Demographics
Alaska vs California: Population
California has a larger population than Alaska by 38,607,841 people.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for population.
Alaska
#48 · 738,003
California
#1 · 39,345,844
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Population
#1
California
39,345,844
California
#2
Texas
32,101,064
Texas
#3
Florida
23,659,198
Florida
#4
New York
20,003,435
New York
#5
Pennsylvania
13,073,016
Pennsylvania
#6
Illinois
12,735,249
Illinois
#7
Ohio
11,940,399
Ohio
#8
Georgia
11,401,288
Georgia
#9
North Carolina
11,343,875
North Carolina
#10
Michigan
10,155,806
Michigan
Selected states
#48
Alaska
738,003
Alaska
Alaska ranks 48th and California ranks 1st nationally for population.
Related context
Population in Context
Raw headcount only tells part of the story — density and education round it out.
What this means
Alaska vs California: Population in context
California's population is 39,345,844, compared with 738,003 in Alaska — roughly 53.3× the Alaska figure. Estimated resident population in 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates).
Alaska
738,003
California
39,345,844
Difference
+38,607,841 people
People also ask
Alaska vs California Population — common questions
QWhat is Alaska's population?
Alaska's population is 738,003.
QWhat is California's population?
California's population is 39,345,844.
QWhich state has a higher population — Alaska or California?
California has a larger population than Alaska by 38,607,841 people.
QHow much more population does California have compared to Alaska?
+38,607,841 people.
More comparisons: Alaska vs California
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
2025 estimate
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Latest annual state resident population copied from the maintained ranking.