Population represented by state legislators

Features of State Legislatures

Party dominance in state legislatures • 2012 Session Topics • Standing committees analysis for 2011-2012 session • Length of terms of state representatives • How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run laws

Every ten years after the federal census, states re-draw the boundaries of their state legislative districts in order to keep the population of every district roughly equal. Each state, besides Kansas, uses federal population figures to determine the new, ideal population of state districts. (Kansas uses a state adjusted figure based on federal census data.) To calculate ideal districts, each state divides the number of residents by the number of representative or senators in the state legislature.

Out of all state senates, California's senators represent the most residents, 931,349 per senator, while North Dakota's senators represent the fewest, 14,310 per senator. Out of all state houses, California's assembly members also represent the most residents, 465,674 per representative, while New Hampshire representatives represent the fewest, 3,291 residents per representative. Since representation tracks exactly with population growth, Nevada saw the largest increase in the ratio of residents to representatives. Michigan, the only state with a shrinking population, saw the only decrease in this ratio.

Minnesota has the largest state senate with 67 members, and New Hampshire has the largest state house with 400 members.

Sortable chart

Legend: Decline from 2000-2010

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	Number of seats		Population of state		Population per senator		Population per representative
States	Senators	Representatives	2010	2000	2010	2000	2010	2000
Alabama (S, H)	35	105	4,779,736	4,447,100	136,564	127,060	45,521	42,353
Alaska (S, H)	20	40	710,231	626,932	35,512	31,347	17,756	15,673
Arizona (S, H)	30	60	6,392,017	5,130,632	213,067	171,021	106,534	85,511
Arkansas (S, H)	35	100	2,915,918	2,673,400	83,312	76,383	29,159	26,734
California (S, A)	40	80	37,253,956	33,871,648	931,349	846,791	465,674	423,396
Colorado (S, H)	35	65	5,029,196	4,301,261	143,691	122,893	77,372	66,173
Connecticut (S, H)	36	151	3,574,097	3,405,565	99,280	94,599	23,670	22,553
Delaware (S, H)	21	41	897,934	783,600	42,759	37,314	21,901	19,112
Florida (S, H)	40	120	18,801,310	15,982,378	470,033	399,559	156,678	133,186
Georgia (S, H)	56	180	9,687,653	8,816,453	172,994	157,437	53,820	48,980
Hawaii (S, H)	25	51	1,360,301	1,211,537	54,412	48,461	26,673	23,756
Idaho (S, H)	35	70	1,567,582	1,293,953	44,788	36,970	22,394	18,485
Illinois (S, H)	59	118	12,830,632	12,419,293	217,468	210,496	108,734	105,248
Indiana (S, H)	50	100	6,483,802	6,080,485	129,676	121,610	64,838	60,805
Iowa (S, H)	50	100	3,046,355	2,929,324	60,927	58,586	30,464	29,293
Kansas (S, H)	40	125	2,853,118	2,688,418	71,328	67,210	22,825	21,507
Kentucky (S, H)	38	100	4,339,367	4,041,769	114,194	106,362	43,394	40,418
Louisiana (S, H)	39	105	4,533,372	4,468,976	116,240	114,589	43,175	42,562
Maine (S, H)	35	153	1,328,361	1,274,923	37,953	36,426	8,682	8,333
Maryland (S, H)	47	141	5,773,552	5,296,486	122,842	112,691	40,947	37,564
Massachusetts (S, H)	40	160	6,547,629	6,349,097	163,691	158,727	40,923	39,682
Michigan (S, H)	38	110	9,883,640	9,938,444	260,096	261,538	89,851	90,349
Minnesota (S, H)	67	134	5,303,925	4,919,479	79,163	73,425	39,582	36,713
Mississippi (S, H)	52	122	2,967,297	2,844,658	57,063	54,705	24,322	23,317
Missouri (S, H)	34	163	5,988,927	5,595,211	176,145	164,565	36,742	34,326
Montana (S, H)	50	100	989,415	902,195	19,788	18,044	9,894	9,022
Nebraska* (S)	49	0	1,826,341	1,711,263	37,272	34,924	37,272	34,924
Nevada (S, H)	21	42	2,700,551	1,988,257	128,598	94,679	64,299	47,339
New Hampshire (S, H)	24	400	1,316,470	1,235,786	54,853	51,491	3,291	3,089
New Jersey (S, A)	40	80	8,791,894	8,414,350	219,797	210,359	109,899	105,179
New Mexico (S, H)	42	70	2,059,179	1,819,046	49,028	43,311	29,417	25,986
New York (S, A)	62	150	19,378,102	18,976,457	312,550	306,072	129,187	126,510
North Carolina (S, H)	50	120	9,535,483	8,049,313	190,710	160,986	79,462	67,078
North Dakota (S, H)	47	94	672,591	642,200	14,310	13,664	7,155	6,832
Ohio (S, H)	33	99	11,536,504	11,353,140	349,591	344,035	116,530	114,678
Oklahoma (S, H)	48	101	3,751,351	3,450,654	78,153	71,889	37,142	34,165
Oregon (S, H)	30	60	3,831,074	3,421,399	127,702	114,047	63,851	57,023
Pennsylvania (S, H)	50	203	12,702,379	12,281,054	254,048	245,621	62,573	60,498
Rhode Island (S, H)	38	75	1,052,567	1,048,319	27,699	27,587	14,034	13,978
South Carolina (S, H)	46	124	4,625,364	4,012,012	100,551	87,218	37,301	32,355
South Dakota (S, H)	35	70	814,180	754,844	23,262	21,567	11,631	10,783
Tennessee (S, H)	33	99	6,346,105	5,689,283	192,306	172,403	64,102	57,468
Texas (S, H)	31	150	25,145,561	20,851,829	811,147	672,640	167,637	139,012
Utah (S, H)	29	75	2,763,885	2,233,169	95,306	77,006	36,852	29,776
Vermont (S, H)	30	150	625,741	608,827	20,858	20,294	4,172	4,059
Virginia (S, H)	40	100	8,001,024	7,078,515	200,026	176,963	80,010	70,785
Washington (S, H)	49	98	6,724,540	5,894,121	137,236	120,288	68,618	60,144
West Virginia (S, H)	34	100	1,852,994	1,808,344	54,500	53,187	18,530	18,083
Wisconsin (S, A)	33	99	5,686,986	5,363,675	172,333	162,536	57,444	54,179
Wyoming (S, H)	30	60	563,626	493,782	18,788	16,459	9,394	8,230
Total/Average	1,971	5,413	308,143,815	281,472,856	156,339	142,807	59,626	51,999

Source: 2010 Census, Resident Population of the 50 States; 2000 Census, Population in 2000 of the American states