Active-duty service members are based around the world, but the vast majority of them—nearly 1.2 million—are stationed in the U.S. Stacker compiled a list of the states with the most active-duty military members using data from the Department of Defense 2021 Demographics Report: Profile of the Military Community.
There are active military members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But almost 50% of them—belonging to five of the six branches of the U.S. military—are stationed in five states: California, Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, and Georgia.
On the other extreme, eight states are home to fewer than 1,000 members (per state) of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and the most recently created Space Force. All branches are part of the Defense Department.
The Coast Guard, which belongs to the Department of Homeland Security, wasn't taken into account in this ranking, which also doesn't include non-active-duty military members like those in the reserves and National Guard.
- Number of active-duty military members: 123
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 7
- Number of active-duty military members: 127
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 20
- Number of active-duty military members: 201
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 15
- Number of active-duty military members: 231
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 7
- Number of active-duty military members: 522
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 9
- Number of active-duty military members: 747
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 13
- Number of active-duty military members: 886
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 21
- Number of active-duty military members: 969
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 10
- Number of active-duty military members: 1,028
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 15
- Number of active-duty military members: 1,174
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 84
- Number of active-duty military members: 2,157
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.2%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 31
- Number of active-duty military members: 2,208
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.2%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 17
- Number of active-duty military members: 2,348
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.2%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 33
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,176
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 546
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,262
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 298
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,355
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 299
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,488
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 383
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,608
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 186
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,623
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 356
- Number of active-duty military members: 3,818
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 125
- Number of active-duty military members: 4,640
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.4%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 137
- Number of active-duty military members: 6,362
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 323
- Number of active-duty military members: 6,385
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 176
- Number of active-duty military members: 6,461
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 70
- Number of active-duty military members: 6,605
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 56
- Number of active-duty military members: 7,514
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 964
- Number of active-duty military members: 7,786
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.7%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 153
- Number of active-duty military members: 8,972
- Percent of total active-duty force: 0.8%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 1,336
- Number of active-duty military members: 11,446
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 389
- Number of active-duty military members: 12,373
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 389
- Number of active-duty military members: 12,701
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 601
- Number of active-duty military members: 14,378
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.2%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 313
- Number of active-duty military members: 15,570
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 252
- Number of active-duty military members: 18,935
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 2,581
- Number of active-duty military members: 19,019
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 258
- Number of active-duty military members: 19,520
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.7%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 99
- Number of active-duty military members: 21,425
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.8%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 533
- Number of active-duty military members: 21,534
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.9%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 171
- Number of active-duty military members: 21,663
- Percent of total active-duty force: 1.9%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 738
- Number of active-duty military members: 29,244
- Percent of total active-duty force: 2.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 474
- Number of active-duty military members: 35,064
- Percent of total active-duty force: 3.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 777
- Number of active-duty military members: 37,467
- Percent of total active-duty force: 3.2%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 709
- Number of active-duty military members: 38,035
- Percent of total active-duty force: 3.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 651
- Number of active-duty military members: 40,539
- Percent of total active-duty force: 3.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 2,815
- Number of active-duty military members: 61,771
- Percent of total active-duty force: 5.3%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 793
- Number of active-duty military members: 64,318
- Percent of total active-duty force: 5.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 289
- Number of active-duty military members: 69,391
- Percent of total active-duty force: 6.0%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 636
- Number of active-duty military members: 99,135
- Percent of total active-duty force: 8.5%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 927
- Number of active-duty military members: 116,970
- Percent of total active-duty force: 10.1%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 390
- Number of active-duty military members: 126,529
- Percent of total active-duty force: 10.9%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 1,457
- Number of active-duty military members: 157,639
- Percent of total active-duty force: 13.6%
- Active-duty military members per 100,000: 404
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