Hurricane Maria ravaged the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which are now struggling to recover. North Korea has threatened the destruction of Guam with ballistic rockets. Many Americans don’t even know that residents of territories — like Puerto Rico, which has a population larger than 21 states — are American citizens, but lack the full representation provided to those who live in the states.
4.4 million
people
4.9 million
people
N.D.
MONT.
S.D.
IDAHO
WYO.
Total combined population
of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota
Total combined population
of Puerto Rico,
U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, North Mariana Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia
States and D.C. are 2016 estimate,
territories are 2017 estimates
District of
Columbia
NORTH DAKOTA
MONTANA
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
North
Mariana
Islands
SOUTH DAKOTA
IDAHO
American
Samoa
WYOMING
Guam
4.9 million people
4.4 million people
Total combined population of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota
Total combined population
of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, North Mariana Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia
States and D.C. are
2016 estimate, territories
are 2017 estimates
District of
Columbia
NORTH DAKOTA
MONTANA
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
North
Mariana
Islands
SOUTH DAKOTA
IDAHO
American
Samoa
WYOMING
4.4 million people
4.9 million people
Guam
Total combined population of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, North Mariana Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia
Total combined population of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota
States and D.C. are 2016 estimate,
territories are 2017 estimates
The United States controls 16 territories, but only five have permanent inhabitants: Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the North Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Like residents of the District of Columbia, most of the full-time residents of these territories are U.S. citizens but do not have federal representation equal to the 50 states. Unlike District residents, they can’t vote in presidential elections, and they don’t pay federal income tax.
District of
Columbia
Northern
Mariana
Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Guam
Pacific
Ocean
American Samoa
District of
Columbia
UNITED
STATES
Puerto Rico
Northern Mariana Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Guam
Pacific
Ocean
American Samoa
District of
Columbia
UNITED
STATES
Puerto Rico
Northern Mariana Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Guam
Pacific
Ocean
American Samoa
The total population of those who live in the territories and District is significant
These six non-states have more than 4 million residents combined, which is more than one percent of the U.S. total. That is roughly the same number of people who live in the six least-populous states.
Equals 10,000
people
(rounded)
741,894
952,065
Alaska
Delaware
3,351,827
Puerto Rico
757,952
865,454
North
Dakota
South
Dakota
(3,317,365
combined)
681,170
624,594
District of
Columbia
Vermont
167,358
107,268
Guam
U.S. Virgin
Islands
585,501
Wyoming
52,263
51,504
North
Mariana
Islands
American
Samoa
(378,393
combined)
4,411,390
4,527,460
All combined
All combined
States and D.C. are 2016 estimate,
territories are 2017 estimates
Equals 10,000 people
(rounded)
952,065
Delaware
865,454
South Dakota
Puerto Rico
3,351,827
757,952
North Dakota
741,894
Alaska
(3,317,365
combined)
624,594
Vermont
District of Columbia
681,170
Guam
167,358
U.S. Virgin Islands
107,268
585,501
Wyoming
N. Mariana Islands
52,263
American Samoa
51,504
(378,393
combined)
4,411,390
4,527,460
All combined
All combined
States and D.C. are 2016 estimate, territories are 2017 estimates
Equals 10,000 people
(rounded)
952,065
Delaware
865,454
South Dakota
Puerto Rico
3,351,827
757,952
North Dakota
741,894
Alaska
(3,317,365
combined)
624,594
Vermont
District of Columbia
681,170
Guam
167,358
U.S. Virgin Islands
107,268
585,501
Wyoming
N. Mariana Islands
52,263
American Samoa
51,504
(378,393
combined)
4,411,390
4,527,460
All combined
All combined
States and D.C. are 2016 estimate, territories are 2017 estimates
But their representation in Congress is not equal to the states
However, territories and the District have far less representation in Congress than even the smallest state. The number of representatives each state gets in the House of Representatives is determined by population. But territories and the District, regardless of population, each get only one House delegate, and that delegate doesn’t have the same privileges as a state representative. Delegates can speak and vote in committees, and they can speak, introduce bills and resolutions and offer amendments and motions on the House floor, but they cannot vote on the House floor. Territories and the District are not represented at all in the Senate, where each state has two senators as mandated by the Constitution.
Territory/District
State
Del.
Sen.
Sen.
Rep.
Puerto
Rico
Delaware
District of
Columbia
South
Dakota
North
Dakota
Guam
U.S. Virgin
Islands
Alaska
N. Mariana
Islands
Vermont
American
Samoa
Wyoming
Cannot vote
Can vote
Territory/District
Del.
Sen.
State
Sen.
Rep.
Puerto Rico
District of Columbia
Guam
U.S. Virgin Islands
North Mariana Islands
American Samoa
Delaware
South Dakota
North Dakota
Alaska
Vermont
Wyoming
Cannot vote
Can vote
Territory/District
Del.
Sen.
State
Sen.
Rep.
Puerto Rico
District of Columbia
Guam
U.S. Virgin Islands
North Mariana Islands
American Samoa
Delaware
South Dakota
North Dakota
Alaska
Vermont
Wyoming
Cannot vote
Can vote
The right to vote for president is limited except in D.C.
Residents in the five territories can vote in presidential primaries, but they can’t vote for president or vice president in general elections. District residents do vote in general elections, and the District gets the same number of electoral votes as the least populous state (Wyoming), according to the 23rd Amendment.
Can vote in ...
Presidential
primaries
Presidential
elections
Puerto Rico
Guam
U.S. Virgin Islands
N. Mariana Islands
American Samoa
District of Columbia
The District has
three electoral votes
North
Mariana
Islands
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
American
Samoa
District of
Columbia
Can vote in ...
Guam
Presidential
primaries
Presidential
elections
The District has three electoral votes
North
Mariana
Islands
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
American
Samoa
District of
Columbia
Can vote in ...
Guam
Presidential
primaries
Presidential
elections
The District has three electoral votes
Those who live in territories don’t pay all the same taxes as those who live in states
Each territory raises revenue with its own local tax system, and in general, bona fide residents do not pay federal income tax on income made from within the territories (unless they are employees of the federal government). But most residents do pay other common federal taxes such as the payroll tax for Social Security and Medicare. District residents pay federal income tax along with all other federal taxes common to U.S. states — thus the “Taxation Without Representation” license plates.
Residents pay ...
Federal
income
tax
Payroll
tax
Puerto Rico
Guam
U.S. Virgin Islands
N. Mariana Islands
American Samoa
District of Columbia
North
Mariana
Islands
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
American
Samoa
District of
Columbia
Residents
pay ...
Guam
Federal
income tax
Payroll
tax
North
Mariana
Islands
Puerto
Rico
U.S. Virgin
Islands
American
Samoa
District of
Columbia
Residents
pay ...
Guam
Federal
income tax
Payroll
tax
Bonnie Berkowitz contributed to this report.
About this story
Population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. State and District of Columbia populations are 2016 estimates. Populations for U.S. territories are 2017 estimates. Information about how delegates from territories serve in Congress is from the U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Clerk. Other details about territories are from the Central Intelligence Agency’s The World Factbook. Tax policy for territories was summarized in a 2016 Congressional Research Service report.
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