Homelessness by state statistics in the US for 2026 show that HUD counted 698,425 people homeless on a single night in January 2026, a 6.3% drop from 745,652 in January 2025, which is about 47,000 fewer people (NPR and advocates cite roughly 49,000). California (181,934) and New York (145,560) still held the most people in HUD’s 2025 state counts, and New York led the states in rate at 72.8 per 10,000 residents.
Homelessness by State in the US 2026 – Introduction
Homelessness by state statistics in the US now show two straight years of decline. HUD’s January 2025 count fell 3.3% to 745,652, the first drop since 2016. On November 6, 2026, HUD reported 698,425 for January 2026, a larger 6.3% decline. Advocacy groups put the drop at nearly 50,000 people, and NPR rounds it to about 49,000.
State numbers lag national numbers. State-level 2026 counts were not available in the sources reviewed, so the state rankings below use 2025 data. The report covers national counts, state totals, state rates, the biggest gains and losses, unsheltered shares, veterans, and chronic homelessness. Every figure reflects reporting available on November 9, 2026, and a single-night count is an undercount.
Interesting Facts About Homelessness by State in the US 2026
HUD POINT-IN-TIME HOMELESS COUNT (THOUSANDS)
January 2024 | ███████████████████████████████████████ 771.5
January 2025 | █████████████████████████████████████ 745.7
January 2026 | ███████████████████████████████████ 698.4| Fact | Data |
|---|---|
| January 2026 National Count | 698,425 |
| January 2025 National Count | 745,652 |
| January 2024 National Count | 771,480 (record) |
| Drop, 2025 to 2026 | 47,227 (6.3%) |
| Drop, 2024 to 2025 | 25,828 (3.3%) |
| Largest State Count (2025) | California, 181,934 |
| Highest State Rate (2025) | New York, 72.8 per 10,000 |
| Lowest State Rate (2025) | Mississippi, 4.2 per 10,000 |
| States With Decreases (2025) | 22 plus D.C. |
| Unsheltered Share (2025) | About 36% |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (May 29, 2026) and press release (November 6, 2026); Data Pandas compilation of HUD data.
The count rows show the trend. The record of 771,480 came in 2024. The count fell by 25,828 to 745,652 in 2025 and by another 47,227 to 698,425 in 2026. The two-year drop totals 73,055, or 9.5% from the peak. The 2026 decline is the largest in HUD’s point-in-time series, but the count still sits near 700,000.
The state rows show a split. California holds the most people at 181,934, and New York holds the highest rate at 72.8 per 10,000 residents. Mississippi has the lowest rate at 4.2. 22 states and Washington, D.C. recorded decreases in 2025. About 36% of homeless people were unsheltered, which means they slept on streets, in cars, or in encampments.
National Homelessness Count 2026: 698,425 People and the 49,000 Fewer Headline
NATIONAL COUNT AND CHANGE
2024 count | ███████████████████████████████████████ 771,480
2025 count | █████████████████████████████████████ 745,652
2026 count | ███████████████████████████████████ 698,425
2025 to 2026 drop | ██ 47,227| Measure | Figure | Source Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Count (HUD) | 698,425 | November 6, 2026 |
| Change From 2025 (HUD) | -6.3% (47,227) | Computed from HUD counts |
| Advocate Estimate (NAEH) | About 693,000 (-6.7%) | Preliminary, nearly 50,000 fewer |
| NPR Summary | About 49,000 fewer | Rounded across sources |
| Rise 2022 to 2025 (HUD) | 28% | Per HUD |
| Rise Since 2013 (2025 Count) | 27% | Unsheltered +36%, chronic +81% |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (November 6, 2026); National Alliance to End Homelessness commissioned analysis (November 2026); NPR (November 7, 2026).
HUD’s 2026 count of 698,425 is 47,227 below the 2025 figure, a 6.3% drop. The advocacy alliance’s preliminary analysis estimates about 693,000, which is 6.7% lower and nearly 50,000 fewer. NPR’s 49,000 sits between the two. The gap comes from methods, because the alliance projected totals while HUD published its final count. Use 47,227 for the official change.
The causes are disputed. HUD credits border policy, encampment limits after a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, and a shift to treatment-first programs. The alliance credits housing programs without preconditions, rental markets that softened from pandemic peaks, and the emergency voucher program. The count rose 28% from 2022 to 2025 under HUD’s framing and is 27% above 2013. Chronic homelessness is 81% higher than in 2013.
Homelessness by State 2026: Largest Homeless Populations Ranked
HOMELESS POPULATION BY STATE, JANUARY 2025 (THOUSANDS)
California | ████████████████████████████████████ 181.9
New York | █████████████████████████████ 145.6
Washington | ██████ 31.7
Massachusetts | ██████ 28.3
Texas | ██████ 28.0| Rank | State | People Counted | Change From 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 181,934 | -2.8% |
| 2 | New York | 145,560 | -7.9% |
| 3 | Washington | 31,700 | Not reported here |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 28,300 | Not reported here |
| 5 | Texas | 28,000 | -1.1% (rate) |
| Top 5 Share | 56% of the national count | Rest: 44% | No 2026 state data yet |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2025 AHAR Part 1; Smart Cities Dive (June 2026); Data Pandas.
California counted 181,934 people, down 2.8%, and New York counted 145,560, down 7.9%. Together they hold 327,494 people, which is 44% of the 745,652 national count, though they hold about 18% of the population. Washington, Massachusetts, and Texas follow at about 31,700, 28,300, and 28,000. These five states hold 56% of everyone counted in the states and D.C.
The fall in the top two shaped the national trend. New York and Illinois together had 23,800 fewer people than in 2024, which accounts for more than 90% of the gross national decrease. A New York right-to-shelter rule means the state counts people other states may not record. HUD has not released 2026 state totals, so these rankings will change when it does. Florida’s 2025 total is near 27,900, computed from its 11.1% drop.
Homelessness Rate by State 2026: Highest and Lowest Per 10,000 Residents
HOMELESS RATE PER 10,000 RESIDENTS, JANUARY 2025
District of Columbia | █████████████████████████████████████ 74.1
New York | ████████████████████████████████████ 72.8
Oregon | ████████████████████████████████ 63.7
Vermont | ██████████████████████████ 52.5
Hawaii | ████████████████████████ 47.7
California | ███████████████████████ 46.2
Washington | ████████████████████ 39.6
Mississippi | ██ 4.2| Rank | State | Rate Per 10,000 | Change in Rate From 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 72.8 | -8.4% |
| 2 | Oregon | 63.7 | +19% |
| 3 | Vermont | 52.5 | -1.5% |
| 4 | Hawaii | 47.7 | -41% |
| 5 | California | 46.2 | -2.5% |
| 6 (tie) | Washington, Massachusetts | 39.6 | -3.6% (MA) |
| 8 | Alaska | 36.0 | -0.8% |
| 50 | Mississippi | 4.2 | +20% |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2025 AHAR Part 1, via Data Pandas and Visual Capitalist; Census Bureau population estimates.
New York ranks first among states at 72.8 per 10,000, followed by Oregon at 63.7 and Vermont at 52.5. Washington, D.C. is higher at 74.1 but is not a state. Hawaii fell from first to fourth at 47.7. California sits fifth at 46.2. At the bottom, Mississippi’s rate is 4.2, about 17 times lower than New York’s. The state average is 18.9, and the national rate is about 22.
Rates differ from totals. Texas has the fifth-largest count but a rate of just 8.8. Oregon’s 19% rise lifted its rate from 53.5 to 63.7. Poverty does not predict the rate: Louisiana has the highest poverty rate at 18.7% and a homeless rate of 8.0. Rent tracks closer. States with median rent above $1,800, such as California at $2,104, rank near the top.
Homelessness by State 2026: Biggest Decreases and Increases in 2025
CHANGE IN HOMELESS RATE, 2024 TO 2025 (%)
Illinois | ██████████████████████ -43
Hawaii | █████████████████████ -41
Colorado | ██████ -11
Florida | ██████ -11
New York | ████ -8
North Carolina | ████████████████ +32
Oregon | ██████████ +19
Utah | █████████ +18
Maryland | █████████ +18
Delaware | ████████ +15| State | Rate 2024 | Rate 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 20.3 | 11.5 | -43% |
| Hawaii | 80.5 | 47.7 | -41% |
| Florida | 13.4 | 11.9 | -11% |
| New York | 79.5 | 72.8 | -8% |
| North Carolina | 10.5 | 13.9 | +32% |
| Oregon | 53.5 | 63.7 | +19% |
| Utah | 11.0 | 13.0 | +18% |
| Maryland | 9.7 | 11.4 | +18% |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2025 AHAR Part 1; Data Pandas; CalMatters (May 2026).
Illinois had the steepest fall, from 20.3 to 11.5 per 10,000, a 43% drop. Hawaii fell 41% from 80.5 to 47.7, after a 2024 figure inflated by displacement from the Maui wildfires. Florida dropped 11%. New York’s rate eased 8% but still leads. HUD says Illinois and New York had the biggest rises in 2024 and the biggest falls in 2025, about 11,300 and 12,500 people.
Not every state fell. North Carolina’s rate rose 32% from 10.5 to 13.9, Oregon’s rose 19%, and Utah’s and Maryland’s rose 18% each. Mississippi rose 20% from a tiny base of 3.5 to 4.2. Some local agencies in New York and Illinois said changes in federal immigration policy explained part of their decreases. HUD’s press release ties the decline to border policy, while the full report does not.
Unsheltered Homelessness by State 2026: Streets vs Shelters
SHARE OF HOMELESS PEOPLE UNSHELTERED, JANUARY 2025 (%)
California | ████████████████████████████████ 63.5
Oregon | ██████████████████████████████ 60.7
Hawaii | █████████████████████████████ 59.2
Arizona | ███████████████████████████ 55.7
Georgia | ███████████████████████████ 54.2
Mississippi | ████████████████████ 41.7
Vermont | ████ 8.0
Massachusetts | ███ 6.2
New York | ██ 4.0| State or Region | Unsheltered Share (2025) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| California | 63.5% | Nearly 2 in 3 outside |
| Oregon | 60.7% | Second highest |
| Hawaii | 59.2% | Third highest |
| Arizona | 55.7% | Fourth highest |
| Georgia | 54.2% | Fifth highest |
| New York | 4.0% | Right-to-shelter rule |
| West (average) | 43.3% | Highest region |
| Northeast (average) | 15.5% | Lowest region |
| National | About 36% | 266,320 unsheltered |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2025 AHAR Part 1; Data Pandas; KFF.
California leads at 63.5%, followed by Oregon at 60.7%, Hawaii at 59.2%, Arizona at 55.7%, and Georgia at 54.2%. New York reports just 4.0% and Massachusetts 6.2%. Nationally, 266,320 people were unsheltered in 2025, or 35.7%. The West averages 43.3% and the Northeast 15.5%, a gap of 27.8 points. KFF notes the South and West had the highest unsheltered shares.
The unsheltered share depends on shelter rules and climate as well as need. Mississippi’s 41.7% covers only about 1,200 people. A January count finds people sleeping outdoors more easily in warm states. HUD reported a 3% drop in unsheltered homelessness in 2025, nearly 8,000 people, and 16,931 fewer people used emergency shelter. Advocates say the 2026 unsheltered figure is falling too, but HUD’s detail is not yet public.
Veteran and Chronic Homelessness by State 2026: Latest Counts
VETERAN HOMELESSNESS (THOUSANDS)
2025 count (HUD) | ████████████████████████████████ 32.5
2026 projection (low) | ████████████████████████████ 28.0
2026 projection (high) | ██████████████████████████████ 30.6
Scale: each █ = 1,000 veterans
| Measure | Figure | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Homeless Veterans (2025) | 32,495 | -1.2%, record low |
| Change Since 2009 (2025) | -56% | Lowest on record |
| States With Increases (2025) | 25 | 23 decreased |
| California Veterans (2025) | 8,686 | -624, -7% |
| 2026 Projection | 28,000 to 30,600 | -8.2%, Community Solutions |
| Chronic Homelessness Since 2013 | +81% | HUD 2025 report |
| Chronic Change, 2025 to 2026 | About +1% | Alliance estimate |
| Families With Children (2025) | -11% | Bipartisan Policy Center |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Stateline (August 2026); Community Solutions analysis (October 2026); National Alliance to End Homelessness; Bipartisan Policy Center.
HUD counted 32,495 homeless veterans in 2025, down 387, or 1.2%, and 56% below 2009. States split: 25 saw increases and 23 saw decreases. California had the biggest numeric drop, 624 to 8,686, while Pennsylvania added 98. Wyoming and South Carolina had the highest veteran shares, each over 9%, while Massachusetts and New York stayed under 2%. Community Solutions projects 2026 veterans between 28,000 and 30,600, down 8.2%.
Chronic homelessness moves the other way. It is 81% higher than in 2013, and the alliance estimates it rose about 1% from 2025 to 2026. Families with children fell 11% in 2025. People 55 and older made up almost 20% of the total. Community Solutions based its projection on 182 of more than 380 regions, and 87 of 135 comparable communities reported fewer veterans.
Homelessness Trend 2026: National Counts From 2022 to 2026
HOMELESS COUNT BY JANUARY, 2022 TO 2026 (THOUSANDS)
2022 | █████████████████████████████ 582.5
2023 | ████████████████████████████████ 653.1
2024 | ███████████████████████████████████████ 771.5
2025 | █████████████████████████████████████ 745.7
2026 | ███████████████████████████████████ 698.4| Year | National Count | Change From Prior Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 582,462 | Baseline |
| 2023 | 653,104 | +12.1% |
| 2024 | 771,480 | +18.1% |
| 2025 | 745,652 | -3.3% |
| 2026 | 698,425 | -6.3% |
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Annual Homelessness Assessment Reports (2022 to 2025) and press release (November 6, 2026); Visual Capitalist.
The count climbed 188,367 from 2022 to 2024, rising 12.1% in 2023 and 18.1% in 2024. That is the 28% surge HUD cites from 2022 to 2025, computed here as 582,462 to 745,652. The 2025 and 2026 declines of 3.3% and 6.3% erased 73,055 people from the 2024 peak. The 2026 count remains 19.9% above 2022, so the decline has not yet reversed the full surge.
Flow data explains the pressure. An estimated 17,500 people a week entered the homeless system for the first time during 2024, according to advocates analyzing HUD data. In 2025, 16,931 fewer people used emergency shelter, a 4% drop, which was the largest contributor to the national decline. HUD also counts 1,456,923 people who were either homeless or living in housing funded for people who had been homeless, a figure outside the point-in-time count.
Frequently Asked Questions About Homelessness by State in the US 2026
How Many People Are Homeless in the US in 2026?
HUD counted 698,425 on a single night in January 2026, a 6.3% drop from 745,652 in 2025.
How Many Fewer Homeless People Are There in 2026?
About 47,227 fewer by HUD’s counts. The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates nearly 50,000, and NPR cites about 49,000.
What Was the Homeless Count in 2025?
745,652 in January 2025, down 3.3% from the record 771,480 in 2024. It was the first drop since 2016.
Which State Has the Most Homeless People in 2026?
California, with 181,934 in HUD’s 2025 state counts. New York was second with 145,560. HUD has not released 2026 state totals.
Which State Has the Highest Homeless Rate in 2026?
New York, at 72.8 per 10,000 residents in the 2025 data. Oregon followed at 63.7. Washington, D.C. was higher at 74.1.
Which State Has the Lowest Homelessness Rate in 2026?
Mississippi, at 4.2 per 10,000. South Carolina, Alabama, and Louisiana were also low, at 7.9 or 8.0.
Which States Had the Biggest Drop in Homelessness in 2026?
Illinois fell 43% and Hawaii fell 41% in the 2025 rate. Florida, Colorado, and Maine each fell about 11%.
Which States Saw Homelessness Rise in 2026?
North Carolina’s rate rose 32%, Oregon’s 19%, and Utah’s and Maryland’s 18%, per the 2025 data.
What Share of Homeless People Are Unsheltered in 2026?
About 36% nationally in 2025, or 266,320 people. California’s share was 63.5%, while New York’s was 4.0%.
How Many Veterans Are Homeless in 2026?
HUD counted 32,495 in 2025. Community Solutions projects 28,000 to 30,600 for 2026, a drop of about 8.2%.
Why Did Homelessness Fall in 2026?
HUD credits border policy, encampment limits, and treatment-first programs. The alliance credits housing programs, veteran vouchers, and softer rents. Both sides agree the count fell sharply this past year.
Is the Point-in-Time Count Accurate in 2026?
It is a single-night count in late January and likely undercounts, especially unsheltered people. It excludes people staying with family or friends.
How Much Did Homelessness Rise From 2022 to 2025 in the US?
Homelessness rose 28%, from 582,462 in 2022 to 745,652 in 2025, according to HUD figures. The 2026 count of 698,425 is still 19.9% above 2022.
How Many People Entered Homelessness for the First Time in 2024?
An estimated 17,500 people a week, according to HUD data analyzed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Does the HUD Count Include People Staying With Friends in 2026?
No. The point-in-time count covers people in shelters, transitional housing, and unsheltered places. It excludes people doubled up with family or friends.
What Is the National Homelessness Rate in 2026?
About 22 people per 10,000 residents in HUD’s 2025 data. The state average was 18.9, and rates ranged from 4.2 in Mississippi to 72.8 in New York.
Which State Has the Most Homeless Veterans in 2026?
California, with 8,686 in the 2025 count, down 624 from 2024. Wyoming and South Carolina had the highest veteran shares of their homeless populations, each over 9%.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.