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Map: The Number of Active Duty Troops in Each U.S. State
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The U.S. has the world’s seventh-largest military, numbering more than 2 million personnel. Of them, 1.1 million active duty troops are stationed within the country.
We map out their numbers in each U.S. state, according to March 2024 figures from the Defense Manpower Data Center. Importantly, this graphic and article does not include reserves, National Guard, or Department of Defense personnel.
Ranked: U.S. States Hosting the Most Active Duty Troops
At the top of the list, California has nearly 160,000 troops, of which 75,000 are from the Navy and 54,000 from Marines. One of the two Marine recruitment centers is located in San Diego.
RankStateActive Duty Personnel
1California157,367
2Virginia126,145
3Texas111,005
4North Carolina91,077
5Florida66,039
6Georgia63,391
7Washington56,572
8Hawaii44,423
9Colarado36,111
10South Carolina32,897
11Kentucky30,755
12Maryland28,059
13Alaska20,784
14Kansas19,769
15Oklahoma19,084
16New York18,262
17Illinois17,197
18Arizona16,819
19Louisiana14,403
20Missouri13,632
21New Mexico13,338
22Nevada11,687
23Mississippi11,363
24Washington D.C.*11,096
25Alabama8,518
26New Jersey7,843
27North Dakota7,065
28Ohio6,694
29Connecticut6,510
30Nebraska6,329
31Utah4,376
32Rhode Island4,141
33Arkansas3,711
34Massachusetts3,474
35Idaho3,412
36Delware3,397
37Montana3,335
38South Dakota3,226
39Wyoming3,053
40Tennessee2,364
41Pennsylvania2,317
42Michigan1,810
43Oregon1,493
44New Hampshire1,244
45Wisconsin972
46Indiana951
47Maine824
48Minnesota567
49Iowa202
50West Virginia183
51Vermont125
N/ATotal1,119,432
Note: *Federal district.
Ranked second, Virginia hosts 120,000 soldiers, thanks in large part to the world’s largest naval base in Norfolk, which has its own interstate highway. The Pentagon, headquarters to all services is located in Virginia as well.
Meanwhile, Texas has a massive Army (66,000) and Air Force (34,000) presence, with nine military bases between the two services.
Ranked fourth, North Carolina, is home to the country’s largest army base. Florida, with a large Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard presence rounds out the top five.
The top 10 states host 70% of all active duty U.S. personnel, and except for Colorado are found along the coast. As it happens, the services’ newest branch, the Space Force, has its largest operations in Colorado (4,000 troops).
Finally, the U.S. military has a significant presence overseas as well. Nearly 170,000 active duty troops are stationed primarily in Japan, Germany, and South Korea.
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