How many states have only one congressional district?
Executive summary
Six U.S. states currently have only one voting seat in the House of Representatives — Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming — meaning each elects a single “at‑large” representative for the whole state [1] [2]. This single‑district status is determined by decennial apportionment based on the census; states with small populations receive one seat and do not subdivide into multiple districts [1] [2].
1. How “one district” is defined and who decides it
A “single‑member” or “at‑large” state is one that, after census apportionment, is allocated only one House seat and therefore is not divided into multiple congressional districts; that lone seat represents the entire state [1]. Apportionment — the total of 435 voting House seats — is fixed by law, and the Census Bureau’s population counts determine how many seats each state receives every ten years [1] [3].
2. Which states have only one congressional district right now
Federal and census reporting list six states with a single at‑large congressional district: Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming [1] [2]. The Census Bureau explicitly notes that all states established new congressional districts in 2022 except those six single‑member states, confirming their at‑large status across the most recent redistricting cycle [2].
3. Why these particular states have just one seat
The number of seats per state is driven by population relative to the rest of the country as measured in the decennial census; the smallest states by population fall below the threshold for more than one seat and thus retain a single representative [1]. The Census Bureau’s materials and the congressional district lists reflect that seat counts and district boundaries flow from reapportionment and subsequent state redistricting [1] [3].
4. What being an “at‑large” state means in practice
An at‑large state conducts a statewide election for its sole House seat rather than separate district contests; that single member covers the entire state’s population in the House [1]. The practical consequences include a single point of representation in the House instead of multiple voices for different regions of the state, and they can affect campaign dynamics — candidates must appeal statewide rather than to a sub‑region [1].
5. How stable this list is and when it can change
The roster of single‑member states can change only through reapportionment after a decennial census. States that gain enough population relative to others can gain an additional seat and will need to draw district lines; conversely, states can lose seats and go from multiple districts to a single at‑large seat if their apportionment falls to one [1] [3]. The sources show that the 2020 Census and subsequent 2022 redistricting produced the current lineup, and the next opportunity for change is the 2030 Census and reapportionment [1] [2].
6. Areas the reporting does not cover or that require caution
Available sources do not mention any additional states beyond the six listed as single‑member in the most recent apportionment cycle [1] [2]. The provided materials do not include historical seat‑by‑seat apportionment tables or the exact population cutoffs that determine when a state moves from one to multiple seats; for those details consult the Census Bureau’s apportionment tables or the House Office of the Clerk (not found in current reporting). Also, litigation or state legislative actions can sometimes alter maps within the decennial cycle — Ballotpedia notes ongoing map litigation and changes in some states ahead of future elections [4] — but the sources make clear that single‑member status is driven by apportionment [1] [2].
7. Competing perspectives and implicit agendas
Official sources (Census and congressional lists) present the procedural, population‑based explanation for at‑large seats [1] [2]. Advocacy groups or political actors sometimes frame single‑district status politically — arguing it concentrates or dilutes rural voices — but the sources provided here do not include such opinion pieces; they focus on structure and facts (available sources do not mention advocacy arguments on this list). Watch for partisan claims about representation or fairness during redistricting disputes: Ballotpedia’s tracking of litigation around maps underscores that partisan and legal fights can shape how districts operate once apportionment allocates seats [4].
8. Bottom line for readers
As of the current apportionment cycle reflected in official and reference sources, six states — Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming — have only one congressional district and therefore elect one at‑large representative to the U.S. House [1] [2]. That configuration is a function of population apportionment and can change only after a future decennial census and the ensuing reapportionment [1] [3].