20 Least Populated States in America

Published on February 3, 2023 at 3:17 pm by Insider Monkey Team in Lists, News

In this article, we take a look at the 20 least populated states in America. If you want to see more least populated states in America, go directly to 5 Least Populated States in America.

Given each state in the United States has two senators, the states with the least population technically have more representation per capita.

Whereas there is one senator to every 19.62 million people in California, there is one senator to every 290,500 people in Wyoming.

Having more representation can theoretically be an advantage given the U.S. Federal government spends a lot of money. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. federal government spent $1.6 trillion in discretionary outlays in 2021, or around half of India’s total nominal GDP for the same year. Although the U.S. Senate is only one of two houses in Congress, the Senate is essential for bills to become law, and there are only 100 senators in the U.S Senate, versus 435 voting representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Considering Congressmen want to make their constituents happy, more representation can potentially mean more benefits for the state. Theoretically, states with less populations could potentially have higher income per capita than California if there is more government spending per capita.

On a practical basis, however, states like California still have one of the highest incomes per capita in the United States despite not having as much representation per capita. Although other less populated states might have more government spending per capita, California has numerous other advantages that help it realize more income per capita.

One advantage is that states like California have financial centers like Los Angeles and San Francisco that have many big companies and leading financial firms with operations based there. The numerous companies attract even more companies and increases economic activity as a result. For those of you interested check out Top 20 Financial Cities in the World.

All of the least populated states in the United States still have very high living standards regardless of their ranking versus other states, however. The United States has the world’s biggest economy, many of the world’s leading institutions, the dominant reserve currency, and much more. Given America’s economic and innovative competitiveness, the country is still the best place in the world.

Even though they rank among the least populated states, Wyoming and North Dakota ranked among the top ten states in terms of states with the highest per capita income in 2021 according to Forbes. One reason for North Dakota ranking so high in terms of per capita income is likely the state is a major producer of crude oil which can potentially generate higher paying jobs than some other industries.

Some states among the least populated states in America don’t have as many residents as other states because they don’t have as much land area.

Other states, meanwhile, rank among the least populated states because they don’t have as much population density. One reason for the lack of population density for some states in America’s interior is that many Americans live near the coast.

According to the Office of Coastal Management, “Coastal counties of the U.S. are home to over 128 million people, or almost 40 percent of the nation’s total population, yet the coast accounts for less than 10 percent of the nation’s land mass (excluding Alaska).” In terms of population density, there were around 461 people per square mile living in coastal counties excluding Alaska versus the average population density of 87 people per square mile.

Some of the least populated states also don’t have many big cities which tend to contain the highest density of people. The population of New York City, which had 8.468 million residents in 2021, is more than the population of Iowa and Nevada combined.

Pixabay/Public domain

Methodology

For our ranking of 20 Least Populated States in America, we used Statista.com’s Resident population of the U.S. in 2022, by state (including the District of Columbia) list.

We ranked each state by their resident population in 2022 according to Statista.com,

20 Least Populated States in America

20. Iowa

Population in 2022 (million): 3.2

Iowa is known for being the first state to vote in Presidential primaries since 1972 although the DNC has proposed rule changes so that South Carolina is now first for the Democratic Presidential primary. Iowa remains first for the Republican Presidential primary, however.

In addition to being a politically important state, Iowa is famous for being part of the corn belt in the Midwest. In terms of population, Iowa is the 20 least populated state with 3.2 million residents as of 2022.

19. Nevada

Population in 2022 (million): 3.18

The federal government owns 80.1% of Nevada’s land which it uses for various purposes such as recreation, preservation, and the development of natural resources. As a result of the federal government owning so much land, Nevada has a lot of parks that many believe help the local economy. As of 2022, Nevada has a population of 3.18 million.

18. Arkansas

Population in 2022 (million): 3.01

Arkansas is a beautiful state that borders the Mississippi River. The state, which has a population of 3.01 million, has parks, mountains, caves, and rivers. Arkansas also has the William J. Clinton Library and Museum which is the presidential library of former President Bill Clinton who was governor of Arkansas before becoming President in 1992.

17. Mississippi

Population in 2022 (million): 2.94

Mississippi ranks #17 on our list of 20 Least Populated States in America with a population of 2.94 million in 2022. The Mississippi Delta region is considered the birthplaces of blues music and the state has many scenic beaches along the Gulf of Mexico in the South.

16. Kansas

Population in 2022 (million): 2.94

Kansas, also known by its nickname as the Sunflower State, is the 15th largest state in the United States by area. In terms of population, however, Kansas is the 16th least populated with 2.94 million total residents in 2022. Kansas has a lot of farmland in addition to very scenic geography.

15. New Mexico

Population in 2022 (million): 2.11

New Mexico is one of the leading states in the United States in terms of energy. In addition to being the home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico ranks #3 in the nation in terms of oil production. According to the EIA, the state produced 379 million barrels of oil in 2021, accounting for 9.2% of total production in the United States for the year.

14. Nebraska

Population in 2022 (million): 1.97

Given it is another Midwestern state in America’s corn belt and the state’s nickname is ‘The Cornhusker State’, Nebraska has a lot of farm land and open areas. In 2022, Nebraska was one of the less populated states in America with 1.97 million residents.

13. Idaho

Population in 2022 (million): 1.94

Idaho is a state with beautiful recreation areas given its substantial areas of wilderness and mountainous landscapes. Idaho also has farmland given it produces around 1/3 of all of America’s potatoes. Furthermore, the state produces a considerable amount of wheat which is usually the state’s second largest crop. As of 2022, Idaho has a population of 1.94 million.

12. West Virginia

Population in 2022 (million): 1.78

West Virginia is famous for its scenic mountains in addition to substantial forests. Given around 80% of its land is forests, West Virginia has the third most forests in the United States. With 1.78 million people in 2022, West Virginia ranks #12 on our list of 20 Least Populated States in America.

11. Hawaii

Population in 2022 (million): 1.44

Hawaii is one of the only two states along with Alaska that isn’t part of the Continental USA. Originally a territory, Hawaii became an official state in 1959 at the same time as Alaska. Considering its scenic beaches, tourism is a big part of Hawaii’s economy. In 2022, Hawaii had a population of 1.44 million.

10. New Hampshire

Population in 2022 (million): 1.4

New Hampshire ranks #10 on our list of 20 Least Populated States in America considering its population of 1.4 million people in 2022. One reason for the low population is New Hampshire doesn’t have as much land area as many other states. While it doesn’t rank highly in population or land area, New Hampshire is politically important given the state is among the first few states to vote in Presidential primaries.

In terms of the Democratic Presidential primary, Iowa and New Hampshire have been the first and second contests, respectively, since 1972. Although the Democratic National Committee last year proposed a resolution that changes that ordering in the future, New Hampshire is still one of the earliest states to vote at least as of current DNC rules.

9. Maine

Population in 2022 (million): 1.34

Maine is a Northeastern state with 1.34 million residents as of 2022. In addition to its sandy beaches and famous lobsters, Maine has forests that cover around 90% of the state’s area and beautiful ski resorts.

8. Montana

Population in 2022 (million): 1.12

Montana is a beautiful state that has diverse wildlife and substantial natural resources. Given it is the fourth largest state in the United States by land area, Montana has a pretty low population density considering its population of 1.12 million in 2022.

7. Rhode Island

Population in 2022 (million): 1.09

Rhode Island ranks #7 on our list of 20 Least Populated States in America considering its population of 1.09 million people in 2022. The main reason that Rhode Island is on our list is that the state is the smallest state in the United States. Given it borders the Atlantic Ocean, Rhode Island has many scenic beaches.

6. Delaware

Population in 2022 (million): 1.02

Delaware is the 6th least populated state in the United States with 1.02 million residents in 2022. One reason for the low population is that Delaware is the second smallest state in the United States. While it might not have a lot of residents, Delaware nevertheless ranks among the top 10 highest real GDP per capita states in the United States in 2021 according to Statista.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Least Populated States in America.