The United States currently administers 14 territories in total, of which five are permanently inhabited and the rest are small, mostly uninhabited islands and reefs.

Quick answer

How many territories does the US have?

  • 14 U.S. territories (as of 2026).
  • 5 inhabited : Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Inhabited vs uninhabited

  • Inhabited territories (5):
    • Puerto Rico
    • Guam
    • U.S. Virgin Islands
    • American Samoa
    • Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
  • Uninhabited territories (9):
    • Baker Island
    • Howland Island
    • Jarvis Island
    • Johnston Atoll
    • Kingman Reef
    • Midway Atoll
    • Navassa Island
    • Wake Island
    • Palmyra Atoll

Territory types (mini‑legal lens)

Territories are broadly grouped by how the U.S. Constitution applies and whether they have their own local government:

  • Unincorporated organized (e.g., Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands).
  • Unincorporated unorganized (most of the tiny Pacific and Caribbean islands).
  • Incorporated organized (Palmyra Atoll is the only one).

Simple table of the 14

Territory Region Inhabited?
Puerto Rico Caribbean Yes
Guam North Pacific Yes
U.S. Virgin Islands Caribbean Yes
American Samoa South Pacific Yes
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) North Pacific Yes
Baker Island North Pacific No
Howland Island North Pacific No
Jarvis Island South Pacific No
Johnston Atoll North Pacific No
Kingman Reef North Pacific No
Midway Atoll North Pacific No
Navassa Island Caribbean No
Wake Island North Pacific No
Palmyra Atoll North Pacific No (unoccupied)
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.