Census division 9
The Pacific division
The Pacific division has 5 states with 53,848,093 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 15.8% of the US total, on 895,976 square miles of land. It ranks 2nd of 9 divisions by population and 1st by land area.
- Residents 2024
- 53,848,093
- 15.8% of the US
- Land area
- 895,976 sq mi
- Density
- 60.1 / sq mi
- Member states
- 5
- 168 counties
Member states shaded by density; others hatched. Pins mark capitals.
Pacific population and land
The Pacific division has 5 states with 53,848,093 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 15.8% of the US total, on 895,976 square miles of land. It ranks 2nd of 9 divisions by population and 1st by land area. It averages 60.1 people per square mile, 1.6 times sparser than the national figure of 96.3, and ranks 7th of 9 by density.
California is the most populous member with 39,431,263 residents, 73% of the division, while Alaska is the largest by land at 571,242 square miles. Alaska is the least populous, with 740,133.
States in the Pacific division
The Census Bureau groups the states into 4 regions and 9 divisions for statistics. Pacific is division 9, part of the West region. Totals below are sums of Vintage 2024 county estimates and 2024 Gazetteer land area.
| State | Residents | Share | Land sq mi | Per sq mi | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 39,431,263 | 73.2% | 155,859 | 253.0 | 58 |
| Washington | 7,958,180 | 14.8% | 66,455 | 119.8 | 39 |
| Oregon | 4,272,371 | 7.9% | 95,997 | 44.5 | 36 |
| Hawaii | 1,446,146 | 2.7% | 6,423 | 225.2 | 5 |
| Alaska | 740,133 | 1.4% | 571,242 | 1.3 | 30 |
Counties in the Pacific division
Its 168 county-equivalents have a median of 64,389 residents, 2.5 times the national median county of 26,122. The most populous is Los Angeles County, CA, with 9,757,179; the largest by land is Yukon-Koyukuk, AK, at 145,769 square miles.
The median county household income here is $73,380 in SAIPE 2023, 17% above the national median county, $62,851. It ranges from $42,029 in Kusilvak, AK to $154,573 in Santa Clara County, CA.
- 01Los Angeles County, CA9,757,179
- 02San Diego County, CA3,298,799
- 03Orange County, CA3,170,435
- 04Riverside County, CA2,529,933
- 05King County, WA2,340,211
- 06San Bernardino County, CA2,214,281
- 07Santa Clara County, CA1,926,325
- 08Alameda County, CA1,649,060
- 09Sacramento County, CA1,611,231
- 10Contra Costa County, CA1,172,607
Distances and center
The two member capitals farthest apart are Honolulu and Juneau, 2,811 miles in a straight line. Weighting every county's internal point by population puts the division's center of population near 37.99° N, 121.13° W. The method is explained in the center of population guide.
Bordering states compared
2 pairs of member states share a border. Each comparison puts population, land, counties and capitals side by side.
Questions people ask
What states are in the Pacific division?
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, per the Census Bureau's regions and divisions.
What is the population of the Pacific division?
53,848,093 in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 15.8% of the US.
What is the largest state in the Pacific division?
Alaska by land (571,242 square miles) and California by population (39,431,263).
What is the most populous county in the Pacific division?
Los Angeles County, CA, with 9,757,179 residents.
Which Census region is the Pacific division in?
The West region, which also includes the Mountain division.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.
- 01Census Bureau regions and divisions of the United States (last verified 2026-09-30)
- 02Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
- 03Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
- 04Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.