California was the state with the highest resident population in the United States in 2024, with 39.43 million people. Wyoming had the lowest population with about 590,000 residents. Living the American Dream Ever since the opening of the West in the United States, California has represented the American Dream for both Americans and immigrants to the U.S. The warm weather, appeal of Hollywood and Silicon Valley, as well as cities that stick in the imagination such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, help to encourage people to move to California. Californian demographics California is an extremely diverse state, as no one ethnicity is in the majority. Additionally, it has the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States. By 2040, the population of California is expected to increase by almost 10 million residents, which goes to show that its appeal, both in reality and the imagination, is going nowhere fast.

In 2023, Washington, D.C. had the highest population density in the United States, with 11,130.69 people per square mile. As a whole, there were about 94.83 residents per square mile in the U.S., and Alaska was the state with the lowest population density, with 1.29 residents per square mile. The problem of population density Simply put, population density is the population of a country divided by the area of the country. While this can be an interesting measure of how many people live in a country and how large the country is, it does not account for the degree of urbanization, or the share of people who live in urban centers. For example, Russia is the largest country in the world and has a comparatively low population, so its population density is very low. However, much of the country is uninhabited, so cities in Russia are much more densely populated than the rest of the country. Urbanization in the United States While the United States is not very densely populated compared to other countries, its population density has increased significantly over the past few decades. The degree of urbanization has also increased, and well over half of the population lives in urban centers.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the United States population over the last 20 plus years. It lists the population for each year, along with the year on year change in population, as well as the change in percentage terms for each year. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population change of United States across the last two decades. For example, using this dataset, we can identify if the population is declining or increasing. If there is a change, when the population peaked, or if it is still growing and has not reached its peak. We can also compare the trend with the overall trend of United States population over the same period of time.

Key observations

In 2024, the population of United States was 340.11 million, a 0.98% increase year-by-year from 2023. Previously, in 2023, United States population was 336.81 million, an increase of 0.83% compared to a population of 334.02 million in 2022. Over the last 20 plus years, between 2000 and 2024, population of United States increased by 57.95 million. In this period, the peak population was 340.11 million in the year 2024. The numbers suggest that the population has not reached its peak yet and is showing a trend of further growth. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP).

Data Coverage:

• From 2000 to 2024

Variables / Data Columns

• Year: This column displays the data year (Measured annually and for years 2000 to 2024)
• Population: The population for the specific year for the United States is shown in this column.
• Year on Year Change: This column displays the change in United States population for each year compared to the previous year.
• Change in Percent: This column displays the year on year change as a percentage. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for United States Population by Year. You can refer the same here

Summary Tape File 2 (STF 2) files contain detailed complete-count tabulations for all persons and housing units in the United States. The STF 2B files provide summaries for states or state equivalents, state components, standard consolidated statistical areas (SCSAs) and the urban and rural portions of the SCSAs, standard metropolitan statistical areas (SMSAs) and the urban and rural portions of the SMSAs, urbanized areas, counties or county equivalents and the rural portion of the counties, minor civil divisions or Census county divisions, places of 1,000 people or more and the urban portions of any places that have been split into urban and rural components, American Indian reservations and their county portions, and Alaska Native villages. Population (or demographic) and housing items are contained in each type of file. The data are presented in two types of records. The first, record A, is presented once for each geographic area and summarizes total population and all housing units. The second, record B, is presented for the total population in each area and repeated for each race and Hispanic group in the area that meets nonsuppression criteria. Record B is presented for a maximum of 26 racial/Hispanic groups. If too few persons or housing units fall into an ethnic category in a census area, the data for that category are suppressed. There are 51 data files, one file for each state and the District of Columbia.

United States Population: Vermont data was reported at 623,657.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 623,354.000 Person for 2016. United States Population: Vermont data is updated yearly, averaging 621,404.500 Person from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 626,210.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 609,903.000 Person in 2000. United States Population: Vermont data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G003: Population By State.

United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year data was reported at 420,267,733.000 Person in 2060. This records an increase from the previous number of 418,161,420.000 Person for 2059. United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year data is updated yearly, averaging 295,516,599.000 Person from Jun 1950 (Median) to 2060, with 111 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 420,267,733.000 Person in 2060 and a record low of 151,868,000.000 Person in 1950. United States US: Population Projection: Mid Year data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

In 2022, the state with the highest median age of its population was Maine at 45.1 years. Utah had the lowest median age at 32.1 years. View the distribution of the U.S. population by ethnicity here.

Additional information on the aging population in the United States

High birth rates during the so-called baby boom years that followed World War II followed by lower fertility and morality rates have left the United States with a serious challenge in the 21st Century. However, the issue of an aging population is certainly not an issue unique to the United States. The age distribution of the global population shows that other parts of the world face a similar issue.

Within the United States, the uneven distribution of populations aged 65 years and over among states offers both major challenges and potential solutions. On the one hand, federal action over the issue may be contentious as other states are set to harbor the costs of elderly care in states such as California and Florida. That said, domestic migration from comparably younger states may help to fill gaps in the workforce left by retirees in others.

Nonetheless, aging population issues are set to gain further prominence in the political and economic decisions made by policymakers regardless of the eventual distribution of America’s elderly. Analysis of the financial concerns of Americans by age shows many young people still decades from retirement hold strong concern over their eventual financial position.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 50 States in the United States by Asian population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each States over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Asian Population: This column displays the rank of States in the United States by their Asian population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• States: The States for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Asian Population: The Asian population of the States is shown in this column.
• % of Total States Population: This shows what percentage of the total States population identifies as Asian. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total U.S. Asian Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Asian population lives in that States. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: TThis column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

United States Population: Louisiana data was reported at 4,684,333.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,686,157.000 Person for 2016. United States Population: Louisiana data is updated yearly, averaging 4,494,883.500 Person from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,686,157.000 Person in 2016 and a record low of 4,240,327.000 Person in 2006. United States Population: Louisiana data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G003: Population By State.

This data set includes cities in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These cities were collected from the 1970 National Atlas of the United States. Where applicable, U.S. Census Bureau codes for named populated places were associated with each name to allow additional information to be attached. The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) was also used as a source for additional information. This is a revised version of the December, 2003, data set.

This layer is sourced from maps.bts.dot.gov.

United States Population: Iowa data was reported at 3,145,711.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,130,869.000 Person for 2016. United States Population: Iowa data is updated yearly, averaging 3,000,921.500 Person from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,145,711.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,928,184.000 Person in 2000. United States Population: Iowa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G003: Population By State.

United States Population: California data was reported at 39,536,653.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 39,296,476.000 Person for 2016. United States Population: California data is updated yearly, averaging 36,771,017.500 Person from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 39,536,653.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 33,994,571.000 Person in 2000. United States Population: California data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.G003: Population by State.

United States Population: New Mexico data was reported at 2,088,070.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,085,432.000 Person for 2016. United States Population: New Mexico data is updated yearly, averaging 1,998,217.000 Person from Jun 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,088,070.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 1,820,813.000 Person in 2000. United States Population: New Mexico data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.G003: Population By State.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 50 States in the United States by Some Other Race (SOR) population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each States over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Other Race Population: This column displays the rank of States in the United States by their Some Other Race (SOR) population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• States: The States for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Other Race Population: The Other Race population of the States is shown in this column.
• % of Total States Population: This shows what percentage of the total States population identifies as Other Race. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total U.S. Other Race Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Other Race population lives in that States. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: TThis column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

In the past four centuries, the population of the United States has grown from a recorded 350 people around the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1610, to an estimated 331 million people in 2020. The pre-colonization populations of the indigenous peoples of the Americas have proven difficult for historians to estimate, as their numbers decreased rapidly following the introduction of European diseases (namely smallpox, plague and influenza). Native Americans were also omitted from most censuses conducted before the twentieth century, therefore the actual population of what we now know as the United States would have been much higher than the official census data from before 1800, but it is unclear by how much. Population growth in the colonies throughout the eighteenth century has primarily been attributed to migration from the British Isles and the Transatlantic slave trade; however it is also difficult to assert the ethnic-makeup of the population in these years as accurate migration records were not kept until after the 1820s, at which point the importation of slaves had also been illegalized. Nineteenth century In the year 1800, it is estimated that the population across the present-day United States was around six million people, with the population in the 16 admitted states numbering at 5.3 million. Migration to the United States began to happen on a large scale in the mid-nineteenth century, with the first major waves coming from Ireland, Britain and Germany. In some aspects, this wave of mass migration balanced out the demographic impacts of the American Civil War, which was the deadliest war in U.S. history with approximately 620 thousand fatalities between 1861 and 1865. The civil war also resulted in the emancipation of around four million slaves across the south; many of whose ancestors would take part in the Great Northern Migration in the early 1900s, which saw around six million black Americans migrate away from the south in one of the largest demographic shifts in U.S. history. By the end of the nineteenth century, improvements in transport technology and increasing economic opportunities saw migration to the United States increase further, particularly from southern and Eastern Europe, and in the first decade of the 1900s the number of migrants to the U.S. exceeded one million people in some years. Twentieth and twenty-first century The U.S. population has grown steadily throughout the past 120 years, reaching one hundred million in the 1910s, two hundred million in the 1960s, and three hundred million in 2007. In the past century, the U.S. established itself as a global superpower, with the world's largest economy (by nominal GDP) and most powerful military. Involvement in foreign wars has resulted in over 620,000 further U.S. fatalities since the Civil War, and migration fell drastically during the World Wars and Great Depression; however the population continuously grew in these years as the total fertility rate remained above two births per woman, and life expectancy increased (except during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918).

Since the Second World War, Latin America has replaced Europe as the most common point of origin for migrants, with Hispanic populations growing rapidly across the south and border states. Because of this, the proportion of non-Hispanic whites, which has been the most dominant ethnicity in the U.S. since records began, has dropped more rapidly in recent decades. Ethnic minorities also have a much higher birth rate than non-Hispanic whites, further contributing to this decline, and the share of non-Hispanic whites is expected to fall below fifty percent of the U.S. population by the mid-2000s. In 2020, the United States has the third-largest population in the world (after China and India), and the population is expected to reach four hundred million in the 2050s.

Summary Tape File 1 (STF 1) consists of four sets of computer-readable data files containing detailed tabulations of the nation's population and housing characteristics produced from the 1980 Census. This series is comprised of STF 1A, STF 1B, STF 1C, and STF 1D. The STF 1 National Subset file was created by ICPSR in conjunction with the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA). This file is a subset of STF 1 and has data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, for each of the approximately 3,150 counties and county equivalents in the United States, and for approximately 450 incorporated and unincorporated cities in the nation with populations of 50,000 persons or more. There are 321 substantive data variables organized in the form of 59 "tables," as well as standard geographic identification variables. All of the data items contained in STF 1 were tabulated from the "complete count" or "100-percent" questions included on the 1980 Census questionnaire. The data are provided in the original Census Bureau format so they can be accessed by CENSPAC and other software packages that are oriented toward STF 1 data in the format provided by the Census Bureau.

The U.S. landscape has undergone substantial changes since Europeans first arrived. Many land use changes are attributable to human activity. Historical data concerning these changes are frequently limited and often difficult to develop. Modeling historical land use changes may be necessary. We develop annual population series from first European settlement to 1999 for all 50 states and Washington D.C. for use in modeling land use trends. Extensive research went into developing the historical data. Linear interpolation was used to complete the series after critically evaluating the appropriateness of linear interpolation versus exponential interpolation.

The Urban Household Sample of the 1860 United States Census was designed to supplement the Bateman-Foust rural sample with observations from urban areas. The sample covers both northern and southern towns and cities and permits examination of female occupations and labor force participation rates. Information on individuals includes occupation, city of residence, age, sex, race, dollar value of real and personal property owned, whether American or foreign born, and literacy. The second release of this collection adds nine constructed variables, including several weight variables, collapsed occupation, ICPSR state code, region, and unique internal family and household identifier numbers.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 50 states in the United States by Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each states over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Pacific Islander Population: This column displays the rank of states in the United States by their Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHPI) population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• states: The states for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Pacific Islander Population: The Pacific Islander population of the states is shown in this column.
• % of Total states Population: This shows what percentage of the total states population identifies as Pacific Islander. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total U.S. Pacific Islander Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Pacific Islander population lives in that states. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: TThis column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 50 states in the United States by American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each states over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2017-2021 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2016-2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Native American Population: This column displays the rank of states in the United States by their American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• states: The states for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Native American Population: The Native American population of the states is shown in this column.
• % of Total states Population: This shows what percentage of the total states population identifies as Native American. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total U.S. Native American Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Native American population lives in that states. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: TThis column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.