Guide Rankings Government & Politics Updated July 22, 2026

Veterans by State

U.S. military veteran saluting in front of an American flag

Veterans by State

Ranking - Government & Politics

Alaska has the most veterans per capita at 7,804 per 100,000 residents. Texas has the most veterans overall, with 1,402,360.

Key Takeaways

Veterans by State

  1. 1

    Alaska leads the veterans by state ranking on a per-capita basis, with 7,804 per 100,000 residents. Virginia ranks second at 7,137, and Montana third at 6,976.

  2. 2

    New Jersey has the fewest veterans per capita at 2,872 per 100,000, just below New York's 2,909. Alaska's rate is roughly 2.7 times New Jersey's.

  3. 3

    Texas has the most veterans overall at 1,402,360, ahead of Florida's 1,327,070 and California's 1,305,450. Despite that, Texas ranks 42nd and California 47th out of 50 on the per-capita rate.

Map

Veterans Per Capita by State Map

Veterans per 100,000 Residents
No data
Alaska (7,804) and Virginia (7,137) hold the darkest shade at the top of the scale. New Jersey (2,872) and New York (2,909) carry the lightest shade at the bottom.
Veterans Per Capita by State Map
Rank State Veterans per 100,000 Residents
1 Alaska 7,804
2 Virginia 7,137
3 Montana 6,976
4 Wyoming 6,861
5 Maine 6,746
6 South Carolina 6,262
7 New Hampshire 6,157
8 New Mexico 6,129
9 Hawaii 6,111
10 Nevada 6,025
11 Arizona 5,991
12 Washington 5,968
13 West Virginia 5,938
14 Oklahoma 5,880
15 Alabama 5,874
16 Idaho 5,834
17 South Dakota 5,813
18 Oregon 5,774
19 Colorado 5,716
20 Florida 5,704
21 Delaware 5,671
22 Arkansas 5,600
23 North Carolina 5,569
24 Missouri 5,566
25 Tennessee 5,514
26 Georgia 5,367
27 North Dakota 5,342
28 Maryland 5,244
29 Mississippi 5,144
30 Nebraska 5,121
31 Kansas 5,112
32 Ohio 5,108
33 Vermont 5,060
34 Kentucky 4,989
35 Iowa 4,971
36 Pennsylvania 4,846
37 Wisconsin 4,836
38 Indiana 4,736
39 Louisiana 4,612
40 Michigan 4,562
41 Minnesota 4,485
42 Texas 4,478
43 Rhode Island 4,089
44 Illinois 3,764
45 Connecticut 3,654
46 Massachusetts 3,412
47 California 3,316
48 Utah 3,190
49 New York 2,909
50 New Jersey 2,872

Alaska (7,804) and Virginia (7,137) hold the darkest shade at the top of the scale. New Jersey (2,872) and New York (2,909) carry the lightest shade at the bottom.

Veterans by State Table

States With the Most and Fewest Veterans Per Capita

Highest

7804
Alaska flag
Alaska #1

Lowest

2872
New Jersey flag
New Jersey #50

Top 10 Highest — Veterans (per 100k)

#1 Alaska flag Alaska
7804
#2 Virginia flag Virginia
7137
#3 Montana flag Montana
6976
#4 Wyoming flag Wyoming
6861
#5 Maine flag Maine
6746
#6 South Carolina flag South Carolina
6262
#7 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
6157
#8 New Mexico flag New Mexico
6129
#9 Hawaii flag Hawaii
6111
#10 Nevada flag Nevada
6025

Top 10 Lowest — Veterans (per 100k)

#50 New Jersey flag New Jersey
2872
#49 New York flag New York
2909
#48 Utah flag Utah
3190
#47 California flag California
3316
#46 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
3412
#45 Connecticut flag Connecticut
3654
#44 Illinois flag Illinois
3764
#43 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
4089
#42 Texas flag Texas
4478
#41 Minnesota flag Minnesota
4485

States With the Most Veterans Per Capita

Veterans memorial scene with American flags outdoors
Alaska, Virginia, and Montana lead the table on a per-capita basis, showing how veteran-heavy some lower-population states remain.

Alaska leads with 7,804 veterans per 100,000 residents, the only state above 7,500. Virginia follows at 7,137 and Montana at 6,976. Wyoming (6,861) and Maine (6,746) round out the top five, each more than double New Jersey's rate at the bottom of the table.

1
State
Alaska
Veterans per 100k
7,804
2
State
Virginia
Veterans per 100k
7,137
3
State
Montana
Veterans per 100k
6,976
4
State
Wyoming
Veterans per 100k
6,861
5
State
Maine
Veterans per 100k
6,746

States With the Fewest Veterans Per Capita

Dense residential street with American flags in an urban setting
New Jersey and New York sit at the bottom of the per-capita list despite having large veteran populations in raw numbers.

New Jersey has the lowest rate in the table at 2,872 veterans per 100,000 residents, just below New York's 2,909. Utah (3,190), California (3,316), and Massachusetts (3,412) fill out the bottom five, each under half of Alaska's leading rate.

1
State
New Jersey
Veterans per 100k
2,872
2
State
New York
Veterans per 100k
2,909
3
State
Utah
Veterans per 100k
3,190
4
State
California
Veterans per 100k
3,316
5
State
Massachusetts
Veterans per 100k
3,412

States With the Most Veterans Overall

Large patriotic gathering with American flags representing states with the biggest veteran totals
Texas, Florida, and California dominate the table for total veterans, even though their per-capita rates sit much lower.

Texas has the largest veteran population at 1,402,360, ahead of Florida's 1,327,070 and California's 1,305,450. Texas ranks 42nd by rate at 4,478 per 100,000, while California ranks 47th at 3,316.

1
State
Texas
Veterans
1,402,360
2
State
Florida
Veterans
1,327,070
3
State
California
Veterans
1,305,450
4
State
Pennsylvania
Veterans
632,183
5
State
Virginia
Veterans
629,500

Quick Answers

Which state has the most veterans per capita?
Alaska, at 7,804 veterans per 100,000 residents. Virginia is second at 7,137, and Montana is third at 6,976.
Which state has the fewest veterans per capita?
New Jersey, at 2,872 veterans per 100,000 residents. New York is the next lowest at 2,909.
Which state has the most veterans overall?
Texas, with 1,402,360 veterans. Florida is second with 1,327,070, and California is third with 1,305,450.
How many veterans live in California?
California has 1,305,450 veterans, the third-most of any state. Its rate of 3,316 per 100,000 residents ranks 47th out of 50.
How many veterans live in Virginia?
Virginia has 629,500 veterans, the fifth-most overall, and its rate of 7,137 per 100,000 residents ranks second. Only Alaska's rate of 7,804 is higher.
What is the difference between the highest and lowest veteran rates by state?
Alaska's 7,804 veterans per 100,000 residents is roughly 2.7 times New Jersey's 2,872, the widest gap in the table.

Methodology

Counts and per-100,000 rates use World Population Review's 2024 table. Washington, D.C. and the national total are excluded from the 50-state ranking.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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