Most & Least Diverse States in America

Adam McCann, Financial WriterSep 14, 2022

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Sep 14, 2022

The American narrative is a story of diversity. Our history tells of many different peoples coming together from every walk of life to form what is today a complex tapestry of backgrounds. Our story will continue to advance that narrative in the decades to come. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by 2045 the U.S. will no longer have a single ethnic majority, currently non-Hispanic whites, and will grow increasingly more diverse in the years to follow.

This year, racial inequality has continued to be a prominent issue, including culminations of high-profile trials regarding police brutality which have led to jail time for multiple officers. But while discussions on race are important, U.S. diversity spans far more than just racial lines. The U.S. population reflects a mix of not just races and ethnicities but also cultures, religions, economic statuses, educational backgrounds and other characteristics. These groups come together in everyday life, influencing and experiencing one another. However, some elements of society aren’t as diverse as others. For example, there are only 44 women among the CEOs of fortune 500 companies, and around 82 percent of those companies’ board members are white (including men and women).

Some U.S. states promote diversity more than others. In order to determine where idea and identity exchanges have occurred at the highest level — and where the population is relatively more homogeneous — WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key diversity categories. For a more local perspective on America’s ever-expanding diversity, we also conducted our analysis at the city level.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Most & Least Diverse States in the U.S.

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Socioeconomic Diversity	Cultural Diversity	Economic Diversity	Household Diversity	Religious Diversity	Political Diversity
1	California	70.62	1	1	11	8	32	32
2	Texas	70.04	9	4	13	36	6	39
3	Hawaii	69.67	22	3	3	13	34	4
4	New Jersey	69.36	7	6	43	39	19	10
5	New York	69.19	6	9	41	4	21	9
6	New Mexico	69.17	42	7	4	2	22	21
7	Florida	68.70	26	5	33	3	38	5
8	Maryland	68.69	4	10	25	14	30	16
9	Nevada	68.62	27	2	36	1	45	20
10	Arizona	68.13	20	8	24	6	41	34
11	Illinois	68.05	11	12	39	20	7	19
12	Virginia	67.84	5	14	19	38	25	14
13	Georgia	67.75	19	13	18	21	16	25
14	Connecticut	67.19	8	15	46	24	27	22
15	Alaska	66.95	28	11	1	27	44	2
16	Delaware	66.61	17	17	35	25	35	16
17	Washington	66.54	10	16	20	31	43	6
18	Massachusetts	66.36	2	18	50	12	33	32
19	Colorado	66.35	3	19	31	35	40	27
20	North Carolina	66.34	24	21	28	32	26	16
21	Oklahoma	66.03	44	22	6	17	18	23
22	Rhode Island	65.78	12	20	47	5	36	47
23	South Carolina	65.44	34	24	17	26	14	44
24	Louisiana	65.35	47	25	12	7	3	42
25	Kansas	65.20	21	26	16	44	11	31
26	Nebraska	64.78	25	33	23	47	4	25
27	Oregon	64.69	16	23	26	9	48	1
28	Minnesota	64.58	15	34	44	42	5	13
29	Pennsylvania	64.48	23	32	49	18	10	12
30	Alabama	64.35	45	30	14	34	12	44
31	Mississippi	64.34	49	28	9	11	14	28
32	Tennessee	64.34	35	31	22	30	20	37
33	Arkansas	64.01	48	27	21	29	24	38
34	Idaho	63.60	39	36	8	49	13	49
35	South Dakota	63.59	41	42	7	45	2	41
36	Missouri	63.31	32	38	34	23	17	30
37	Michigan	63.31	30	35	48	15	31	11
38	Wisconsin	63.26	29	40	40	37	9	36
39	North Dakota	63.22	33	43	10	46	1	48
40	Indiana	63.00	38	37	45	27	29	28
41	Iowa	62.82	37	44	27	41	8	6
42	Ohio	62.79	36	41	42	10	28	14
43	Utah	62.40	18	29	30	50	49	39
44	Wyoming	62.26	43	39	2	48	37	50
45	Kentucky	61.99	46	46	29	16	23	34
46	Montana	61.84	40	45	5	43	39	6
47	New Hampshire	60.97	13	47	38	40	46	44
48	Vermont	60.55	14	48	37	19	47	3
49	Maine	59.12	31	49	32	22	50	24
50	West Virginia	58.72	50	50	15	33	42	43

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the most diversity.

Income Diversity

Most

Most
1. Utah
2. Minnesota
3. Colorado
4. Alaska
5. Washington

Least

Least
46. New Mexico
47. Louisiana
48. Arkansas
49. West Virginia
50. Mississippi

Educational-Attainment Diversity

Most

Most
1. Massachusetts
2. California
3. New York
4. Maryland
5. New Jersey

Least

Least
46. South Dakota
47. Alaska
48. Iowa
49. Wyoming
50. West Virginia

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Most

Most
1. Hawaii
2. California
3. Nevada
4. Texas
5. Maryland

Least

Least
46. Montana
47. New Hampshire
48. West Virginia
49. Vermont
50. Maine

Linguistic Diversity

Most

Most
1. California
2. New Jersey
3. Texas
4. New Mexico
5. New York

Least

Least
46. Vermont
47. Alabama
48. Montana
49. Mississippi
50. West Virginia

Birthplace Diversity

Most

Most
1. Nevada
2. Florida
3. Arizona
4. Colorado
5. Alaska

Least

Least
46. Wisconsin
47. Mississippi
48. Ohio
49. Michigan
50. Louisiana

Industry Diversity*

Most

Most
1. Texas
2. California
3. Oklahoma
4. Georgia
5. Idaho

Least

Least
46. Maine
47. New York
48. Rhode Island
49. Vermont
50. Massachusetts

Occupational Diversity*

Most

Most
1. Mississippi
2. West Virginia
3. Nevada
4. Wyoming
5. Arkansas

Least

Least
46. New Jersey
47. Connecticut
48. Virginia
49. Maryland
50. Massachusetts

Worker-Class Diversity*

Most

Most
1. Alaska
2. New Mexico
3. Wyoming
4. Hawaii
5. Maryland

Least

Least
46. Ohio
47. Illinois
48. Pennsylvania
49. Michigan
50. Indiana

Marital-Status Diversity

Most

Most
1. Mississippi
2. Louisiana
3. Florida
4. New Mexico
5. Nevada

Least

Least
46. Nebraska
47. Wyoming
48. North Dakota
49. Idaho
50. Utah

Generational Diversity

Most

Most
1. Florida
2. Hawaii
3. Maine
4. West Virginia
5. Pennsylvania

Least

Least
46. Nebraska
47. North Dakota
48. Alaska
49. Texas
50. Utah

Household-Type Diversity

Most

Most
1. New Mexico
2. Nevada
3. Rhode Island
4. Ohio
5. New York

Least

Least
46. Virginia
47. Wyoming
48. New Jersey
49. Idaho
50. Utah

Household-Size Diversity

Most

Most
1. Utah
2. California
3. Hawaii
4. Alaska
5. Texas

Least

Least
46. Maine
47. Vermont
48. Alabama
49. Montana
50. West Virginia

*Includes civilian employed population aged 16 and older

2022 ethnoracial diversity by state

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Detailed Findings

State	Household-Income Diversity	Educational-Attainment Diversity	Racial & Ethnic Diversity	Linguistic Diversity	Birthplace Diversity	Industry Diversity	Occupational Diversity	Worker-Class Diversity	Marital-Status Diversity	Generational Diversity	Household-Type Diversity	Household-Size Diversity	Religious Diversity	Political Diversity
Alabama	45	30	23	47	43	19	11	23	6	22	41	48	12	44
Alaska	4	47	13	18	5	25	19	1	34	48	23	4	44	2
Arizona	20	18	11	8	3	10	32	29	14	17	11	12	41	34
Arkansas	48	44	27	36	30	32	5	21	9	32	36	31	24	38
California	16	2	2	1	24	2	37	17	33	36	37	2	32	32
Colorado	3	8	24	17	4	6	44	30	35	38	39	13	40	27
Connecticut	13	7	20	13	19	44	47	37	28	8	26	20	27	22
Delaware	8	20	15	22	8	31	38	35	19	10	25	30	35	16
Florida	34	23	8	7	2	12	24	42	3	1	14	37	38	5
Georgia	31	13	9	21	16	4	29	32	16	44	33	15	16	25
Hawaii	9	28	1	9	13	22	25	4	37	2	44	3	34	4
Idaho	33	43	41	28	12	5	10	15	49	45	49	16	13	49
Illinois	11	11	12	11	38	20	34	47	30	24	16	18	7	19
Indiana	36	39	35	31	40	42	8	50	20	40	19	23	29	28
Iowa	25	48	45	33	44	29	14	28	44	34	29	33	8	6
Kansas	26	19	31	26	25	26	30	16	43	42	42	26	11	31
Kentucky	44	37	44	45	41	30	7	34	10	31	21	28	23	34
Louisiana	47	32	16	35	50	15	6	18	2	37	6	38	3	42
Maine	35	33	50	44	33	46	28	14	25	3	10	46	50	24
Maryland	14	4	5	15	9	33	49	5	26	25	34	9	30	16
Massachusetts	29	1	25	10	29	50	50	40	31	13	12	11	33	32
Michigan	32	35	29	30	49	43	21	49	22	18	9	27	31	11
Minnesota	2	21	37	23	39	39	41	43	45	33	38	19	5	13
Mississippi	50	40	18	49	47	34	1	8	1	39	18	40	14	28
Missouri	38	31	38	42	37	23	23	39	18	21	20	35	17	30
Montana	40	36	46	48	18	8	17	6	36	16	27	49	39	6
Nebraska	18	27	34	25	34	13	26	25	46	46	40	21	4	25
Nevada	22	34	3	6	1	36	3	44	5	27	2	7	45	20
New Hampshire	6	16	47	34	15	38	40	31	38	7	45	24	46	44
New Jersey	27	5	6	2	17	28	46	38	41	14	48	8	19	10
New Mexico	46	22	10	4	14	35	27	2	4	29	1	36	22	21
New York	28	3	7	5	36	47	45	20	23	11	5	10	21	9
North Carolina	39	15	17	24	21	18	31	33	17	26	30	34	26	16
North Dakota	12	45	42	43	32	27	18	9	48	47	8	44	1	48
Ohio	37	38	36	38	48	37	22	46	12	19	4	42	28	14
Oklahoma	43	42	19	29	28	3	9	11	8	41	24	22	18	23
Oregon	10	17	30	19	10	17	35	22	27	9	13	14	48	1
Pennsylvania	24	24	32	27	45	41	33	48	24	5	17	29	10	12
Rhode Island	19	10	26	12	23	48	39	41	13	6	3	25	36	47
South Carolina	42	25	21	37	22	16	12	24	7	15	28	45	15	44
South Dakota	30	46	40	41	35	9	15	10	42	43	31	43	2	41
Tennessee	41	29	28	39	27	14	13	26	15	23	35	32	20	37
Texas	23	9	4	3	26	1	20	26	29	49	43	5	6	39
Utah	1	26	33	20	31	11	36	36	50	50	50	1	49	39
Vermont	21	12	49	46	20	49	43	13	21	12	7	47	47	3
Virginia	7	6	14	16	11	21	48	7	32	28	46	17	25	14
Washington	5	14	22	14	7	7	42	19	40	30	32	6	43	6
West Virginia	49	50	48	50	42	45	2	12	11	4	22	50	42	43
Wisconsin	17	41	39	32	46	40	16	45	39	20	15	41	9	36
Wyoming	14	49	43	40	6	24	4	3	47	35	47	39	37	50

Note: All of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that state, where a rank of 1 represents the most diversity.

Ask the Experts

Diversity can have profound effects on communities. For insight on such outcomes and advice on achieving social integration, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What are the pros and cons of living in a diverse state?
What impact does diversity have on social innovation and social cohesion? What about violence and social unrest?
What can policymakers do to encourage integration across neighborhoods?
How can states take advantage of their diversity in order to increase economic growth?
What can local governments do to ensure health equity among minority groups

Ask the Experts

Lori L. Martin
Professor of Sociology, Professor of African and African American Studies, Humanities & Social Sciences – Louisiana State University
Read More

Jack Fong
Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology – California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Read More

Rashawn Ray
Ph.D. – Senior Fellow – The Brookings Institution
Read More

Nicholas Reksten
Associate Professor, Economics – University of Redlands
Read More

Meera E. Deo
JD, Ph.D. – The Honorable Vaino Spencer Professor of Law, Director, Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) and Author of Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia – Southwestern Law School
Read More

Andrew Burnstine
Ph.D. – Associate Professor, College of Business and Management – Lynn University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the most and least diverse states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key dimensions: 1) Socio-economic Diversity, 2) Cultural Diversity, 3) Economic Diversity, 4) Household Diversity, 5) Religious Diversity and 6) Political Diversity.

We evaluated those dimensions using 14 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights and subcomponents. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale.

Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states. A total score of 100 represents the most diverse state.

We conducted our analysis using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index method, which is a commonly accepted measure of market concentration that also works effectively as a general-purpose measure of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity, occupations, languages, nationalities).

Socioeconomic Diversity - Total Points: 20

Household-Income Diversity: Double Weight (~13.33 Points)
- $34,999 or Less
- $35,000 - $49,999
- $50,000 - $74,999
- $75,000 - $99,999
- $100,000 - $149,999
- $150,000 or more
Educational-Attainment Diversity: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
- No High School Diploma
- High School Diploma and Perhaps Some College or an Associate’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Graduate or Professional Degree

Cultural Diversity - Total Points: 20

Racial & Ethnic Diversity: Triple Weight (~10.00 Points)
- Hispanic or Latino
- White (not Hispanic or Latino)
- Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino)
- Asian (not Hispanic or Latino)
- Other (American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, some other race alone, two or more races and not Hispanic or Latino)
Linguistic Diversity: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
- English
- Spanish
- Other Indo-European Languages
- Asian & Pacific Islander Languages
- Other Languages
Birthplace Diversity: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
- In State of Residence
- Northeast Region
- Midwest Region
- South Region
- West Region
- U.S. Territory & Abroad (if born to American parent(s))
- Foreign Nation

Economic Diversity - Total Points: 20

Industry Diversity: Triple Weight (~12.00 Points)
Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, and Mining
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale Trade
- Retail Trade
- Transportation and Warehousing, and Utilities
- Information
- Finance and Insurance, and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
- Professional, Scientific, and Management, and Administrative and Waste-Management Services
- Educational Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, and Accommodation and Food Services
- Other Services (excluding Public Administration)
- Public Administration
Occupational Diversity: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
- Management, Business, Science, and Arts Occupations
- Service Occupations
- Sales and Office Occupations
- Natural-Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Occupations
- Production, Transportation, and Material-Moving Occupations
Worker-Class Diversity: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
- Private Wage & Salary Workers
- Government Workers
- Self-Employed Workers (operating their own, unincorporated businesses)
  Note: Includes “people who worked for profit or fees in their own unincorporated business, professional practice, or trade or who operated a farm,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau
- Unpaid Family Workers

Household Diversity - Total Points: 20

Marital-Status Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Never Married
- Married (excluding separated)
- Divorced
- Separated
- Widowed
Generational Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Post-Millennials (Generation Z): born after 1996
- Millennials: Ages 24 to 39 (born 1981-1996)
- Generation X: Ages 40 to 55 (born 1965-1980)
- Baby Boomers: Ages 56 to 74 (born 1946-1964)
- Silent Generation & Greatest Generation: Ages 75 & Older (born before 1946)
Household-Type Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Family Households with Married Couples
- Male-Headed Family Households (no spouse present)
- Female-Headed Family Households (no spouse present)
- Nonfamily Households
Household-Size Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Two-Person Family Households
- Three-Person Family Households
- Four-Person Family Households
- Five-Person Family Households
- Six-Person Family Households
- Seven-Person or More Family Households
- One-Person Nonfamily Households
- Two-Person Nonfamily Households
- Three-Person Nonfamily Households
- Four-Person Nonfamily Households
- Five-Person Nonfamily Households
- Six-Person Nonfamily Households
- Seven-Person or More Nonfamily Households

Religious Diversity - Total Points: 10

Evangelical Protestant
Mainline Protestant
Black Protestant
Catholic
Orthodox Christian
Muslim
Buddhist
Hindu
Jewish
Unaffiliated
Other

Political Diversity - Total Points: 10

Conservative
Moderate
Liberal
Unclaimed

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, ARDA, and AVA.

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