Size, growth, and national ranking
New York is the nation’s fourth-largest state and the anchor of the Northeast. Its nearly 20 million residents send the fourth-largest delegation to the U.S. House, and after the 2020 Census, New York lost a congressional seat by just 89 residents, the narrowest reapportionment miss in the country. Here’s how the Empire State stacks up.
Top 10 U.S. States by Population
1California39.4M
2Texas31.3M
3Florida23.4M
4New York19.87M
5Pennsylvania13.1M
6Illinois12.6M
7Ohio11.9M
8Georgia11.2M
9North Carolina11.0M
10Michigan10.1M
Source: U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, July 2024.
Population Growth
New York lost population after 2020, driven by domestic out-migration that outpaced international arrivals and births, before stabilizing in 2024.
20,201,2492020 Census count
19,867,2482024 estimate
−1.7%4-year change
−1 EVLost after 2020 reapportionment
From Population to Political Power
New York remains the fourth-most-populous state, but its slow growth relative to the Sun Belt has steadily eroded its clout in Washington. After the 2020 Census, New York fell from 27 U.S. House seats to 26, and from 29 electoral votes to 28, missing the cutoff to keep its 27th seat by just 89 residents.
Unlike a swing state, New York’s political weight isn’t in its presidential vote, which has gone Democratic in every election since 1988. It’s in the size of the prize down-ballot: 26 House seats, several of them among the most competitive in the country, plus one of the largest blocs of Democratic voters and campaign donors in the nation.
That is why control of the U.S. House so often runs through New York. In 2022, Republican gains in New York’s suburban districts helped deliver the House majority; in 2026, the same Hudson Valley and Long Island seats are again among the tightest races anywhere.