The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau’s definition of the 13 westernmost states includes the Rocky Mountains and the Great Basin to the Pacific Coast, and the mid-Pacific islands state, Hawaii.
As defined by the United States Census Bureau, the Western region of the United States includes 13 states with a total 2013 estimated population of 74,254,423.
The population distribution by race in the Western United States (2010):
- 66.4% Non-Hispanic Whites
- 28.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
- 9.3% Asian
- 4.8% Black or African American
- 1.9% American Indian or Alaska Native
- 12.4% Some other race
The West is one of the most sparsely settled areas in the United States with 49.5 inhabitants per square mile (19/km2). Only Texas with 78.0 inhabitants/sq mi. (30/km2), Washington with 86.0 inhabitants/sq mi. (33/km2), and California with 213.4 inhabitants/sq mi. (82/km2) exceed the national average of 77.98 inhabitants/sq mi. (30/km2). The Western US has a higher sex ratio (more males than females) than any other region in the United States.