U.S. Marine recruits at Parris Island, South Carolina in 1941.

States with the most men drafted in World War II

Written by:
May 10, 2023
Bettmann // Getty Images

States with the most men drafted in World War II

As of September 2023, there are over 100,000 American veterans of World War II still living, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Since their median age is 98, it is estimated that the vast majority will pass away by 2034, leaving roughly 1,000 alive a decade from now. More than 16 million people served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the war, which took the lives of 30-65 million people. To this date, the exact number of casualties remains unknown.

In September 1940, Congress sanctioned the Selective Training and Service Act, the first peacetime draft law in the nation's history. By then, most of Europe had been at war for a year. The legislation—also known as the Burke-Wadsworth Act—required men ages 21 to 45 to sign up for conscription. If inducted, they were appointed to serve for one year. When the U.S. officially entered the war, however, conscription limits were removed and service ran through the war's end.

The age of draftees was also lowered to 18 as the war developed, a change that ignited protests and a public campaign demanding the government lower the statutory age to vote. (Decades later, amidst the Vietnam War, this would prove to be the premise for the 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971.)

Over 36.5 million draft cards were issued during the time the U.S. fought in World War II; 10.1 million men were inducted between 1940 and 1947, which represented about 7.6% of the national population, according to estimates from the 1940 census. They joined 6 million volunteers in combat.

Sept. 16, 2024 will mark the 84th anniversary of the peacetime draft, so, in recognition, Stacker analyzed data quantifying draft numbers during World War II from multiple sources, including historical Census data, a report issued by the Selective Service System, and a WWII draft card project provided by Ancestry.com in association with the National Archives and Records Administration. Draft card data for Maine was not available; their draft cards were destroyed before being digitized. States, territories, and Washington D.C. are ranked by the number of inductees as a percentage of the total state population as estimated from the 1940 census.

Aerial view of Haines, Alaska.
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mffoto // Shutterstock

#51. Alaska

- Number of men drafted: 3,564 (4.91% of the territory population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 22,518
--- 15.83% of draft cards called

Note: Alaska was a U.S. territory during WWII and became a state in 1959.

Aerial view of rural road in summer.
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S_Hoss // Shutterstock

#50. Vermont

- Number of men drafted: 21,456 (5.97% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 86,651
--- 24.76% of draft cards called

Scenic farmfields.
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QZ // Shutterstock

#49. Iowa

- Number of men drafted: 154,603 (6.09% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 621,426
--- 24.88% of draft cards called

South Dakota Capitol building.
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Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock

#48. South Dakota

- Number of men drafted: 39,707 (6.18% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 151,055
--- 26.29% of draft cards called

Prairie landscape with grain elevator.
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#47. North Dakota

- Number of men drafted: 39,895 (6.21% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 380,297
--- 10.49% of draft cards called

Road through hilly farmland in northeastern Nebraska.
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Ken Schulze // Shutterstock

#46. Nebraska

- Number of men drafted: 82,735 (6.29% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 324,606
--- 25.49% of draft cards called

“Wisconsin Welcomes You” Road Sign.
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Canva

#45. Wisconsin

- Number of men drafted: 203,235 (6.48% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 777,714
--- 26.13% of draft cards called

Oklahoma Route 66 road sign in small town.
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TLF Images // Shutterstock

#44. Oklahoma

- Number of men drafted: 151,883 (6.50% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 580,191
--- 26.18% of draft cards called

Elevated view of Seattle Space Needle and downtown.
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kan_khampanya // Shutterstock

#43. Washington

- Number of men drafted: 113,451 (6.53% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 476,971
--- 23.79% of draft cards called

Colorado Springs cityscape in autumn.
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John Hoffman // Shutterstock

#42. Colorado

- Number of men drafted: 73,786 (6.57% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 284,881
--- 25.90% of draft cards called

Red barn in Hood River Valley surrounded by pear blossoms.
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Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#41. Oregon

- Number of men drafted: 72,800 (6.68% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 294,538
--- 24.72% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Market Square and North Church in Portsmouth.
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#40. New Hampshire

- Number of men drafted: 32,920 (6.70% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 123,730
--- 26.61% of draft cards called

Riverfront skyline in Savannah.
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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#39. Georgia

- Number of men drafted: 209,589 (6.71% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 845,405
--- 24.79% of draft cards called

Cape Cod seashore viewed from Pilgrim Monument.
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#38. Massachusetts

- Number of men drafted: 292,439 (6.77% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 1,056,985
--- 27.67% of draft cards called

“Welcome to Kansas” sign near Saunders grain elevators.
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barteverett // Shutterstock

#37. Kansas

- Number of men drafted: 122,470 (6.80% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 428,140
--- 28.61% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Austin skyline.
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Canva

#36. Texas

- Number of men drafted: 438,232 (6.83% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 2,225,880
--- 19.69% of draft cards called

Downtown Minneapolis overlooking Mississippi River.
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ostreetphotography // Shutterstock

#35. Minnesota

- Number of men drafted: 191,238 (6.85% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 697,360
--- 27.42% of draft cards called

Historic barn with Grand Tetons in the background.
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saraporn // Shutterstock

#34. Wyoming

- Number of men drafted: 17,254 (6.88% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 66,540
--- 25.93% of draft cards called

Historic center of Livingston.
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Nick Fox // Shutterstock

#33. Montana

- Number of men drafted: 38,820 (6.94% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 144,604
--- 26.85% of draft cards called

Portland Head Lighthouse and coastline.
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Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock

#32. Maine

- Number of men drafted: 59,815 (7.06% of the state population)
- Draft card data not available

Kansas City downtown with Union Station.
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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#31. Missouri

- Number of men drafted: 272,180 (7.19% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 956,325
--- 28.46% of draft cards called

Beaches in La Jolla San Diego.
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Dancestrokes // Shutterstock

#30. California

- Number of men drafted: 500,920 (7.25% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 2,094,031
--- 23.92% of draft cards called

Downtown Charleston street view.
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Susanne Pommer // Shutterstock

#29. South Carolina

- Number of men drafted: 137,969 (7.26% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 501,839
--- 27.49% of draft cards called

Skyline of Miami with palm trees.
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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#28. Florida

- Number of men drafted: 138,619 (7.31% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 545,128
--- 25.43% of draft cards called

Asheville skyline in the fall.
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Derek Olson Photography // Shutterstock

#27. North Carolina

- Number of men drafted: 262,942 (7.36% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 1,483,473
--- 17.72% of draft cards called

Downtown Bentonville.
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shuttersv // Shutterstock

#26. Arkansas

- Number of men drafted: 143,682 (7.37% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 395,488
--- 36.33% of draft cards called

Birmingham cityscape.
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Canva

#25. Alabama

- Number of men drafted: 210,599 (7.43% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 764,045
--- 27.56% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Salt Lake City.
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Canva

#24. Utah

- Number of men drafted: 41,061 (7.46% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 145,410
--- 28.24% of draft cards called

Harbor in Newport City.
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Ramunas Bruzas // Shutterstock

#23. Rhode Island

- Number of men drafted: 53,235 (7.46% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 186,940
--- 28.48% of draft cards called

Rural landscape and farms.
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GypsyPictureShow // Shutterstock

#22. Idaho

- Number of men drafted: 39,220 (7.47% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 139,652
--- 28.08% of draft cards called

Winding road through New Mexico.
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Herbert Heinsche // Shutterstock

#21. New Mexico

- Number of men drafted: 39,944 (7.51% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 141,042
--- 28.32% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Kauai mountains.
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Pierre Leclerc // Shutterstock

#20. Hawaii

- Number of men drafted: 31,899 (7.54% of the territory population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 139,178
--- 22.92% of draft cards called

Note: Hawaii was a U.S. territory during WWII and became a state in 1959.

Aerial photo Baton Rouge State Capitol Park.
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Canva

#19. Louisiana

- Number of men drafted: 179,029 (7.57% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 649,825
--- 27.55% of draft cards called

Indiana farm fields.
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Canva

#18. Indiana

- Number of men drafted: 261,079 (7.62% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 904,608
--- 28.86% of draft cards called

Aerial view Bowling Green cityscape.
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Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#17. Kentucky

- Number of men drafted: 220,619 (7.75% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 738,534
--- 29.87% of draft cards called

Scenic view of Phoenix.
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Gregory E. Clifford // Shutterstock

#16. Arizona

- Number of men drafted: 39,069 (7.83% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 141,706
--- 27.57% of draft cards called

Biloxi lighthouse.
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Canva

#15. Mississippi

- Number of men drafted: 172,136 (7.88% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 564,513
--- 30.49% of draft cards called

Chicago cityscape on sunny autumn day.
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marchello74 // Shutterstock

#14. Illinois

- Number of men drafted: 629,516 (7.97% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 2,124,699
--- 29.63% of draft cards called

Knoxville skyline with Worlds Fair Park.
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CrackerClips Stock Media // Shutterstock

#13. Tennessee

- Number of men drafted: 233,993 (8.02% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 764,556
--- 30.61% of draft cards called

Arlington Memorial Bridge in autumn.
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Orhan Cam // Shutterstock

#12. Virginia

- Number of men drafted: 216,060 (8.07% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 768,847
--- 28.10% of draft cards called

Detroit skyline on clear day.
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Vladimir Mucibabic // Shutterstock

#11. Michigan

- Number of men drafted: 424,335 (8.07% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 1,462,490
--- 29.01% of draft cards called

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Hartford.
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f11photo // Shutterstock

#10. Connecticut

- Number of men drafted: 139,629 (8.17% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 488,632
--- 28.58% of draft cards called

New York City skyline.
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Canva

#9. New York

- Number of men drafted: 1,108,799 (8.23% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 3,802,625
--- 29.16% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Jersey City.
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Kamira // Shutterstock

#8. New Jersey

- Number of men drafted: 345,236 (8.30% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 1,168,325
--- 29.55% of draft cards called

Elevated view of Wheeling.
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Canva

#7. West Virginia

- Number of men drafted: 158,533 (8.34% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 524,336
--- 30.24% of draft cards called

Cincinnati skyline.
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photo.ua // Shutterstock

#6. Ohio

- Number of men drafted: 576,622 (8.35% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 1,790,654
--- 32.20% of draft cards called

Wilmington skyline.
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Canva

#5. Delaware

- Number of men drafted: 22,330 (8.38% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 74,649
--- 29.91% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Annapolis and Statehouse.
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Real Window Creative // Shutterstock

#4. Maryland

- Number of men drafted: 158,121 (8.68% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 536,962
--- 29.45% of draft cards called

Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
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Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. Pennsylvania

- Number of men drafted: 866,264 (8.75% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 2,660,878
--- 32.56% of draft cards called

Aerial view of Reno cityscape.
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Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#2. Nevada

- Number of men drafted: 10,289 (9.33% of the state population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 36,348
--- 28.31% of draft cards called

Pennsylvania Avenue and U.S. Capitol.
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Orhan Cam // Shutterstock

#1. Washington D.C.

- Number of men drafted: 64,243 (9.69% of population)
- Total number of Draft Cards issued: 212,943
--- 30.17% of draft cards called

Note: Washington D.C. is not a U.S. state, but was included for purposes of comparison.

Data reporting by Sam Larson. Story editing by Brian Budzynski. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Elizabeth Ciano.

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