The phrase "a small number of states" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a limited quantity of states in a specific context, such as geography, politics, or statistics.
Example: "In the recent survey, a small number of states reported a significant increase in renewable energy usage."
Alternatives: "a few states" or "a limited number of states".
Only a small number of states now provide that coverage.
"Then someone said, 'No, a small number of states expressed the view that...'... " he said.
A small number of states, opposed to the federal health care law, have turned down the money.
In previous years, ad spending has been heavy but not as narrowly focused on such a small number of states.
More concrete are actual counts of emergency department visits, which are available in a small number of states.
Only a small number of states pay nothing toward indigent defense in noncapital cases: Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
He argued that the mercury level was set so low that current monitoring equipment could not measure it and that the agency had adopted unrealistic limits for other emissions based on a small number of state-of-the-art plants.
In Massachusetts, for example, the state's exchange, called the Connector, negotiates directly with the state's private insurance companies in offering a small number of state-subsidized plans — similar to what an employer does when it screens the policies offered to its work force.
A small number of state and local governments have adopted open-file policies that require prosecutors to make available well before trial all information favorable to the defense, without regard to whether such information is likely to affect the outcome of the case.
Current internet access in North Korea is extremely limited for locals, with most people only having access to a small number of state-run pages.
Gambling in Japan, in theory at least, is largely restricted to government-run horse, boat and bicycle racing and a small number of state-sanctioned betting shops.
