
26	Kentucky	4,480,713
27	Oregon	4,289,439
28	Oklahoma	3,990,443
29	Connecticut	3,552,821
30	Utah	3,310,774
31	Nevada	3,185,786
32	Iowa	3,167,974
33	Arkansas	3,033,946
34	Mississippi	2,966,407
35	Kansas	2,917,224
36	New Mexico	2,105,005
37	Nebraska	1,951,996
38	Idaho	1,860,123
39	West Virginia	1,767,859
40	Hawaii	1,406,430
41	New Hampshire	1,372,203
42	Maine	1,354,522
43	Montana	1,085,004
44	Rhode Island	1,061,509
45	Delaware	990,334
46	South Dakota	896,581
47	North Dakota	770,026
48	Alaska	724,357
49	Vermont	623,251
50	Wyoming	581,075

(Statistics by World Population Review)

Top 10 US States with the Largest Populations (2024 Update)

California — 40,223,504

Texas — 30,345,487

Florida — 22,359,251

New York — 20,448,194

Pennsylvania — 13,092,796

Illinois — 12,807,072

Ohio — 11,878,330

Georgia — 11,019,186

North Carolina — 10,710,558

Michigan — 10,135,438

The Largest State by Population: California

California, a sizable state on the US west coast, is home to one of the world's most diversified populations. With 37,253,956 people living there as of the 2010 official United States census, California has a significantly higher population than Texas, which comes in second with 28 million people.

Sights in California. Photo: Pinterest

A few major cities house the majority of the population. California is home to three of the ten largest cities in the country (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose), the largest county (Los Angeles County), and the second-largest city in the country (Los Angeles).

By 2019, there will be 40 million people living in California, making up one in eight of all US citizens. By 2050, there will be more people than 50 million in the country.

California Area and Population Density

California is the third-largest state in terms of area, and it ranks 11th in the nation for population density, with 251.3 people per square mile. With an annual growth rate of.61%, it is currently the 21st fastest-growing state. But in recent years, this growth rate has somewhat slowed.

California Gender and Religion Statistics

In California, the median age is 36 years old, and the gender distribution is 50.3% female and 49.6% male.

When it comes to religion, 63% of Californians identify as Christians, 9% as members of non-Christian faiths, and 27% as unaffiliated people.

Top 10 Oldest Hotels in the US - The First Hotels

The Smallest State by Population: Wyoming

In the USA's central northwest region sits the state of Wyoming. Despite having the tenth-largest surface area in the Union, its population is the lowest on record. Furthermore, it has the second-lowest population density. At present, it has a robust growth rate of 1.13%, placing it in 15th place out of all 50 states.

Wyoming rural sights. Photo: The Nature Conservancy

Wyoming Area and Population Density

Only one other state in the entire US, Alaska, can claim a less densely populated population than this one, with an average of just 5.85 persons per square mile.

Nearly 51% of Wyomingites resided in one of the state's 13 largest municipalities as of 2005. There are just 63,335 people living in the largest city, Cheyenne, followed by Casper (60,285) and Laramie (32,158).

With respective populations of 98,327 and 79,547, Laramie and Natrona counties are the most populated in the state of Wyoming.

Wyoming Gender and Religion Statistics

In Wyoming, the median age of the population is roughly 36.8 years old. There are currently 48.9% more women than men in the population.

In terms of preferred religions, 71% of Wyoming residents identify as Christian, 3% as non-Christian, and 26% do not identify as belonging to any particular religion.

In Wyoming, the largest ancestry groups are German (26%), English (16%), Irish (13.3%), American (6.5%), Norwegian (4.3%), and Swedish (3.5%), according to census data from 2000.