Most Populous US States
California leads the US with 39.4 million residents, ahead of Texas (31.7M) and Florida (23.5M). Ranking of the 15 most populous states by July 2025 Census estimates.
Data
| # | State | Population (2025 est.) | 2020 Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 39,355,309 | 39,538,223 |
| 2 | Texas | 31,709,821 | 29,145,505 |
| 3 | Florida | 23,462,518 | 21,538,187 |
| 4 | New York | 20,002,427 | 20,201,249 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 13,059,432 | 13,002,700 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,719,141 | 12,812,508 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,900,510 | 11,799,448 |
| 8 | Georgia | 11,302,748 | 10,711,908 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 11,197,968 | 10,439,388 |
| 10 | Michigan | 10,127,884 | 10,077,331 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,548,215 | 9,288,994 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,880,107 | 8,631,393 |
| 13 | Washington | 8,001,020 | 7,705,281 |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,623,818 | 7,151,502 |
| 15 | Tennessee | 7,315,076 | 6,910,840 |
Note: The 15 Most Populous US States
What the data shows
This ranking compares the 2025 population estimates with the 2020 Census for the 15 largest states. California remains far ahead, but the Southeast and Texas are the growth engines reshaping America's population map.
- California leads with about 39.36 million residents in 2025, slightly down from 39.54 million in 2020.
- Texas ranks second at about 31.71 million, up more than 2.5 million from its 2020 count of 29.15 million.
- Florida is third with 23.46 million, growing from 21.54 million in 2020.
- New York (20.00 million) and Pennsylvania (13.06 million) round out the top five.
- Illinois (12.72 million), Ohio (11.90 million), Georgia (11.30 million), and North Carolina (11.20 million) follow.
- Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, Arizona, and Tennessee complete the top 15.
Who is growing and who is shrinking
Comparing the two columns reveals the big population story of the 2020s: the Sun Belt is booming while several northern states lose ground.
- Texas gained roughly 2.56 million residents between the 2020 Census and the 2025 estimate, the largest absolute gain on the list.
- Florida added about 1.92 million, and Georgia added about 591,000 over the same period.
- North Carolina gained about 759,000, showing that the Southeast's growth extends well beyond Florida.
- California lost roughly 183,000 residents, and New York and Illinois both lost more than 100,000 each.
- Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio grew only slightly, typical of slow-growing Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states.
Why it matters
Population determines congressional representation, federal funding, and market size. Shifts of even a few hundred thousand people move House seats, Electoral College votes, and billions of dollars in federal programs.
- Every 10 years, the Census reapportions the 435 House seats among states based on these counts.
- States losing residents can lose a congressional seat; Texas and Florida are frequent seat-gainers.
- Migration, not just birth rates, is the main driver of the Sun Belt surge.
Fun Facts
- California alone holds more people than the 22 smallest US states combined.
- Texas added more people between 2020 and 2025 than the entire population of 12 other states.
- New York is the only state among the top four still above 20 million, and it is barely clinging to that mark.
- Wyoming remains the least populous state, with under 600,000 residents, while California is about 66 times larger.
- An average of about 700 people moved to Florida every day during the mid-2020s boom.
- Tennessee cracked the top 15 for the 2025 estimate, displacing Massachusetts from the list.
- The US population passed 340 million in 2024, driven largely by growth in the South and West.
