U.S. state Populations 2017: Most populous states
Release date: December 20, 2017
U.S. Census Bureau
Idaho was the nation’s fastest-growing state over the last year. Its population increased 2.2 percent to 1.7 million from July 1, 2016, to July 1, 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s national and state population estimates released today.
Following Idaho for the largest percentage increases in population were: Nevada (2.0 percent), Utah (1.9 percent), Washington (1.7 percent), and Florida along with Arizona (1.6 percent).
The U.S. population grew by 2.3 million between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017, representing a 0.72 percent increase to 325.7 million. Furthermore, the population of voting-age residents (adults age 18 and over) grew to 252.1 million (77.4 percent of the 2017 total population), an increase of 0.93 percent from 2016 (249.5 million).
Eight states lost population between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017.
Illinois had the largest numeric decline, losing 33,703 people (this was a relatively small percentage change compared to its population of 12.8 million). Wyoming had the largest percentage decline (1.0 percent).
Three states that had been losing population in the previous year, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Vermont, saw slight increases.
States in the South and West continued to lead in population growth. In 2017, 38.0 percent of the nation’s population lived in the South and 23.8 percent lived in the West.
In addition to the population estimates for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the new estimates show that Puerto Rico had an estimated population of 3.3 million, a decline from 3.4 million in 2016.
The estimates for Puerto Rico are as of July 1, 2017, and therefore do not reflect the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
The estimates for Gulf states affected by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017 and Hurricane Irma in September 2017 are also not reflected in the July 1, 2017, estimates.
Top 10 Most Populous States: 2017
| Rank | Name | 2010 | 2016 | 2017 |
| 1 | California | 37,254,518 | 39,296,476 | 39,536,653 |
| 2 | Texas | 25,146,100 | 27,904,862 | 28,304,596 |
| 3 | Florida | 18,804,594 | 20,656,589 | 20,984,400 |
| 4 | New York | 19,378,110 | 19,836,286 | 19,849,399 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,702,857 | 12,787,085 | 12,805,537 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,831,565 | 12,835,726 | 12,802,023 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,536,730 | 11,622,554 | 11,658,609 |
| 8 | Georgia | 9,688,690 | 10,313,620 | 10,429,379 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 9,535,721 | 10,156,689 | 10,273,419 |
| 10 | Michigan | 9,884,129 | 9,933,445 | 9,962,311 |
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Top 10 States in Numeric Growth: 2016 to 2017
| Rank | Name | 2010 | 2016 | 2017 | Numeric growth |
| 1 | Texas | 25,146,100 | 27,904,862 | 28,304,596 | 399,734 |
| 2 | Florida | 18,804,594 | 20,656,589 | 20,984,400 | 327,811 |
| 3 | California | 37,254,518 | 39,296,476 | 39,536,653 | 240,177 |
| 4 | Washington | 6,724,545 | 7,280,934 | 7,405,743 | 124,809 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 9,535,721 | 10,156,689 | 10,273,419 | 116,730 |
| 6 | Georgia | 9,688,690 | 10,313,620 | 10,429,379 | 115,759 |
| 7 | Arizona | 6,392,309 | 6,908,642 | 7,016,270 | 107,628 |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,029,325 | 5,530,105 | 5,607,154 | 77,049 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 6,346,295 | 6,649,404 | 6,715,984 | 66,580 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 4,625,381 | 4,959,822 | 5,024,369 | 64,547 |
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Top 10 States in Percentage Growth: 2016 to 2017
| Rank | Name | 2010 | 2016 | 2017 | Percent growth |
| 1 | Idaho | 1,567,650 | 1,680,026 | 1,716,943 | 2.2 |
| 2 | Nevada | 2,700,691 | 2,939,254 | 2,998,039 | 2 |
| 3 | Utah | 2,763,889 | 3,044,321 | 3,101,833 | 1.9 |
| 4 | Washington | 6,724,545 | 7,280,934 | 7,405,743 | 1.7 |
| 5 | Florida | 18,804,594 | 20,656,589 | 20,984,400 | 1.6 |
| 6 | Arizona | 6,392,309 | 6,908,642 | 7,016,270 | 1.6 |
| 7 | Texas | 25,146,100 | 27,904,862 | 28,304,596 | 1.4 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 601,766 | 684,336 | 693,972 | 1.4 |
| 9 | Colorado | 5,029,325 | 5,530,105 | 5,607,154 | 1.4 |
| 10 | Oregon | 3,831,072 | 4,085,989 | 4,142,776 | 1.4 |
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| States populations July 1, 2017 | |||
| Geographic Area | Population Estimate (as of July 1, 2017) |
Change, 2016 to 2017 | |
| 2016 | 2017 | Number | |
| United States | 323,405,935 | 325,719,178 | 2,313,243 |
| Northeast | 56,359,360 | 56,470,581 | 111,221 |
| Midwest | 67,978,168 | 68,179,351 | 201,183 |
| South | 122,423,457 | 123,658,624 | 1,235,167 |
| West | 76,644,950 | 77,410,622 | 765,672 |
| Alabama | 4,860,545 | 4,874,747 | 14,202 |
| Alaska | 741,522 | 739,795 | -1,727 |
| Arizona | 6,908,642 | 7,016,270 | 107,628 |
| Arkansas | 2,988,231 | 3,004,279 | 16,048 |
| California | 39,296,476 | 39,536,653 | 240,177 |
| Colorado | 5,530,105 | 5,607,154 | 77,049 |
| Connecticut | 3,587,685 | 3,588,184 | 499 |
| Delaware | 952,698 | 961,939 | 9,241 |
| District of Columbia | 684,336 | 693,972 | 9,636 |
| Florida | 20,656,589 | 20,984,400 | 327,811 |
| Georgia | 10,313,620 | 10,429,379 | 115,759 |
| Hawaii | 1,428,683 | 1,427,538 | -1,145 |
| Idaho | 1,680,026 | 1,716,943 | 36,917 |
| Illinois | 12,835,726 | 12,802,023 | -33,703 |
| Indiana | 6,634,007 | 6,666,818 | 32,811 |
| Iowa | 3,130,869 | 3,145,711 | 14,842 |
| Kansas | 2,907,731 | 2,913,123 | 5,392 |
| Kentucky | 4,436,113 | 4,454,189 | 18,076 |
| Louisiana | 4,686,157 | 4,684,333 | -1,824 |
| Maine | 1,330,232 | 1,335,907 | 5,675 |
| Maryland | 6,024,752 | 6,052,177 | 27,425 |
| Massachusetts | 6,823,721 | 6,859,819 | 36,098 |
| Michigan | 9,933,445 | 9,962,311 | 28,866 |
| Minnesota | 5,525,050 | 5,576,606 | 51,556 |
| Mississippi | 2,985,415 | 2,984,100 | -1,315 |
| Missouri | 6,091,176 | 6,113,532 | 22,356 |
| Montana | 1,038,656 | 1,050,493 | 11,837 |
| Nebraska | 1,907,603 | 1,920,076 | 12,473 |
| Nevada | 2,939,254 | 2,998,039 | 58,785 |
| New Hampshire | 1,335,015 | 1,342,795 | 7,780 |
| New Jersey | 8,978,416 | 9,005,644 | 27,228 |
| New Mexico | 2,085,432 | 2,088,070 | 2,638 |
| New York | 19,836,286 | 19,849,399 | 13,113 |
| North Carolina | 10,156,689 | 10,273,419 | 116,730 |
| North Dakota | 755,548 | 755,393 | -155 |
| Ohio | 11,622,554 | 11,658,609 | 36,055 |
| Oklahoma | 3,921,207 | 3,930,864 | 9,657 |
| .Oregon | 4,085,989 | 4,142,776 | 56,787 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,787,085 | 12,805,537 | 18,452 |
| Rhode Island | 1,057,566 | 1,059,639 | 2,073 |
| South Carolina | 4,959,822 | 5,024,369 | 64,547 |
| South Dakota | 861,542 | 869,666 | 8,124 |
| Tennessee | 6,649,404 | 6,715,984 | 66,580 |
| Texas | 27,904,862 | 28,304,596 | 399,734 |
| Utah | 3,044,321 | 3,101,833 | 57,512 |
| Vermont | 623,354 | 623,657 | 303 |
| Virginia | 8,414,380 | 8,470,020 | 55,640 |
| Washington | 7,280,934 | 7,405,743 | 124,809 |
| West Virginia | 1,828,637 | 1,815,857 | -12,780 |
| Wisconsin | 5,772,917 | 5,795,483 | 22,566 |
| Wyoming | 584,910 | 579,315 | -5,595 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,406,520 | 3,337,177 | -69,343 |
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National Ranking by Population July 1, 2017
| Geographic Area | ||
| Population Estimate (as of July 1) |
||
| 1 | California | 39,536,653 |
| 2 | Texas | 28,304,596 |
| 3 | Florida | 20,984,400 |
| 4 | New York | 19,849,399 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 |
| 7 | Ohio | 11,658,609 |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 |
| 10 | Michigan | 9,962,311 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 |
| 13 | Washington | 7,405,743 |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,666,818 |
| 18 | Missouri | 6,113,532 |
| 19 | Maryland | 6,052,177 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 |
| 21 | Colorado | 5,607,154 |
| 22 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 |
| 24 | Alabama | 4,874,747 |
| 25 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 |
| 26 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 |
| 27 | Oregon | 4,142,776 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 |
| 29 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 |
| 30 | Iowa | 3,145,711 |
| 31 | Utah | 3,101,833 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 |
| 33 | Nevada | 2,998,039 |
| 34 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 |
| 35 | Kansas | 2,913,123 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 |
| 37 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 |
| 38 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 |
| 39 | Idaho | 1,716,943 |
| 40 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 |
| 42 | Maine | 1,335,907 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 |
| 44 | Montana | 1,050,493 |
| 45 | Delaware | 961,939 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 869,666 |
| 47 | North Dakota | 755,393 |
| 48 | Alaska | 739,795 |
| 49 | District of Columbia | 693,972 |
| 50 | Vermont | 623,657 |
| 51 | Wyoming | 579,315 |
| (X) | Puerto Rico | 3,337,177 |
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