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Population Review

Census ACS 5-Year · 52 states

States With Highest Female Population

Source·US Census ACS 5-Year 2023Updated·Reviewed by·PopulationReview Editorial Team
By PopulationReview Editorial Team
Raw data·Download states.csv· no email required ·all datasets

While the US population is roughly evenly split between men and women, state-level differences in gender ratio reveal interesting demographic patterns. States with older populations tend to have more women because women live longer on average. The District of Columbia, Delaware, and Maryland have among the highest female population percentages, influenced by factors including urban job markets that attract women, older median ages, and university enrollment patterns. States with the lowest female percentages tend to have large military installations, male-dominated industries like mining and oil extraction, or frontier cultures that historically attracted male workers. Gender ratios affect housing markets, consumer spending, healthcare demand, political representation, and social services. Understanding these differences helps policymakers address gender-specific needs in healthcare, education, and economic development.

Key Findings

  • 1Puerto Rico leads with a female population percentage of 52.7%, followed by District of Columbia (52.4%) and Alabama (51.5%).
  • 2The gap between #1 Puerto Rico and #52 Alaska (47.5%) is 5.2 percentage points.
  • 3The national median across all states is 50.4% (Indiana at the midpoint).
  • 4The top 10 states are: Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, Alabama, Mississippi, Delaware, Maryland, South Carolina, New York, Georgia, North Carolina.

Full Ranking: States With Highest Female Population

Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates

#StateFemale %Median AgePopulation
1Wyoming48.8%38.8579,761
2Wisconsin49.9%40.15,892,023
3West Virginia50.1%42.71,784,462
4Washington49.6%38.27,740,984
5Virginia50.6%38.88,657,499
6Vermont50.4%43645,254
7Utah49.4%31.73,331,187
8Texas50.1%35.529,640,343
9Tennessee50.9%38.96,986,082
10South Dakota49.3%37.7899,194
11South Carolina51.3%40.15,212,774
12Rhode Island51.0%40.51,095,371
13Puerto Rico52.7%44.23,254,885
14Pennsylvania50.7%40.912,986,518
15Oregon50.1%40.14,238,714
16Oklahoma50.2%36.93,995,260
17Ohio50.7%39.611,780,046
18North Dakota48.8%35.7779,361
19North Carolina51.1%39.110,584,340
20New York51.2%39.619,872,319
21New Mexico50.3%39.22,114,768
22New Jersey50.8%40.19,267,014
23New Hampshire50.1%43.21,387,834
24Nevada49.6%38.93,141,000
25Nebraska49.8%37.11,965,926
26Montana49.3%40.21,105,072
27Missouri50.7%38.96,168,181
28Mississippi51.5%38.42,951,438
29Minnesota49.9%38.65,713,716
30Michigan50.4%40.110,051,595
31Massachusetts51.1%406,992,395
32Maryland51.3%39.36,170,738
33Maine50.8%44.81,377,400
34Louisiana51.0%37.84,621,025
35Kentucky50.5%39.14,510,725
36Kansas49.8%37.22,937,569
37Iowa49.9%38.63,195,937
38Indiana50.4%386,811,752
39Illinois50.6%38.912,692,653
40Idaho49.7%37.11,893,296
41Hawaii49.7%40.61,445,635
42Georgia51.2%37.410,822,590
43Florida50.9%42.621,928,881
44District of Columbia52.4%34.9672,079
45Delaware51.5%41.51,005,872
46Connecticut50.9%41.23,598,348
47Colorado49.4%37.55,810,774
48California50.0%37.639,242,785
49Arkansas50.7%38.43,032,651
50Arizona50.1%38.87,268,175
51Alaska47.5%35.6733,971
52Alabama51.5%39.35,054,253

Methodology

Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

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Related Rankings & Top Entities

#1 Puerto Rico

Ranked #1 by female population percentage

#2 District of Columbia

Ranked #2 by female population percentage

#3 Alabama

Ranked #3 by female population percentage

Oldest States by Median Age

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Youngest States by Median Age

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Most Racially Diverse States

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Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Rico has the highest female population percentage at 52.7%, according to latest Census ACS data. District of Columbia and Alabama round out the top three.

Alaska has the lowest female population percentage at 47.5%. Wyoming is second-lowest at 48.8%.

The median across all 52 states is 50.4%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.

This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.

Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.

Sources: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates

Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.