Archive puzzle · August 11, 2026

5 least populated US states (2020 census)

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About this puzzle

Ranking the least populated states pits physical size against headcount, and the two have almost nothing to do with each other. The largest state by area is near the bottom of the population table, while several small New England and Plains states sit in the same narrow band within a few hundred thousand people of one another. Those tight margins are what make the ordering genuinely hard rather than just obscure.

Ranked highest to lowest

What's in this puzzle

Listed alphabetically, without their values - the answer order stays hidden until you play.

Read the facts

Every item in a Sortations puzzle comes with the story behind its number. The Facts Library collects them all, already solved and safe to read.

Read the facts for US states by year of statehood

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