States with the most active-duty military members
The largest army in the world as of 2024—with about 2 million active members—belongs to China, according to the CIA's World Factbook; India holds the #2 spot with 1.5 million active-duty members. And the United States follows close behind with roughly 1.3 million service members on active duty—yet the nation's military spending totals more than twice as much as China and India combined.
The U.S. military force is the smallest it's been in more than 80 years, since World War II—and it's projected to shrink even more in 2024, down to about 1.28 million amid difficulties recruiting new members, federal budget cuts, and losing members who rejected the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The military's scope and missions, however, remain robust.
Active-duty service members are based around the world, but the vast majority of them—nearly 1.2 million—are stationed in the U.S. To see where exactly, Stacker compiled a list of the states with the most active-duty military members using data from the Department of Defense's 2021 Demographics Report: Profile of the Military Community.
There are active military members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But almost 50% of them—belonging to five of the six branches of the U.S. military—are stationed in five states. On the other extreme, eight states are home to fewer than 1,000 members (per state) of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and the most recently created Space Force. All branches are part of the Defense Department.
The Coast Guard, which belongs to the Department of Homeland Security, wasn't taken into account in this ranking, which also doesn't include non-active-duty military members like those in the reserves and National Guard.
Read on to find out which states have the most active-duty military members—and how many there are where you call home.
