Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Statehouse Reporters in the United States (2014)

A new Pew Research Center study finds 1,592 journalists assigned to U.S. state capitol buildings. The number of reporters covering the statehouse varies widely from state to state, with some capitals filled with dozens of full-time reporters and others playing host to only two or three. Among several state level indicators Pew Research analyzed, population and the length of legislative session were the only two that showed correlation with the number of statehouse reporters. Those state by state data are available below in a sortable database.

You can also read the full report which provides a first-ever detailed accounting of the nation’s statehouse press corps.

State Full-Time Session Only Part-Time Students (Temp.) Other Total Avg. Legis. Session (months) Population (2012)
Alabama 13 1 1 0 0 15 3.4 4,779,736
Alaska 8 9 2 1 1 21 3.0 710,231
Arizona 13 2 6 16 3 40 4.3 6,392,017
Arkansas 7 4 4 0 0 15 2.5 2,915,918
California 43 1 26 11 0 81 12.0 37,253,956
Colorado 7 8 13 0 0 28 4.0 5,029,196
Connecticut 16 5 2 0 3 26 4.0 3,574,097
Delaware 3 4 2 0 0 9 5.8 897,934
Florida 33 6 17 3 3 62 2.0 18,801,310
Georgia 17 7 11 2 1 38 2.6 9,687,653
Hawaii 8 3 10 1 2 24 3.5 1,360,301
Idaho 12 3 31 0 1 47 2.8 1,567,582
Illinois 22 3 6 11 3 45 8.4 12,830,632
Indiana 15 1 2 9 1 28 3.7 6,483,802
Iowa 10 4 8 1 0 23 4.2 3,046,355
Kansas 8 2 6 11 1 28 4.7 2,853,118
Kentucky 13 3 7 1 0 24 3.0 4,339,367
Louisiana 10 4 2 0 0 16 2.4 4,533,372
Maine 8 2 3 0 0 13 6.1 1,328,361
Maryland 12 6 11 6 8 43 3.0 5,773,552
Massachusetts 15 0 7 9 1 32 12.0 6,547,629
Michigan 19 0 26 16 2 63 11.6 9,883,640
Minnesota 21 8 6 2 3 40 4.0 5,303,925
Mississippi 4 5 5 1 2 17 3.5 2,967,297
Missouri 15 6 9 51 1 82 4.8 5,988,927
Montana 8 3 5 4 0 20 3.6 989,415
Nebraska  11 5 2 0 0 18 4.2 1,826,341
Nevada 6 1 10 12  1 30 4.0 2,700,551
New Hampshire  5 0 9 0 0 14 5.8 1,316,470
New Jersey  37  0 4 0 0 41 12.0 8,791,894
New Mexico  8 0 1 0 0 9 1.6 2,059,179
New York  39  1 9 7 1 57 12.0 19,378,102
North Carolina  18 2 20 2 5 47 4.8 9,535,483
North Dakota  5 1 1 0 0 7 3.9 672,591
Ohio  32 0 13 16 1 62 11.8 11,536,504
Oklahoma 17  2 2 0 0 21 4.1 3,751,351
Oregon  6 6 4 0 0 16 3.1 3,831,074
Pennsylvania  24 1 6 0 10 41 11.5 12,702,379
Rhode Island  8  0 2 0 0 10 5.8 1,052,567
South Carolina  15  0 3 2 0 20 6.0 4,625,364
South Dakota  2  7 3 2 0 14 2.4 814,180
Tennessee  14  4 4 0 2 24 3.6 6,346,105
Texas  53  7 25 17 5 107 4.6 25,145,561
Utah  7  6 11 3 0 27 1.5 2,763,885
Vermont  13  2 3 0 0 18 4.1 625,741
Virginia  17  3 4 0 0 24 1.7 8,001,024
Washington  12 6 6 5 1 30 2.7 6,724,540
West Virginia  7 3 8 0 0 18 2.7 1,852,994
Wisconsin  19 2 16 1 1 39 12.0  5,686,986
Wyoming  6  4 8 0 0 18 1.2 563,626
Grand Total 741 163 402 223 63 1,592

Note: Other reporter category includes interns, videographers or other supporting staff Source: Pew Research Statehouse Data Aug. 2013 to March 2014, U.S. Census Bureau 2012 population estimates & The Book of the States 2013

Icon for promotion number 1

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings