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#51. Washington D.C.
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 63,780 (0.22% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 80 (0.05% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.23
States sending the most young people to the military
In spite of being one of the world's preeminent superpowers, the United States has some laws that are simply mind-boggling to citizens and foreigners alike. Someone must be 21 years of age to purchase a six-pack of beer, yet with parental permission, that same person could have already been a member of the American military for four years. While confusing for many, it is the law of the land. Being able to join the military at the age of 18 has resulted in many courageous young adults committing to the pursuit of defending their country.
Active duty military personnel have grown older on average over the past 40 years, according to Pew Research, with the average officer now 34.5 years old and the average enlisted member 27; and there are still just under 150,000 enlistees between the ages of 18 and 24. And while citizens from all corners of the United States join the Armed Forces, there exists significant variation in numbers on a state-by-state basis.
Using a 2017 report from CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization, Stacker listed the states sending the most young people to the military. All 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, are ranked according to their relative representation ratios: each state's percentage of the nation's 18-to-24-year olds weighed against their percentage of the military's enlistees in the same age range.
Read on to see how many young people from your state are signing up for careers in national defense.
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#50. North Dakota
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 72,089 (0.25% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 189 (0.12% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.49
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#49. Vermont
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 58,981 (0.20% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 176 (0.11% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.55
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#48. Massachusetts
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 624,341 (2.13% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,993 (1.26% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.59
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#47. Rhode Island
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 90,580 (0.31% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 299 (0.19% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.61
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#46. Utah
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 342,043 (1.17% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,132 (0.72% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.61
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#45. Minnesota
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 468,872 (1.60% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,601 (1.01% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.63
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#44. Iowa
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 289,193 (0.99% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 998 (0.63% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.64
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#43. South Dakota
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 88,271 (0.30% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 310 (0.20% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.65
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#42. New Jersey
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 813,762 (2.78% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,932 (1.86% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.67
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#41. New York
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 1,799,758 (6.14% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 6,690 (4.24% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.69
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#40. Wisconsin
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 522,161 (1.78% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,107 (1.34% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.75
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#39. Pennsylvania
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 1,109,834 (3.79% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 4,905 (3.11% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.82
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#38. Michigan
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 851,977 (2.91% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,816 (2.42% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.83
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#37. Connecticut
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 297,126 (1.01% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,337 (0.85% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.84
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#36. Illinois
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 1,190,705 (4.07% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 5,387 (3.41% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.84
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#35. Nebraska
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 180,822 (0.62% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 822 (0.52% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.84
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#34. Indiana
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 659,022 (2.25% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,030 (1.92% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.85
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#33. Delaware
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 82,414 (0.28% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 389 (0.25% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.88
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#32. West Virginia
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 158,238 (0.54% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 792 (0.50% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.93
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#31. Washington
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 673,669 (2.30% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,372 (2.14% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.93
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#30. Kansas
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 269,903 (0.92% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,352 (0.86% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.93
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#29. Kentucky
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 381,563 (1.30% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,921 (1.22% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.93
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#28. California
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 3,797,205 (12.96% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 19,698 (12.49% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.96
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#27. Ohio
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 1,083,741 (3.70% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 5,715 (3.62% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.98
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#26. Montana
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 85,932 (0.29% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 455 (0.29% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.98
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#25. Mississippi
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 268,473 (0.92% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,422 (0.90% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.98
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#24. Louisiana
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 435,565 (1.49% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,310 (1.46% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.98
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#23. Maine
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 106,426 (0.36% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 566 (0.36% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 0.99
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#22. New Hampshire
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 113,342 (0.39% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 618 (0.39% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.01
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#21. Arkansas
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 263,852 (0.90% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,457 (0.92% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.03
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#20. Missouri
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 523,138 (1.79% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,905 (1.84% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.03
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#19. Maryland
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 496,509 (1.70% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,766 (1.75% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.03
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#18. Wyoming
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 50,691 (0.17% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 283 (0.18% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.04
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#17. New Mexico
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 204,967 (0.70% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,201 (0.76% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.09
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#16. Arizona
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 678,126 (2.32% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 4,072 (2.58% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.11
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#15. Tennessee
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 563,894 (1.93% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,401 (2.16% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.12
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#14. Oregon
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 327,953 (1.12% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,992 (1.26% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.13
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#13. Virginia
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 755,328 (2.58% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 4,746 (3.01% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.17
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#12. Idaho
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 154,497 (0.53% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 972 (0.62% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.17
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#11. Oklahoma
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 331,638 (1.13% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 2,140 (1.36% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.20
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#10. North Carolina
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 929,048 (3.17% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 6,084 (3.86% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.22
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#9. Nevada
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 257,013 (0.88% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 1,686 (1.07% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.22
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#8. Alabama
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 465,288 (1.59% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,077 (1.95% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.23
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#7. Texas
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 2,677,867 (9.14% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 17,811 (11.29% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.23
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#6. Colorado
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 459,886 (1.57% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,070 (1.95% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.24
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#5. Georgia
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 942,786 (3.22% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 6,654 (4.22% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.31
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#4. Florida
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 1,655,581 (5.65% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 12,396 (7.86% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.39
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#3. Alaska
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 64,842 (0.22% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 492 (0.31% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.41
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#2. Hawaii
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 118,116 (0.40% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 944 (0.60% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.48
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#1. South Carolina
- State population of 18-to-24 year-olds: 387,583 (1.32% of young Americans)
- 18-to-24-year-old enlistees with no prior experience: 3,191 (2.02% of young American enlistees)
- Representation ratio: 1.53
