Military recruits, total and per 1000 youth by state, 2005
The table below shows the total number of active-duty military recruits (Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy), and the number of military recruits per 1000 youth for fiscal year 2005 for each state. States are ranked according to recruits per 1000 youth. Recruitment data were obtained from the Department of Defense through a FOIA request submitted by NPP.
| Rank |
State |
15-24 Youth Population |
4 Branch Total Recruits |
4 Branch Total Recruits per 1000 youth |
| - |
U.S. |
42,076,849 |
160,568 |
3.8 |
| 1 |
 Montana |
140,307 |
804 |
5.7 |
| 2 |
 Texas |
3,445,669 |
18,019 |
5.2 |
| 3 |
 Oklahoma |
530,591 |
2,729 |
5.1 |
| 4 |
 Alabama |
645,504 |
3,121 |
4.8 |
| 5 |
 Wyoming |
78,872 |
381 |
4.8 |
| 6 |
 Maine |
182,012 |
849 |
4.7 |
| 7 |
 Alaska |
111,905 |
517 |
4.6 |
| 8 |
 Oregon |
503,834 |
2,274 |
4.5 |
| 9 |
 South Carolina |
609,057 |
2,739 |
4.5 |
| 10 |
 Virginia |
1,071,442 |
4,816 |
4.5 |
| 11 |
 Missouri |
838,180 |
3,736 |
4.5 |
| 12 |
 Colorado |
659,158 |
2,907 |
4.4 |
| 13 |
 North Carolina |
1,189,267 |
5,240 |
4.4 |
| 14 |
 Idaho |
224,678 |
988 |
4.4 |
| 15 |
 South Dakota |
120,734 |
528 |
4.4 |
| 16 |
 Nebraska |
266,513 |
1,165 |
4.4 |
| 17 |
 Nevada |
319,074 |
1,364 |
4.3 |
| 18 |
 Florida |
2,305,802 |
9,823 |
4.3 |
| 19 |
 Kansas |
416,292 |
1,768 |
4.2 |
| 20 |
 West Virginia |
237,617 |
1,003 |
4.2 |
| 21 |
 Arizona |
842,203 |
3,537 |
4.2 |
| 22 |
 Arkansas |
397,584 |
1,664 |
4.2 |
| 23 |
 Georgia |
1,313,523 |
5,280 |
4.0 |
| 24 |
 Washington |
912,151 |
3,637 |
4.0 |
| 25 |
 New Mexico |
297,450 |
1,167 |
3.9 |
| 26 |
 New Hampshire |
182,332 |
713 |
3.9 |
| 27 |
 Ohio |
1,614,620 |
6,296 |
3.9 |
| 28 |
 Louisiana |
699,069 |
2,716 |
3.9 |
| 29 |
 Tennessee |
818,639 |
3,164 |
3.9 |
| 30 |
 Indiana |
897,927 |
3,426 |
3.8 |
| 31 |
 Hawaii |
178,457 |
678 |
3.8 |
| 32 |
 Kentucky |
577,390 |
2,092 |
3.6 |
| 33 |
 Michigan |
1,447,779 |
5,238 |
3.6 |
| 34 |
 Iowa |
433,548 |
1,500 |
3.5 |
| 35 |
 Wisconsin |
813,851 |
2,800 |
3.4 |
| 36 |
 Maryland |
781,675 |
2,671 |
3.4 |
| 37 |
 California |
5,221,565 |
17,787 |
3.4 |
| 38 |
 Pennsylvania |
1,709,867 |
5,814 |
3.4 |
| 39 |
 Illinois |
1,803,088 |
6,084 |
3.4 |
| 40 |
 Mississippi |
445,425 |
1,497 |
3.4 |
| 41 |
 Delaware |
117,394 |
371 |
3.2 |
| 42 |
 North Dakota |
101,072 |
316 |
3.1 |
| 43 |
 New York |
2,620,399 |
7,479 |
2.9 |
| 44 |
 Minnesota |
757,328 |
1,975 |
2.6 |
| 45 |
 Massachusetts |
850,675 |
2,193 |
2.6 |
| 46 |
 New Jersey |
1,132,000 |
2,871 |
2.5 |
| 47 |
 Vermont |
91,002 |
226 |
2.5 |
| 48 |
 Utah |
433,818 |
1,075 |
2.5 |
| 49 |
 Connecticut |
467,721 |
1,070 |
2.3 |
| 50 |
 Rhode Island |
152,255 |
346 |
2.3 |
| 51 |
 District of Columbia |
68,534 |
114 |
1.7 |
|