Population and Social Characteristics
See What State Everyone Is Born In Based on Their Social Security Number
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Published: March 25, 2024 1:30 pm
The United States began issuing Social Security numbers (SSNs) in November 1936. A unique nine-digit number is assigned to every U.S. citizen. SSNs are also assigned to permanent residents and eligible nonimmigrant workers within the United States. (And, since we’re on the subject, here is our super helpful guide to understanding Social Security today, with all benefits and strategies explained .)
The original purpose of SSNs was to enable the Social Security Administration (SSA) to track individual accounts, but these numbers have since become a widely accepted form of identification used by employers, medical providers, schools, government agencies, and so forth.
Each social security number is divided into three parts. The first three digits are the area number, the middle two are the group number, and the last four are the serial number. So, using this configuration, the format of a SSN is AAA-GG-SSSS.
Assigning Area Numbers Source: Uuganbayar / Shutterstock.com
The system of assigning SSNs has changed over the years. Originally, the area number represented the location of the Social Security office that issued a specific Social Security card. However, starting in 1973, the SSA began using the ZIP Code on an application to assign the area number. This practice remained in effect until June 25, 2011, when the SSA adopted a new randomization method designed to “protect the integrity of the SSN” and “extend the longevity of the nine-digit SSN nationwide.”
For those born in the U.S. between 1973 and June 2011, the first three numbers of their SSNs were assigned to the ZIP Code found on their Social Security application. Usually (but not always), that ZIP Code corresponded with the place of their birth. So, in most cases, you can tell where a person was born by the first three digits of their SSN.
Here are the area numbers assigned to all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories during this 38-year period. The states and territories are arranged in ascending order according to their original area numbers. As the nation’s population grew, the original area numbers for some states were exhausted and new area numbers were assigned. This is why 16 states and one territory have nonconsecutive area numbers.
Note: There are overlapping numbers between North Carolina and West Virginia, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: the area number “666” was never issued.
24/7 Wall St. used information from the Social Security Administration for this story.
1. New Hampshire Source: Veronaa / iStock via Getty Images
New Hampshire was assigned the first area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 001-003
2. Maine Source: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
Maine was given four area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 004-007
3. Vermont Source: zmotions / Shutterstock.com
Vermont was assigned two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 008-009
4. Massachusetts Source: railway fx / Shutterstock.com
Massachusetts was assigned more area numbers than any other New England state.
Social Security Area Numbers: 010-034
5. Rhode Island Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
Rhode Island had five area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 035-039
6. Connecticut Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
Connecticut was assigned ten area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 040-049
7. New York Source: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com
New York was given one of the biggest original allotments of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 050-134
8. New Jersey Source: MikhailMishchenko / iStock via Getty Images
New Jersey has the highest population density in the nation, so it is no surprise that the state was given a large allotment of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 135-158
9. Pennsylvania Source: railway fx / Shutterstock.com
The Keystone State’s area numbers broke into the 200s.
Social Security Area Numbers: 159-211
10. Maryland Source: WilliamSherman / E+ via Getty Images
Maryland was assigned nine area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 212-220
11. Delaware Source: marcusamelia / iStock via Getty Images
The tiny state of Delaware was assigned two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 221-222
12. Virginia Source: Mehaniq / Shutterstock.com
Virginia’s growth necessitated a second allotment of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 223-231, 691-699
13. West Virginia Source: Ianm35 / iStock via Getty Images
The crossover of area number 232 between West Virginia and North Carolina can be confusing.
Social Security Area Numbers: 232 (except group number 30) -236
14. North Carolina Source: ronniechua / iStock via Getty Images
North Carolina required additional area numbers as it grew.
Social Security Area Numbers: 232 (group number 30), 237-246, 681-690
15. South Carolina Source: railway fx / Shutterstock.com
The Palmetto State also needed a new batch of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 247-251, 654-658
16. Georgia Source: Ianm35 / iStock via Getty Images
Georgia’s growth demanded more area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 252-260, 667-675
17. Florida Source: jganser / iStock via Getty Images
The SSA kept adding numbers as Florida kept growing.
Social Security Area Numbers: 261-267, 589-595, 766-772
18. Ohio Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
The Buckeye State broke into the 300s for area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 268-302
19. Indiana Source: Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
Indiana was assigned 15 area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 303-317
20. Illinois Source: 400tmax / iStock via Getty Images
Illinois houses one of the nation’s largest cities, so it was assigned a large allotment of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 318-361
21. Michigan Source: ronniechua / iStock via Getty Images
Michigan was assigned 25 area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 362-386
22. Wisconsin Source: wellesenterprises / iStock via Getty Images
Wisconsin finished up the 300s among area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 387-399
23. Kentucky Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
Kentucky received eight area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 400-407
24. Tennessee Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
Tennessee’s growth required the assignment of additional area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 408-415, 756-763
25. Alabama Source: Derek Brumby / iStock via Getty Images
Alabama was assigned nine area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 416-424
26. Mississippi Source: zmotions / Shutterstock.com
Mississippi required two additional allotments of area numbers as its population grew.
Social Security Area Numbers: 425-428, 587-588, 752-755
27. Arkansas Source: dlewis33 / E+ via Getty Images
The original four area numbers did not account for Arkansas’ growth, so four more were added.
Social Security Area Numbers: 429-432, 676-679
28. Louisiana Source: ronniechua / iStock via Getty Images
Louisiana received two different allotments of area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 433-439, 659-665
29. Oklahoma Source: Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
Oklahoma was assigned nine area numbers
Social Security Area Numbers: 440-448
30. Texas Source: Leena Robinson / Shutterstock.com
Texas is the second-most populous state in the nation, so it is no surprise that it required additional area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 449-467, 627-645
31. Minnesota Source: herreid / iStock via Getty Images
Minnesota received ten area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 468-477
32. Iowa Source: Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
The Hawkeye State was assigned eight area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 478-485
33. Missouri Source: Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
Missouri opened the 500s among area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 486-500
34. North Dakota Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock via Getty Images
Sparsely populated North Dakota was assigned two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 501-502
35. South Dakota Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock via Getty Images
Like its neighbor to the north, South Dakota was also allotted two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 503-504
36. Nebraska Source: Veronaa / iStock via Getty Images
The Cornhusker State was assigned four area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 505-508
37. Kansas Source: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
The Sunflower State was given seven area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 509-515
38. Montana Source: Veronaa / Getty Images
Montana is the fourth-largest state by area, but its small population only garnered two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 516-517
39. Idaho Source: Oleksii Liskonih / iStock via Getty Images
The Gem State was assigned two area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 518-519
40. Wyoming Source: railway fx / Shutterstock.com
As the least populous state in the nation, Wyoming was only assigned one area number.
Social Security Area Number: 520
41. Colorado Source: mtcurado / iStock via Getty Images
Colorado’s growth required additional area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 521-524, 650-653
42. New Mexico Source: Linq Productions / iStock via Getty Images
New Mexico was originally assigned only one area number, but that would not be enough.
Social Security Area Numbers: 525, 585, 648-649
43. Arizona Source: zmotions / Shutterstock.com
Arizona’s continued growth required multiple assignments of new area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 526-527, 600-601, 764-765
44. Utah Source: zmotions / Shutterstock.com
Utah’s original allotment of two area numbers proved insufficient.
Social Security Area Numbers: 528-529, 646-647
45. Nevada Source: ronniechua / Getty Images
Nevada required an additional area number, mostly due to the growth of the Las Vegas metro area.
Social Security Area Numbers: 530, 680
46. Washington State Source: ronniechua / Getty Images
The Evergreen State was assigned nine area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 531-539
47. Oregon Source: Oleksii Liskonih / Getty Images
The SSA assigned five area numbers to Oregon.
Social Security Area Numbers: 540-544
48. California Source: Veronaa / iStock via Getty Images
California’s many area numbers reflect its status as the nation’s most populous state.
Social Security Area Numbers: 545-573, 602-626
49. Alaska Source: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
Alaska is the largest state in the nation by land mass, but only one area number was needed to cover its entire population.
Social Security Area Number: 574
50. Hawaii Source: Saturated / iStock via Getty Images
The growth of the Aloha State demanded additional area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 575-576, 750-751
51. District of Columbia Source: Box Lab / Shutterstock.com
Washington, D.C. was assigned three area numbers.
Social Security Area Numbers: 577-579
52. U.S. Virgin Islands Source: EA09 Studio / Shutterstock.com
The. U.S. Virgin Islands were assigned one area number by the SSA.
Social Security Area Number: 580
53. Puerto Rico Source: Maxim Studio / Shutterstock.com
The first set of five area numbers proved insufficient for Puerto Rico’s growth.
Social Security Area Numbers: 580-584, 596-599
54. Pacific Ocean Territories Source: rarrarorro / Shutterstock.com
The U.S. Pacific Territories, including Guam, received one area number.
Social Security Area Numbers: 586
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