Census division 5
The South Atlantic division
The South Atlantic division has 8 states and DC with 69,676,509 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 20.5% of the US total, on 265,304 square miles of land. It ranks 1st of 9 divisions by population and 5th by land area.
- Residents 2024
- 69,676,509
- 20.5% of the US
- Land area
- 265,304 sq mi
- Density
- 262.6 / sq mi
- Member states
- 9
- 588 counties
Member states shaded by density; others hatched. Pins mark capitals.
South Atlantic population and land
The South Atlantic division has 8 states and DC with 69,676,509 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 20.5% of the US total, on 265,304 square miles of land. It ranks 1st of 9 divisions by population and 5th by land area. It averages 262.6 people per square mile, 2.7 times the national figure of 96.3, and ranks 2nd of 9 by density.
Florida is the most populous member with 23,372,215 residents, 34% of the division, while Georgia is the largest by land at 57,717 square miles. District of Columbia is the least populous, with 702,250.
States in the South Atlantic division
The Census Bureau groups the states into 4 regions and 9 divisions for statistics. South Atlantic is division 5, part of the South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 23,372,215 | 33.5% | 53,655 | 435.6 | 67 |
| Georgia | 11,180,878 | 16.0% | 57,717 | 193.7 | 159 |
| North Carolina | 11,046,024 | 15.9% | 48,624 | 227.2 | 100 |
| Virginia | 8,811,195 | 12.6% | 39,481 | 223.2 | 133 |
| Maryland | 6,263,220 | 9.0% | 9,711 | 645.0 | 24 |
| South Carolina | 5,478,831 | 7.9% | 30,064 | 182.2 | 46 |
| West Virginia | 1,769,979 | 2.5% | 24,041 | 73.6 | 55 |
| Delaware | 1,051,917 | 1.5% | 1,949 | 539.8 | 3 |
| District of Columbia | 702,250 | 1.0% | 61 | 11,487.8 | 1 |
Counties in the South Atlantic division
Its 588 county-equivalents have a median of 33,664 residents, 1.3 times the national median county of 26,122. The most populous is Miami-Dade County, FL, with 2,838,461; the largest by land is Collier County, FL, at 1,997 square miles.
The median county household income here is $59,360 in SAIPE 2023, 6% below the national median county, $62,851. It ranges from $35,161 in McDowell County, WV to $173,655 in Loudoun County, VA.
- 01Miami-Dade County, FL2,838,461
- 02Broward County, FL2,037,472
- 03Palm Beach County, FL1,582,055
- 04Hillsborough County, FL1,581,426
- 05Orange County, FL1,533,646
- 06Wake County, NC1,232,444
- 07Mecklenburg County, NC1,206,285
- 08Fairfax County, VA1,160,925
- 09Fulton County, GA1,090,354
- 10Montgomery County, MD1,082,273
Distances and center
The two member capitals farthest apart are Tallahassee and Dover, 780 miles in a straight line. Weighting every county's internal point by population puts the division's center of population near 33.28° N, 80.64° W. The method is explained in the center of population guide.
Bordering states compared
11 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 South Atlantic division?
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, per the Census Bureau's regions and divisions.
What is the population of the South Atlantic division?
69,676,509 in the Census Vintage 2024 estimates, 20.5% of the US.
What is the largest state in the South Atlantic division?
Georgia by land (57,717 square miles) and Florida by population (23,372,215).
What is the most populous county in the South Atlantic division?
Miami-Dade County, FL, with 2,838,461 residents.
Which Census region is the South Atlantic division in?
The South region, which also includes the East South Central division and the West South Central 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.