Published: March 10, 2013
The Small-State Advantage in the United States Senate
The Constitution has always given states with small populations a lift, but the scale of the gap has grown in recent decades.
Related Article »
These 62 senators represent about one-fourth of the people in the United States.
So do these 6 senators.
Overrepresentation in the Senate is among the reasons why the smallest states (and their local governments) received more federal aid per capita in 2010.
| People per senator |
Aid per capita |
|
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 290,000 | $4,180 |
| Vermont | 310,000 | 3,270 |
| North Dakota | 350,000 | 3,220 |
| Alaska | 370,000 | 4,680 |
| South Dakota | 420,000 | 2,640 |
| Delaware | 460,000 | 3,700 |
| Montana | 500,000 | 2,840 |
| Rhode Island | 530,000 | 2,800 |
| New Hampshire | 660,000 | 1,790 |
| Maine | 660,000 | 2,700 |
| Hawaii | 700,000 | 1,850 |
| Idaho | 800,000 | 1,950 |
| West Virginia | 930,000 | 2,610 |
| Nebraska | 930,000 | 1,710 |
| New Mexico | 1,040,000 | 3,310 |
| Nevada | 1,380,000 | 1,340 |
| People per senator |
Aid per capita |
|
|---|---|---|
| Utah | 1,430,000 | 1,520 |
| Kansas | 1,440,000 | 1,750 |
| Arkansas | 1,470,000 | 2,200 |
| Mississippi | 1,490,000 | 2,900 |
| Iowa | 1,540,000 | 1,930 |
| Connecticut | 1,800,000 | 2,150 |
| Oklahoma | 1,910,000 | 2,140 |
| Oregon | 1,950,000 | 2,050 |
| Kentucky | 2,190,000 | 2,250 |
| Louisiana | 2,300,000 | 2,960 |
| South Carolina | 2,360,000 | 1,790 |
| Alabama | 2,410,000 | 1,800 |
| Colorado | 2,590,000 | 1,520 |
| Minnesota | 2,690,000 | 2,050 |
| Wisconsin | 2,860,000 | 1,880 |
| People per senator |
Aid per capita |
|
|---|---|---|
| New York* | 9,790,000 | $3,170 |
| Texas | 13,030,000 | 1,740 |
| California | 19,020,000 | 1,790 |