Most & Least Diverse States in America (2025)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterSep 16, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Sep 16, 2025

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. We can already see signs of change just by looking at the past decade. Between the censuses in 2010 and 2020, the diversity index, or the chance that two randomly-chosen Americans would be from different racial and ethnic groups, rose from 54.9% to 61.1%.

Diversity in the U.S. spans far more than just racial lines, though. 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 58 women among the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and around 77 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.

“Race and gender are probably the first things that come to mind when people think about diversity, but there’s plenty more that makes this nation diverse. The most diverse states have above-average variety when it comes to people’s ages, birthplaces, languages, jobs, family structures and more. Moving to a diverse state can be an extremely enriching experience as it exposes you to new ideas and new ways of living.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Most & Least Diverse States in the U.S.

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	Socioeconomic Diversity Rank	Cultural Diversity Rank	Economic Diversity Rank	Household Diversity Rank	Religious Diversity Rank	Political Diversity Rank
1	California	70.88	6	1	14	7	32	1
2	Texas	70.43	2	6	13	29	3	34
3	New Mexico	69.88	29	7	4	2	14	16
4	Florida	69.77	18	4	33	8	26	23
5	Nevada	69.74	27	2	30	1	41	9
6	New York	69.63	1	8	44	4	19	2
7	New Jersey	69.60	17	3	42	37	17	26
8	Hawaii	69.05	40	5	5	14	34	45
9	Maryland	68.97	15	9	26	17	27	37
10	Arizona	68.90	13	10	25	6	31	33
11	Georgia	68.58	9	11	21	16	10	13
12	Illinois	68.38	8	13	39	18	6	10
13	Virginia	68.28	7	12	23	36	24	5
14	Connecticut	67.56	10	14	48	27	30	27
15	North Carolina	67.55	12	21	31	33	5	17
16	Washington	67.51	22	15	24	30	38	7
17	Alaska	67.11	45	16	1	21	46	3
18	Delaware	66.91	14	17	36	32	36	42
19	Oklahoma	66.75	42	22	6	12	16	36
20	Rhode Island	66.65	4	20	47	5	39	21
21	Massachusetts	66.64	11	18	50	15	35	20
22	South Carolina	66.48	24	23	16	34	9	32
23	Colorado	66.24	3	19	35	35	44	19
24	Louisiana	66.16	46	25	12	3	1	44
25	Tennessee	65.37	28	29	20	26	18	29
26	Kansas	65.26	19	27	19	43	25	43
27	Arkansas	65.19	48	26	15	22	15	40
28	Oregon	65.16	16	24	27	10	47	23
29	Alabama	65.15	43	30	11	31	8	41
30	Nebraska	65.07	23	33	18	46	12	28
31	Pennsylvania	64.81	21	32	49	24	23	4
32	Minnesota	64.80	20	34	45	41	11	5
33	Mississippi	64.48	49	31	8	9	13	50
34	Idaho	64.26	32	35	7	49	7	49
35	Missouri	64.09	30	38	34	23	22	15
36	Ohio	63.84	36	40	40	11	20	11
37	South Dakota	63.80	38	42	9	42	2	46
38	Indiana	63.79	37	37	43	19	33	21
39	Michigan	63.76	33	36	46	20	40	12
40	Wisconsin	63.54	34	41	38	39	21	25
41	North Dakota	63.31	39	43	10	45	4	47
42	Utah	63.23	26	28	29	50	48	39
43	Iowa	62.95	41	44	22	40	28	14
44	Wyoming	62.94	47	39	2	48	37	48
45	Kentucky	62.70	44	45	28	13	29	38
46	Montana	62.02	35	46	3	44	45	35
47	Vermont	61.37	5	48	37	28	43	30
48	New Hampshire	60.63	25	47	41	47	50	17
49	Maine	60.32	31	49	32	38	49	8
50	West Virginia	60.00	50	50	17	25	42	31

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. Idaho
2. South Dakota
3. Nebraska
4. Wisconsin
5. Iowa

Least

Least
46. California
47. Maryland
48. Mississippi
49. New Jersey
50. Massachusetts

Educational-Attainment Diversity

Most

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

Least

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

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Most

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

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 York
5. New Mexico

Least

Least
46. Alabama
47. Vermont
48. Mississippi
49. Montana
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. Idaho
3. Georgia
4. California
5. Oklahoma

Least

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

Occupational Diversity*

Most

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

Least

Least
46. New Jersey
47. Colorado
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. Michigan
49. Pennsylvania
50. Indiana

Marital-Status Diversity

Most

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

Least

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

Generational Diversity

Most

Most
1. Hawaii
2. Florida
3. Iowa
4. Pennsylvania
5. South Dakota

Least

Least
46. Georgia
47. Alaska
48. Colorado
49. Texas
50. Utah

Household-Type Diversity

Most

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

Least

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

Household-Size Diversity

Most

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

Least

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

*Includes civilian employed population aged 16 and older

In-Depth Look at the Most Diverse States

California

California is the most diverse state in America, which isn’t too surprising given that it’s one of our border states and it has the largest population in the country. California has the most diversity in the country when it comes to the languages people speak. Nearly 56% of residents speak only English at home, while 28% also speak Spanish and nearly 10% speak Asian or Pacific Islander languages.

California also has the second-highest diversity among racial and ethnic groups. Nearly 35% of residents are white, while nearly 40% are Hispanic, over 15% are Asian and around 5% are black.

To top things off, California has the second-most diversity in educational attainment, the second-most household size diversity and the fourth-most industry diversity, which shows that it brings together people of many different backgrounds and with many different expertises.

Texas

Texas is the second-most diverse state in America, and it is another border state with a large population. Texas really stands out in terms of industrial diversity, though, leading the country when it comes to the range of jobs residents have to choose from.

As you might expect, Texas also has a lot of racial and ethnic diversity, the fifth-most in the country. Around 40% of the population is white, nearly 40% is Hispanic, nearly 12% is black and 5% is Asian.

Texas also has the third-most language diversity, with nearly 35% of residents speaking a non-English language at home. In addition, it has the third-most religious diversity and the fourth-most household size diversity.

New Mexico

New Mexico is the third-most diverse state. One notable aspect is that it has the 13th-most birthplace diversity. Over 9% of the population was born in a foreign country. In addition, only around 53% of residents were born in New Mexico, while the highest percentage of U.S.-born residents moved from the South and West regions.

New Mexico also has the highest household diversity, a fact reflected in its varied housing patterns and demographic makeup. In addition, the state has the fifth-most language diversity, with close to 32% of residents speaking a non-English language at home.

Finally, New Mexico has the tenth-most racial and ethnic diversity. Around 37% of the population is white, while 48% is Hispanic, 2% is black and 2% is Asian.

diverse

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Detailed Findings

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

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 benefits and challenges 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 harness their diversity in order to increase economic growth?
What can local governments do to ensure health equity among minority groups?

Ask the Experts

Lori Latrice Martin
Ph.D., Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences and Professor, Department of African & African American Studies, LSU Faculty Athletics Representative - Louisiana State University
Read More

Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba
MS-LAW, MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP - Professor of Human Resources / International Management, Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship (AACSB-accredited) - Nova Southeastern University
Read More

Tony N. Brown
Distinguished Professor of Sociology; Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup; Director, STaRT@Rice Program - Rice University
Read More

Dr. Belle Rose Ragins
University Distinguished Professor and Sheldon B. Lubar Professor of Management, Lubar College of Business - University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Read More

Sanaullah Khan
Ph.D. – Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology – University of Akron
Read More

Xavia Karner
Ph.D. – Associate Professor and Department Chair, Department of Sociology – University of Houston
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
1. Marital-Status Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  - Never Married
  - Married (excluding separated)
  - Divorced
  - Separated
  - Widowed
2. Generational Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  - Alpha: Ages 0 to 12 (born after 2013)
  - Post-Millennials (Generation Z): Ages 13 to 28 (born 1997-2012)
  - Millennials: Ages 29 to 44 (born 1981-1996)
  - Generation X: Ages 45 to 60 (born 1965-1980)
  - Baby Boomers: Ages 61 to 79 (born 1946-1964)
  - Silent Generation & Greatest Generation: Ages 80 & Older (born before 1946)
3. 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
4. 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
Other
Muslim
Jewish
Hindu
Buddhist
Unaffiliated

Political Diversity - Total Points: 10

Conservative
Moderate
Liberal
Unclaimed

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of August 19, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, ARDA and Pew Research Center.

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