Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau launches a country-wide census that attempts to count everyone living in the country, regardless of residency. In addition to use those populations numbers to understanding the changing population geography of the United States and local funding, those populations numbers (which also includes military living overseas) are also used by the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the number of House of Representatives seats each state gets.
How does the U.S. Census Decide How Many Seats Each State Gets?
Since 1941, the U.S. Census Bureau uses a calculation known as the Equal Proportions Method. This calculation assigns a “priority” value to seats in the House of Representatives and then uses a multiplier to determine the number of seats a particular state gets based on its population.
What is the Minimum Number of Seats a State Gets?
Every state is guaranteed a minimum of one seat each. There are a total of 435 seats in the House of Representative. The first 50 are assigned, one to each state. The remaining 385 seats are then delegated based on the Equal Proportions Method.
Based on the 2020 U.S. Census, there are six states that have only one House of Representative each:
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- Alaska
- Delaware
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wyoming
How did the Number of Seats Per State Change with the 2020 Census?
There were seven states that lost a seat and seven states that gained a seat with the 2020 Census.
The states that lost a seat each were:
- California
- New York
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Michigan
- West Virginia
There were five states that gained a seat with the 2020 Census:
- Florida
- North Carolina
- Colorado
- Oregon
- Montana
Texas gained two seats with the 2020 Census.
Interactive Map: House of Representatives Apportionments
You can also head over the the U.S. Census site to view its interactive map that lets you see how the number of seats for the House of Representative has changed for each state since 1910. Click on each decennial census year to see which states won and lost seats and how the population represented by each state has changed over the years.
Table: Apportionment Population and Number of Representatives by State: 2020 U.S. Census
| STATE | APPORTIONMENT POPULATION, (APRIL 1, 2020) | NUMBER OF APPORTIONED REPRESENTATIVES BASED ON 2020 CENSUS | CHANGE FROM 2010 CENSUS APPORTIONMENT |
| Alabama | 5,030,053 | 7 | 0 |
| Alaska | 736,081 | 1 | 0 |
| Arizona | 7,158,923 | 9 | 0 |
| Arkansas | 3,013,756 | 4 | 0 |
| California | 39,576,757 | 52 | -1 |
| Colorado | 5,782,171 | 8 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 3,608,298 | 5 | 0 |
| Delaware | 990,837 | 1 | 0 |
| Florida | 21,570,527 | 28 | 1 |
| Georgia | 10,725,274 | 14 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 1,460,137 | 2 | 0 |
| Idaho | 1,841,377 | 2 | 0 |
| Illinois | 12,822,739 | 17 | -1 |
| Indiana | 6,790,280 | 9 | 0 |
| Iowa | 3,192,406 | 4 | 0 |
| Kansas | 2,940,865 | 4 | 0 |
| Kentucky | 4,509,342 | 6 | 0 |
| Louisiana | 4,661,468 | 6 | 0 |
| Maine | 1,363,582 | 2 | 0 |
| Maryland | 6,185,278 | 8 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 7,033,469 | 9 | 0 |
| Michigan | 10,084,442 | 13 | -1 |
| Minnesota | 5,709,752 | 8 | 0 |
| Mississippi | 2,963,914 | 4 | 0 |
| Missouri | 6,160,281 | 8 | 0 |
| Montana | 1,085,407 | 2 | 1 |
| Nebraska | 1,963,333 | 3 | 0 |
| Nevada | 3,108,462 | 4 | 0 |
| New Hampshire | 1,379,089 | 2 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 9,294,493 | 12 | 0 |
| New Mexico | 2,120,220 | 3 | 0 |
| New York | 20,215,751 | 26 | -1 |
| North Carolina | 10,453,948 | 14 | 1 |
| North Dakota | 779,702 | 1 | 0 |
| Ohio | 11,808,848 | 15 | -1 |
| Oklahoma | 3,963,516 | 5 | 0 |
| Oregon | 4,241,500 | 6 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,011,844 | 17 | -1 |
| Rhode Island | 1,098,163 | 2 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 5,124,712 | 7 | 0 |
| South Dakota | 887,770 | 1 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 6,916,897 | 9 | 0 |
| Texas | 29,183,290 | 38 | 2 |
| Utah | 3,275,252 | 4 | 0 |
| Vermont | 643,503 | 1 | 0 |
| Virginia | 8,654,542 | 11 | 0 |
| Washington | 7,715,946 | 10 | 0 |
| West Virginia | 1,795,045 | 2 | -1 |
| Wisconsin | 5,897,473 | 8 | 0 |
| Wyoming | 577,719 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL APPORTIONMENT POPULATION | 331,108,434 | 435 |
How Apportionment Has Changed by State With Each Census: 1910-2020
| State | 2020 | 2010 | 2000 | 1990 | 1980 | 1970 | 19601 | 1950 | 1940 | 1930 | 19202 | 1910 |
| Alabama | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Alaska | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Arizona | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | X |
| Arkansas | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| California | 52 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 45 | 43 | 38 | 30 | 23 | 20 | 11 | 11 |
| Colorado | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Connecticut | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Florida | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Georgia | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Hawaii | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | X | X | X | X | X |
| Idaho | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Illinois | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Indiana | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Iowa | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
| Kansas | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
| Louisiana | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Maine | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Maryland | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Massachusetts | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| Michigan | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 13 |
| Minnesota | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Mississippi | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Missouri | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 |
| Montana | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Nevada | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| New Jersey | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | X |
| New York | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 34 | 39 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 45 | 43 | 43 |
| North Carolina | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Ohio | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 22 |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Oregon | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Pennsylvania | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 36 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| South Carolina | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| South Dakota | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Tennessee | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Texas | 38 | 36 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
| Utah | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Vermont | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Virginia | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Washington | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| West Virginia | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 435 | 433 |
Notes from the U.S. Census: X Not applicable. Represents date prior to becoming a state. 1 In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii became states and were each granted a seat—temporarily increasing the size of the House to 437. The size of the House for the 1960 apportionment reverted back to the fixed size of 435 seats. 2 In 1912, Arizona and New Mexico became states and each were granted a seat—temporarily increasing the size of the House to 435. In 1920 the Census Bureau did transmit apportionment counts to Congress, but Congress did not reapportion. The size of the House during the next apportionment, in 1930, was fixed at 435.