There are 4 U.S. commonwealth states : Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Quick Scoop: What does that mean?

In the United States, “commonwealth” is mostly a historical and symbolic label rather than a legal difference from other states.

These four are officially titled:

  • Commonwealth of Kentucky
  • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Commonwealth of Virginia

They function just like the other 46 states in terms of laws, rights, and relationship to the federal government.

Bonus: Don’t mix it up with the Commonwealth of Nations

Online discussions sometimes mix up “commonwealth states” with Commonwealth countries (the international group linked historically to the British Empire).
That modern Commonwealth of Nations has 56 member states as of 2026, including countries like Canada, India, and Australia.

TL;DR:

  • U.S. commonwealth states : 4 (Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia).
  • Commonwealth of Nations countries : 56 member states.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.