When you think about the "smallest" anything in the United States, your brain probably zips straight to the East Coast. Maybe you picture the colonial charm of Rhode Island or the tax-haven office buildings of Delaware. And sure, geographically, Rhode Island is tiny—you can practically drive across the whole thing while listening to a single long podcast episode. But when we talk about smallest U.S. state population, the map flips entirely. We aren’t looking at the Atlantic anymore. We’re looking at the vast, windy, and rugged high plains of the West.
Wyoming.
It’s the state that consistently holds the title. Honestly, the numbers are a bit staggering when you put them into perspective. As of the latest 2024 and 2025 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Wyoming’s population is hovering around 587,618 people. To give you an idea of how few people that actually is, consider this: there are roughly 30 individual cities in America that have more residents than the entire state of Wyoming. You've got more people living in Fresno, California, or Mesa, Arizona, than in all 97,000 square miles of the Cowboy State.
Why Wyoming Stays So Empty
It’s not like Wyoming is some secret. People know it’s there—Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks bring in millions of tourists every year. But visiting and staying are two very different things.
A big part of the reason Wyoming keeps the smallest U.S. state population crown is its geography and climate. It is high, dry, and brutally windy. The average elevation is about 6,700 feet. If you’ve ever tried to grow a garden in Laramie or Casper, you know the struggle of a growing season that feels like it lasts about twenty minutes.
History played a role too. Unlike Colorado, which had a massive silver and gold boom that built Denver into a major metropolis early on, Wyoming’s growth was slower. It was a place people passed through on the Oregon Trail or the Transcontinental Railroad rather than a place they stopped. Without a major coastal port or a massive manufacturing hub, the state relied on ranching and, later, energy extraction like coal and natural gas. These industries don’t require millions of people living in dense urban blocks; they require a few tough folks and a lot of wide-open space.
Comparing the Tiny Five: Smallest U.S. State Population Rankings
While Wyoming is the undisputed heavyweight champion of low numbers, it’s not the only state where you can find some serious elbow room. The rankings for the states with the fewest residents usually look something like this:
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- Wyoming: ~587,618 residents.
- Vermont: ~648,493 residents.
- Alaska: ~740,133 residents.
- North Dakota: ~796,568 residents.
- South Dakota: ~924,669 residents.
You'll notice something interesting here. Vermont is the only state in the "Bottom Five" that isn't a massive Western or Midwestern giant. It’s also the only one that is actually small in land area.
Vermont is a fascinating outlier. It’s a haven for maple syrup, skiing, and people who generally want to be left alone in the woods. But unlike Wyoming, which is seeing a tiny bit of growth (about 0.44% recently), Vermont’s population has been incredibly stagnant or even slightly shrinking in certain years. According to some recent data from World Population Review, Vermont actually showed the lowest growth rate in the nation at -0.03% recently. It’s an aging state. People move there to retire, but younger generations often head south for more diverse job markets.
The Alaska Paradox
Then you have Alaska. It’s the biggest state by land area—literally twice the size of Texas—but it sits at number three for the smallest U.S. state population.
Imagine taking the population of a mid-sized city and scattering them across a sub-arctic wilderness that spans four time zones. The population density is about 1.3 people per square mile. In some parts of Alaska, you are more likely to run into a grizzly bear or a moose than another human being. It’s a place of extremes where the federal government owns a massive chunk of the land, making it off-limits for traditional development.
The Political Reality of Low Numbers
Having the smallest U.S. state population isn’t just a fun trivia fact for Jeopardy. It has massive implications for how the country is run.
Because of how the U.S. Constitution is set up, every state gets two Senators regardless of how many people live there. This means a voter in Wyoming has significantly more "voting power" in the Senate than a voter in California. In the House of Representatives, however, Wyoming only gets one seat. They share this "At-Large" status with Alaska and Vermont.
It’s a weird balance. On one hand, these states can feel overlooked by big federal policies. On the other, their individual citizens have a direct line to their representatives that someone in a state of 40 million people could only dream of. If you live in Cheyenne, there’s a decent chance you’ve bumped into your Governor or your Congressperson at the grocery store.
Is the "Smallest" Growing?
Surprisingly, yes.
North Dakota was the fastest-growing state for a while during the fracking boom. Wyoming is currently seeing a small influx of "Zoom-town" residents—people who kept their high-paying tech jobs in San Francisco or Seattle but moved to places like Jackson Hole or Sheridan for the lifestyle.
But don’t expect it to catch up to the big hitters anytime soon.
Even if Wyoming doubled its population tomorrow, it would still have fewer people than New Hampshire or Maine. The infrastructure just isn't there for a massive population explosion. There are only a handful of "cities" in the state, and even the biggest—Cheyenne—feels like a small town compared to almost anywhere else.
What it’s Actually Like to Live There
When you live in a state with the smallest U.S. state population, life moves differently. You measure distance in hours, not miles. People in Wyoming think nothing of driving two hours one way just to go to a Costco or see a specialist doctor.
There is a sense of community that is hard to find in more crowded places. When there are only 580,000 of you, you tend to look out for each other. But there's also the "small town" effect on a state-wide scale. Everybody knows everybody's business, or at least it feels that way.
The lack of people means the nature is pristine. You can hike for days in the Wind River Range and never see another soul. That is the real draw. It’s the "Last Frontier" (even if Alaska claims that nickname).
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you are looking into the smallest U.S. state population because you are considering a move or an investment, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The Job Market is Niche: These states aren't big on corporate HQs. You’re looking at energy, agriculture, tourism, or remote work.
- Cost of Living is a Mixed Bag: While taxes are often low (Wyoming has no state income tax!), "importing" goods to remote areas can make groceries and fuel more expensive.
- Infrastructure is Sparse: High-speed internet is getting better, but in the rural stretches of the smallest states, you might still find dead zones that last for fifty miles.
- Community Matters: In low-population states, your reputation is your currency. Word travels fast.
The data shows that while the U.S. as a whole is growing, the gap between the "big" states and the "small" states is only getting wider. California and Texas continue to add millions, while Wyoming and Vermont celebrate when they add a few thousand. For the people who live there, that’s exactly how they like it.
To keep tabs on these shifts, the best move is to watch the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Population Estimates, which usually drop in December or January. These "Vintage" reports provide the most granular look at who is moving where. You can also look at state-level economic reports, like those from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, to see if the population is actually supported by new jobs or just by retirees moving in for the views.