US Population Map

About US Population Map

The above US population map shows state-wise population distribution using shades of green. States shaded in the darkest green indicate the highest population, while those in the lightest green represent the lowest population, based on 2019 data. Alaska and Hawaii are shown as insets within the map.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the U.S. had an official population of 331,449,281 residents on April 1, 2020. This figure includes all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

US Population Density

Location	Population	Population Density /mi2	Land Area in mi2	Population Density /km2	Land Area in km2
District of Columbia	678,972	11,131	61	4,297	158
New Jersey	9,290,841	1,263	7,354	488	19,047
Rhode Island	1,095,962	1,060	1,034	409	2,678
Puerto Rico	3,205,691	936	3,424	361	8,868
Massachusetts	7,001,399	898	7,800	347	20,202
Guam	172,952	824	210	319	543
Connecticut	3,617,176	747	4,842	288	12,542
U.S. Virgin Islands	98,750	737	134	284	348
Maryland	6,180,253	637	9,707	246	25,142
American Samoa	43,915	578	76	222	198
Delaware	1,031,890	529	1,949	204	5,047
Florida	22,610,726	422	53,625	163	138,887
New York	19,571,216	415	47,126	160	122,057
Pennsylvania	12,961,683	290	44,743	112	115,883
Ohio	11,785,935	288	40,861	111	105,829
Northern Mariana Islands	49,796	274	182	106	472
California	38,965,193	250	155,779	97	403,466
Illinois	12,549,689	226	55,519	87	143,793
Hawaii	1,435,138	223	6,423	86	16,635
North Carolina	10,835,491	223	48,618	86	125,920
Virginia	8,715,698	221	39,490	85	102,279
Georgia	11,029,227	192	57,513	74	148,959
Indiana	6,862,199	192	35,826	74	92,789
South Carolina	5,373,555	179	30,061	69	77,857
Michigan	10,037,261	178	56,539	69	146,435
Tennessee	7,126,489	173	41,235	67	106,798
New Hampshire	1,402,054	157	8,953	60	23,187
Washington	7,812,880	118	66,456	45	172,119
Texas	30,503,301	117	261,232	45	676,587
Kentucky	4,526,154	115	39,486	44	102,269
Wisconsin	5,910,955	109	54,158	42	140,268
Louisiana	4,573,749	106	43,204	41	111,898
Alabama	5,108,468	101	50,645	39	131,171
Missouri	6,196,156	90	68,742	35	178,040
West Virginia	1,770,071	74	24,038	28	62,259
Minnesota	5,737,915	72	79,627	28	206,232
Vermont	647,464	70	9,217	27	23,871
Arizona	7,431,344	65	113,594	25	294,207
Mississippi	2,939,690	63	46,923	24	121,531
Oklahoma	4,053,824	59	68,595	23	177,660
Arkansas	3,067,732	59	52,035	23	134,771
Iowa	3,207,004	57	55,857	22	144,669
Colorado	5,877,610	57	103,642	22	268,431
Maine	1,395,722	45	30,843	17	79,883
Oregon	4,233,358	44	95,988	17	248,608
Utah	3,417,734	42	82,170	16	212,818
Kansas	2,940,546	36	81,759	14	211,754
Nevada	3,194,176	29	109,781	11	284,332
Nebraska	1,978,379	26	76,824	10	198,974
Idaho	1,964,726	24	82,643	9	214,045
New Mexico	2,114,371	17	121,298	7	314,161
South Dakota	919,318	12	75,811	5	196,350
North Dakota	783,926	11	69,001	4	178,711
Montana	1,132,812	8	145,546	3	376,962
Wyoming	584,057	6	97,093	2	251,470
Alaska	733,406	1	570,641	1	1,477,953
Contiguous US	332,746,351	113	2,954,843	43	7,653,006
50 States	334,235,923	95	3,531,846	37	9,147,436
50 States and DC	334,914,895	95	3,531,907	37	9,147,594
United States	338,485,999	96	3,531,905	37	9,147,593

US States Population

The United States has a population of more than 333 million people according to the 2023 Census estimates and has 50 states with varying population densities. Population density is calculated by dividing the total number of people by the land area in square miles or kilometers. This metric is crucial for the understanding of how people are distributed geographically and this in turn helps in the planning of infrastructure, political representation, resource allocation and environmental policies.

High-Density States and Urban Clustering

The United States has New Jersey as its most crowded state because it contains more than 1,200 residents per square mile although it maintains a small size in terms of land area. The second most densely populated states after New Jersey include Rhode Island together with Massachusetts and Connecticut. The northeastern states maintain their population density because they have established urban areas and historical city centers and restricted land availability. The population density of New York City reaches above 27,000 people per square mile in Manhattan which serves as a borough of New York State. The population density of California is elevated by its two major urban areas Los Angeles and the Bay Area which together support its total population exceeding 39 million.

Low-Density and Sparsely Populated States

The least populated state stands at the opposite end with less than 2 people per square mile in Alaska. The largest state by area remains mostly rugged and remote territory that makes large-scale habitation impossible. Wyoming together with Montana and the Dakotas maintain low population densities because they contain extensive rural areas and few urban settlements. The states maintain low population densities because their land area exceeds their population numbers resulting in less than 12 people per square mile.

Factors Influencing Population Density

Multiple geographic and economic factors determine the level of population density within a state. The population density of a state is influenced by urbanization and access to coastal ports as well as historical migration routes and industrial development. States that have large cities and strong job markets and educational hubs tend to draw more people. States with difficult climates and challenging terrain or restricted economic possibilities experience lower population growth and density.

Historical Trends and Future Outlook

The United States has experienced rising population density because its residents shifted towards urban settlements. During the early 20th century numerous people migrated from rural areas to urban centers primarily in the Northeast and Midwest. The United States experienced population changes after World War II through suburban development and the Sun Belt states of Texas, Florida and Arizona gained population growth. Population projections show that urbanized and coastal regions will continue to grow but central and rural areas face the possibility of population stagnation or decline.