Using data from the US Census Bureau, the map above resizes each US state and territory based on population. If you don’t spend your time looking at population statistics there are likely a few surprises:
- Puerto Rico (PR) with 3.5 million people is the largest territory by population and would become the 29th most populous state if given statehood.
- Washington DC with 659,000 people is larger than both Vermont (627,000) and Wyoming (584,000), the two smallest states.
- Other territories you might not be familiar with are: Guam (GU; pop: 159,000), U.S. Virgin Islands (VI; pop 106,000), American Samoa (AS; pop: 56,000) and Northern Mariana Islands (MP; pop: 54,000)
In terms of population the 5 largest states are:
- California – 38.8 million
- Texas – 27.0 million
- Florida – 19.9 million
- New York – 19.7 million
- Illinois – 12.9 million
The 5 smallest states by population are:
- Wyoming – 584,000
- Vermont – 627,000
- Alaska – 737,000
- North Dakota – 739,000
- South Dakota – 853,000
To learn more about US population and/or territories, have a look at the following books:
- State Profiles 2014: The Population and Economy of Each U.S. State (U.S. Databook Series)
- Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC
- War Against All Puerto Ricans: Revolution and Terror in America’s Colony
Given that both DC and Puerto Rico have more people than some states, do you think it’s time they were given statehood. Leave your comments below:
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