Homeless Population by State

Although the Alabama homeless population of 3,351 is relatively low which positions the state twenty-ninth, the state government takes the issue seriously. It is seen as being closely intertwined with mental health and substance abuse problems and tackling those issues and the lack of housing simultaneously.

Ranked fortieth, the Alaska homeless population is 1,949. The state declared their homelessness problem a humanitarian crisis in 2022, since their subzero winter temperatures have led to the death of those forced to sleep on the streets.

The Arizona homeless population is at 10,979 people, which gives the state a ranking of ninth. Legislators passed a bill in 2022 that allowed cities and municipalities to set up sanctioned homeless camps and enforce street camping bans.

Ranked thirty-seventh, the Arkansas homeless population of 2,366 increased rapidly during the pandemic, despite an eviction moratorium in the state. Loitering and panhandling - often associated with homelessness - are criminalized statewide.

Coming in first place, the California homeless population of 161,548 is the highest in the country. The state has a large homeless population in major cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. The state had budgeted billions of dollars to help curb homelessness, which individual cities and counties can secure if they submit plans that will significantly decrease their homeless populations.

Ranked thirteenth, the Colorado homeless population is at 9,846. Recent bills allocated funding for schemes to help people transition out of homelessness.

The Connecticut homeless population is low at 2,905, ranking the state thirty-third. A 2022 bill has pushed to make housing a legal right, which will help reduce homelessness.

The Delaware homeless population is 1,165 and has doubled over the past two years, positioning the state at forty-fourth.

Coming in third place, the homeless population in Florida is high at 27,487, with numbers rising since the start of the pandemic.

With 10,234 homeless individuals, the Georgia homeless population is large and positions the state at number twelve. Georgia has tried to curb homelessness by banning local governments from using federal funding to build permanent housing for homeless people and by imposing financial penalties on cities that have a homeless population above a certain rate.

Hawaii has one of the highest homelessness rates per capita in the country and the Hawaii homeless population is 6,458. They have a high level of criminalization for homelessness-related matters such as lying on benches, storing belongings on public property, or obstructing a sidewalk.

The Idaho homeless population is below the national mean with 2,315 individuals who are homeless, which positions the state at thirty-eighth number. The state has passed legislation making IDs free for people experiencing homelessness.

The Illinois homeless population is 10,431 and the state is ranked eleventh. In 2021, they passed the Public Housing Access Bill to ensure people with criminal convictions - a group that is at high risk of facing homelessness - had access to public housing.

Ranked twenty-fourth, the state of Indiana has 5,625 homeless individuals and is slightly above the national mean. Bipartisan efforts led to the passing of a bill in 2021 that aimed to set up low-barrier homeless shelters in Indianapolis.

The Iowa homeless population is 2,647, which positions the state at thirty-fourth. The majority of Iowans who face homelessness and are unsheltered are in the state’s rural areas.

Ranked thirty-fifth, the Kansas homeless population is 2,449. In 2022, the governor signed a bill into law that established tax credits to encourage residential housing.

In the state of Kentucky 4,011 individuals are homeless and the state is ranked twenty-seventh. lawmakers have been attempting to remove other barriers to getting out of homelessness, such as ID accessibility and tax credits.

Ranking at thirty-first, the Louisiana homeless population is at 3,173. An increasing number of Louisianans are struggling to find affordable housing coming out of the pandemic. The unemployment numbers are going down in the state, but the rents have spiked, leaving some unable to afford housing. The lifting of the eviction moratorium and the impact of hurricane Ida in 2021 have also contributed to the issue.

With very little salary increase but doubling or tripling the rent prices a few years ago, the Maine homeless population has been on the rise. Currently, 2,097 individuals are homeless which positions the state at thirty-ninth.

With 6,360 homeless individuals, the Maryland homeless population is large and places that state at ranking twenty-two.

The Massachusetts homeless population is one of the highest in the country at 17,975 and the state ranks sixth. Massachusetts aims at pushing legislation to create more emergency housing for families experiencing homelessness, bills to make it easier for homeless people to acquire an ID and increasing access to menstrual products in homeless shelters.

Ranked sixteenth, the Michigan homeless population is high at 8,638 individuals. Michigan introduced its Bill of Rights for the homeless in 2017 and included remedies for when those rights were violated.

The Minnesota homeless population is 7,940, and the state is ranked seventeenth. Minnesota has focused on combating the issue of homelessness amongst its youth under the age of 25. Minnesota seeks to do this by providing funding for street, community outreach, and drop-in programs. It also allocates funds for supportive housing as well as transitional living programs.

The state's low cost of living is reflected in the low Mississippi homeless population at 1,107, which positions the state at forty-fourth. A bill introduced in 2022 aims to refurbish certain houses in order to create more housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The Missouri homeless population is 6,527 and the state ranks at twentieth. A bill has been passed that will go into effect in 2023 which will criminalize sleeping on state-owned land.

The state of Montana has one of the lowest homeless populations in the country with 1,545 people living on the streets. The state is ranked fourth-fourth.

The Nebraska homeless population is below the national mean at 2,404, which positions the state at thirty-sixth. Nebraska’s aim to have safe, decent, affordable, and appropriate housing for all is the end goal of its 10-year plan to combat homelessness between 2015 and 2025.

The Nevada homeless population has been increasing and is currently at 6,900, seeing the state come in at nineteenth.

Ranked forty-first, the New Hampshire homeless population of 1,675 is one of the lowest in the United States. New Hampshire announced in 2021 they would use $5 million in federal funding to combat homelessness issues in the state.

Densely populated and heavily impacted by the pandemic, the state of New Jersey's homeless population rose and is currently at 9,662, which positions the state at ranking fourteenth. To prevent homelessness rates from going through the roof, a bill was introduced that would revise the previous “Homelessness Prevention Program” and allocate $300 million to homelessness prevention efforts.

With a homeless population of 3,333, New Mexico is ranked thirtieth. In 2022, their government made $10 million available to combat homelessness. Tribal governments, counties, or municipalities are eligible for funding if they have feasible plans that can be shown to make a significant impact in their territory.

As the state with one of the highest costs of living in the US and one of the highest overall populations, it is no surprise that the New York homeless population is high at 91,271 , which puts the state in second place. Efforts over the years to help with the problem, both at the state as well as at city levels. At the end of 2021, a bill was signed to make housing vouchers available and prevent evictions for eligible families.

Ranked fifthteenth, North Carolina's homeless population is at 9,280 individuals. The state has a housing-first approach that helps people with short-term assistance to stay on their feet. Financial assistance is available to cover necessary costs such as utility deposits, moving costs, or application fees.

Ranked fiftieth, the state of North Dakota has the lowest homeless population in the country with 541 homeless individuals.

Ohio faces a shortage of affordable homes, which increases the Ohio homeless population.The state's homeless population totals to 10,655, which positions the state at number tenth. A bill was recently introduced to award more tax credits to firms building affordable housing or rehabilitating existing buildings into shelters for low-income families.

With 3,932 homeless individuals, the Oklahoma homeless population is above the national mean. The state is ranked twenty-eighth. One bill that passed the committee earlier this year would make it mandatory for homeless camps to apply for permits in order to make use of the public space to prevent them from becoming health and safety hazards.

Oregon is facing a housing crisis that is only contributing to the increase in the Oregon homeless population, with a total of 14,655 homeless, which positions the state at seventh.

Ranked eighth, the state of Pennsylvania’s homeless population is 13,375 and one of the highest in the country. The state’s main cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. That is why legislation has been introduced to create more affordable homes, for example by converting blighted properties into low-income housing.

The Rhode Island homeless population is one of the lowest in the United States at 1,104 individuals and the state is ranked forty-seventh.

Ranked twenty-sixth, the South Carolina homeless population is 4,287. The state’s capital, Columbia, just deployed a new plan to combat homelessness in the city. They have opened a campus with small individual shelters that resemble tiny homes which will be open 365 days a year.

Despite ranking at forty-eighth and having 1,058 homeless individuals, the South Dakota homeless population has gone up significantly since the start of the pandemic. South Dakotan officials aim to prevent homelessness by ensuring adequate affordable housing is available, especially to people who are facing or at risk of homelessness.

Ranked eighteenth, the Tennessee homeless population is 7,256. The state has criminalized camping in public parks as a response. Since the law went into effect in mid-2022, people could be arrested for sleeping on a bench or gathering in public spaces.

The Texas homeless population is 27,229, which puts the state in fourth place. They have taken the criminalization route, making it illegal to sit, lie down, or camp in public areas and prohibiting solicitation for money or other valuables in certain places during certain times since 2021.

Ranked thirty-second, the Utah homeless population is 3,131, which is below the national mean. The state works to transition people out of homelessness as quickly as possible by providing emergency shelter and rapid rehousing.

The Vermont homeless population is 1,110, giving the state a ranking of forty-five.

The state of Virginia’s homeless population is 5,957 and is ranked twenty-third.

Ranked fifth, Washington’s homeless population is 22,923. Their legislature is considering a bill to create a new office dedicated to helping people who live in those encampments transition out of homelessness.

The state of West Virginia has a homeless population of 1,341and ranks at forty-third.

The Wisconsin homeless population is above the national mean with 4,515 homeless individuals, the state at twenty-fifth. Wisconsin introduced an Interagency Council on Homelessness in 2017 that has been working on plans to end homelessness in the state since.

The Wyoming homeless population is one of the lowest in the country with 612 individuals who are homeless, and the state is ranked forty-ninth.