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Suzanne M. Smith, Research Associate with the National Priorities Project (NPP), obtained the census data and generated the chart below. The NPP online database provides current and historical federal expenditure data on military and social programs, along with needs indicators by state and county. NPP, 17 New South St. #302, Norhtampton, MA 01060; 413/584-9556, [email protected], <www.nationalpriorities.org>. Sam Diener obtained the Army data presented here and summarized it below.
Peacework Magazine has obtained demographic data on Army enlistments for fiscal year 2004 (October 1, 2003 - September 30, 2004). Peacework and the National Priorities Project are working together to analyze these data and make them accessible to activists across the country.
The National Priorities Project and Peacework will make it possible for local activists to determine the demographics of the enlistees entering the Army from each school in their area. These analyses are not yet available. In the meantime, Peacework is publishing some preliminary aggregate data.
The table below shows the 17-24 year-old population for each state, the total number of people recruiters enlisted into the Army Reserves and Active Duty Army from that state, the number of Army enlistees per 100,000 17-24-year olds in each state, and the rank, with "1" being the state (Rhode Island) exploited by military recruiters least per capita, and "52" being the state (or in this case, non-state, DC) exploited most by military recruiters. Please note the targeting of the Southeastern region of the US, with no Southeastern state breaking into the 15 least exploited states, while eight Southeastern states make it onto the list of the 15 most exploited states. In the year portrayed here, FY2004, the Army met its recruiting quota. As of the end of May this year, according to the Department of Defense public affairs office, the Army is approximately 25% below it's target number of enlistees.
Source: http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org/pwork/0506/050606.htm
| State | Population 17 to 24 (July 1, 2004) | Army Total | Enlistees/100000YAPop | Rank |
| Rhode Island | 126953 | 173 | 136 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 358857 | 561 | 156 | 2 |
| Vermont | 71616 | 113 | 158 | 3 |
| Utah | 350751 | 601 | 171 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 859847 | 1481 | 172 | 5 |
| Massachusetts | 681999 | 1219 | 179 | 6 |
| Minnesota | 606620 | 1101 | 181 | 7 |
| Michigan | 1142914 | 2281 | 200 | 8 |
| New York | 2084851 | 4167 | 200 | 8 |
| California | 4101911 | 8313 | 203 | 10 |
| Delaware | 94813 | 193 | 204 | 11 |
| Wyoming | 65283 | 135 | 207 | 12 |
| Illinois | 1436131 | 2986 | 208 | 13 |
| Idaho | 178356 | 373 | 209 | 14 |
| Puerto Rico | 475642 | 1020 | 214 | 15 |
| Nevada | 239283 | 523 | 219 | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 656851 | 1466 | 223 | 17 |
| North Dakota | 86142 | 193 | 224 | 18 |
| Tennessee | 655080 | 1476 | 225 | 19 |
| Iowa | 359006 | 812 | 226 | 20 |
| Pennsylvania | 1358199 | 3103 | 228 | 21 |
| New Mexico | 236172 | 544 | 230 | 22 |
| Oregon | 398926 | 924 | 232 | 23 |
| Ohio | 1290597 | 3008 | 233 | 24 |
| South Dakota | 98795 | 232 | 235 | 25 |
| Mississippi | 366116 | 870 | 238 | 26 |
| Kentucky | 468734 | 1183 | 252 | 27 |
| Indiana | 719485 | 1819 | 253 | 28 |
| Georgia | 1023597 | 2613 | 255 | 29 |
| Maryland | 599350 | 1550 | 259 | 30 |
| Arkansas | 318909 | 829 | 260 | 31 |
| Colorado | 518402 | 1370 | 264 | 32 |
| Nebraska | 216793 | 588 | 271 | 33 |
| Florida | 1770171 | 4873 | 275 | 34 |
| New Hampshire | 141320 | 389 | 275 | 34 |
| North Carolina | 938570 | 2664 | 284 | 36 |
| Texas | 2732908 | 7760 | 284 | 36 |
| Washington | 722526 | 2069 | 286 | 38 |
| Louisiana | 571684 | 1683 | 294 | 39 |
| Arizona | 648097 | 1934 | 298 | 40 |
| West Virginia | 196305 | 595 | 303 | 41 |
| Missouri | 672439 | 2042 | 304 | 42 |
| Virginia | 848994 | 2615 | 308 | 43 |
| Alaska | 85153 | 263 | 309 | 44 |
| South Carolina | 486534 | 1547 | 318 | 45 |
| Oklahoma | 436204 | 1421 | 326 | 46 |
| Montana | 113407 | 374 | 330 | 47 |
| Maine | 143658 | 477 | 332 | 48 |
| Alabama | 519808 | 1748 | 336 | 49 |
| Kansas | 340250 | 1145 | 337 | 50 |
| Hawaii | 142888 | 488 | 342 | 51 |
| District of Columbia | 63037 | 321 | 509 | 52 |
| Totals | 33820934 | 82228 | ||
| Ave | 253 |
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Updated on 7/19/2025 - GDG
