what is the usa most populous state
US States - Ranked by Population . 2018 California is the most populous state in the US by several percentage points, representing 12% of the total population. Texas, while larger geographically, comes in second with around 23 million residents, making up 8.69% of the population. However, in 2017, population growth in Texas was at 1.43%, while in California it was just 0.61%. The smallest state, Rhode Island, is actually more populous than a number of much larger states, including Montana, Alaska and Wyoming. In fact, Wyoming has the smallest population in the US, with just over half a million residents.