Most Americans don't know how many inhabited territories the U.S. has
Core finding
No estimate wins a majority: nearly three-in-ten Americans (28%) put the number of U.S. inhabited territories at five or six, ahead of any other guess in an August 2025 Verasight survey.
Guesses run in both directions, as 21% estimate three or four territories and one-in-five (20%) estimate eleven or more, while about one-in-ten each land on zero (10%) or one or two (9%). Fewer estimate seven or eight (8%) or nine or ten (4%).
Topline distribution
Most Americans don't know how many inhabited territories the U.S. has.
How many inhabited territories does the U.S. have?
n = 1,000 · Aug 20–25, 2025 · MoE ±3.1%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | United States adults |
| Field dates | Aug 20–25, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.1% |
| Module | ASA Omnibus Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/asa-2025
How many inhabited territories does the U.S. have?
Cite this question
ASA Omnibus Survey, fielded August 20-25, 2025, N=1,000 United States adults, +/- 3.1%.