The PIA Western Alliance States have 3 of the 7 Largest Homeless Populations in the Country

Homelessness is a huge problem in some states. Those living on the West Coast see more of it than other parts of the country. Three PIA Western Alliance states — California, Washington and Oregon — have some of the largest populations of homeless people in the country and rank 1st, 3rd and 7th in the seven states with the highest homeless populations.

That information comes via The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Annual Homelessness Assessment. Like most federal departments, the HUD report figures are over a year old.

In May of this year Part 1 of the report was issued and found there are about 745,652 homeless people in the U.S. Sadly, adults aged 55 and over make up about 20% of the number.

1. California. On the night in question, the PIA Western Alliance state of California had 187,084 people living on the streets, in parks and other places.That’s 25% of the total number of people considered homeless in the U.S. Of that number, 66% are living on the streets and not in shelters.

That puts the Golden State above New York where 21% of the nation’s homeless live.

2. New York. The Empire State had 158,019 homeless people on the streets on that January night. That’s a stunning number when you consider New York has half the population of California.

New York sits a distant but clear second, and its trajectory over the past couple of years has been dramatic. There were 158,019 people experiencing homelessness in the state of New York[1] on the same January 2024 night that California’s count was taken. That’s a stunning figure for a state with roughly half the population of California.

3. Washington. Though 31,600 homeless people in Washington is dwarfed by California and New York, experts say it’s many more people than you’d expect for a state Washington’s size. The state ranks third in homelessness yet it it is 13th in total population.

Washington also has the nation’s largest homeless population among veterans.

4. Florida

5. Massachusetts

6. Texas

7. Oregon. The homeless per-capita numbers push Oregon among the worst states in the union. Oregon’s population is 4.2 million. The night in January saw 22,875 homeless. That puts the rate at 53.9 per 10,000 residents.

That’s six times the rate of Texas.

If there’s any good news from the report it’s that the 745,652 homeless people on that January evening in 2025 is 3.3% down from the 2024 January night.

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