Ranking the States With the Most Medal of Honor Recipients

On July 3rd, U.S. President Joe Biden presented a posthumous Medal of Honor to Private Philip G. Shadrach and Private George D. Wilson. During the Civil War, the two Union soldiers had performed a covert military mission behind Confederate lines. (This is every medal and ribbon the U.S. military awards, ranked.)

The Medal of Honor is the highest award given to a member of the United States military. It is only bestowed upon those who have displayed exceptional courage, bravery, integrity, and sacrifice in action, going above and beyond the call of duty.

In the past 160 years, more than 3,500 Medals of Honor have been presented, including 1,523 during the Civil War, 472 in World War II, and 426 in the Indian Campaigns (1869 to 1890). There are currently 65 living Medal of Honor recipients and 619 medals have been given posthumously. Two medals have been awarded to nineteen military personnel for their actions in different wars. (These are the most decorated war heroes in American history.)

24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to identify the states with the most Medal of Honor recipients.States are ranked by the total number of Medal of Honor recipients who entered the armed services in the state.

While you might expect the most populous states to have the most Medal of Honor recipients, this is just one factor to consider. The number of recipients by state largely correlates both with population size as well as when the state was admitted to the Union.

For example, Massachusetts ranks third on the list with 265 Medal of Honor recipients. The state is about the fifteenth highest in the nation in terms of population, but it was also the sixth state admitted to the Union. On the other hand, California was admitted to the Union more than half a century after Massachusetts. Although the state has a larger population than Massachusetts (in fact, California has the largest population in the entire U.S.), it ranks lower on the list at number six with 138 Medal of Honor recipients.

Why We’re Covering This

As the highest military honor bestowed upon a member of the U.S. military, the Medal of Honor sheds light on the heroic stories and regional contributions in American history. Understanding which states have the highest Medal of Honor recipients also provides insights into the sacrifices made by the individuals and their communities.

These are the states with the most Medal of Honor recipients.

50. Alaska

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: None
Service branch with most recipients: None
Historical conflict with most recipients: None

49. Nevada

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 2
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (1 recipient)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Indian Campaigns (1 recipient)

48. South Dakota

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 3
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (2 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (2 recipients)

47. Wyoming

Wyoming (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 3
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (3 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (2 recipients)

46. Hawaii

Hawaii+veterans | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Punchbowl, Honolulu, HI

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 7
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (7 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (5 recipients)

45. Utah

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 5
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Navy (4 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (3 recipients)

44. Montana

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 8
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (7 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (5 recipients)

43. New Mexico

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 9
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (3 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (3 recipients)

42. Idaho

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 10
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (6 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Korean War (4 recipients)

41. Arkansas

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 11
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Amry (7 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (7 recipients)

40. Delaware

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 13
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (11 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (9 recipients)

39. Oregon

Oregon heatwave | Temperatures Soar As Heatwave Stretches Across The Nation

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 13
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (10 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (4 recipients)

38. Arizona

Arizona flag waving in the wind on clouds sky. High quality fabric. International relations concept

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 14
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Amry (9 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (9 recipients)

37. North Dakota

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 17
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (14 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Philippine Insurrection (9 recipients)

36. Mississippi

Mississippi flag waving in the wind, blue sky background

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 18
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (12 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (6 recipients)

35. Nebraska

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 20
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (10 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (4 recipients)

34. North Carolina

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 20
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Amry (14 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (7 recipients)

33. Alabama

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 21
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (13 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (8 recipients)

31. Georgia

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 22
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (11 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (9 recipients)

32. Oklahoma

Fort+Smith+Arkansas-Oklahoma | Welcome to Oklahoma, Interstate 40 Westbound

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 22
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (17 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (13 recipients)

30. Colorado

Colorado+state+image | Colorado State Capitol, Denver, Colorado

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 23
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (14 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (10 recipients)

29. Florida

Fort+Lauderdale+Florida | Fort Lauderdale Beach

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 23
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (9 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (11 recipients)

28. Louisiana

Louisiana+state | Louisiana State Capitol

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 24
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (13 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Vietnam War (7 recipients)

27. Kansas

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 28
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (23 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Indian Campaigns (9 recipients)

26. Rhode Island

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 31
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (22 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (22 recipients)

25. Washington

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 31
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (17 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (13 recipients)

24. South Carolina

South Carolina | Charleston south Carolina

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 32
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (19 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War I (8 recipients)

23. Tennessee

Tennessee | Nashville, Tennessee downtown skyline at twilight

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 34
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (27 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (7 recipients)

22. New Hampshire

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 36
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (25 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (30 recipients)

21. Kentucky

Kentucky+veterans | Kentucky Veteran Shrine

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 43
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (35 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Indian Campaigns (14 recipients)

20. West Virginia

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 45
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (39 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (26 recipients)

19. Minnesota

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 46
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (33 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (16 recipients)

18. Vermont

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 47
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (43 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (43 recipients)

17. Virginia

Alexandria+Virginia+skyline | Alexandria, Virginia

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 50
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (24 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (10 recipients)

16. Wisconsin

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 50
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (38 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (17 recipients)

15. Iowa

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 54
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (45 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (30 recipients)

14. Connecticut

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 56
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (38 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (36 recipients)

13. Maine

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 66
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (40 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (48 recipients)

12. Indiana

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 74
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (61 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (45 recipients)

11. Texas

The Texas state flag waving along with the national flag of the United States of America. Texas s a state in the South Central region of the United States

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 76
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (50 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: World War II (32 recipients)

10. Missouri

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 78
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (63 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Indian Campaigns (26 recipients)

9. Maryland

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 83
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (49 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (41 recipients)

8. New Jersey

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 94
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (60 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (35 recipients)

7. Michigan

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 109
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (94 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (62 recipients)

6. California

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 138
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (89 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Indian Campaigns (29 recipients)

5. Illinois

Chicago+Illinois | Chicago, Illinois, USA

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 207
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (159 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (112 recipients)

4. Ohio

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 254
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (218 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (153 recipients)

3. Massachusetts

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 265
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (140 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (132 recipients)

2. Pennsylvania

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 380
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (272 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (212 recipients)

1. New York

Aerial view on Verrazano Narrows Bridge over the Narrows reflex

Number of Medal of Honor recipients: 672
Service branch with most recipients: U.S. Army (409 recipients)
Historical conflict with most recipients: Civil War (383 recipients)

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