States That Have Made the Most Racial Progress

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterJan 13, 2026

Embed on your website

While the U.S. has made significant strides toward racial equality since the Civil Rights Movement, there is still more work to be done to ensure equal opportunities for all. Today, 44% of Americans report feeling somewhat or very pessimistic about the nation’s ability to achieve racial equality, while only 28% feel somewhat or very optimistic.

The pessimism is understandable when viewed through an economic lens. White, non-Hispanic men, for example, earn a median annual income over $20,000 higher than Black men, and unemployment rates remain considerably higher among Black workers compared to white workers.

Looking ahead, it’s important to continue building on the progress already made — in workplaces, schools, and voting access. To identify where the greatest improvements have occurred, WalletHub compared Black–white gaps across 22 measures of equality in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our data set ranges from median annual household income to standardized-test scores to voter turnout.

“It’s encouraging to look at the data and see that some states have made significant strides toward racial equality over the past few decades. For example, Georgia has closed the racial income gap by over 32 percentage points since 1979, and Mississippi has decreased disparity in poverty levels by 27 percentage points since 1970. Plus, several of the states that have made the most racial progress overall have improved so much that they are now among the top 10 most integrated states. This change demonstrates that state-level policies and residents’ attitudes regarding equality have grown considerably better.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Racial Integration Ranking

This ranking measures the current integration levels of white people and Black people. We also have a separate ranking of the states’ racial progress over time.

Embed on your website

States with the Most Racial Integration

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Employment & Wealth Rank	Education Rank	Social & Civic Engagement Rank	Health Rank
1	Arizona	72.76	7	8	1	5
2	New Mexico	71.31	9	2	3	15
3	Delaware	71.18	2	16	6	10
4	Washington	71.11	8	18	14	1
5	Texas	69.39	14	7	8	12
6	Maryland	68.97	6	24	10	9
7	Hawaii	68.83	3	5	17	28
8	Georgia	68.62	10	11	4	24
9	Kentucky	68.49	11	10	21	8
10	Alaska	67.08	1	14	12	45
11	North Carolina	66.55	17	19	7	20
12	West Virginia	66.23	23	3	24	18
13	Virginia	66.21	13	25	9	27
14	Colorado	64.90	24	20	18	11
15	Tennessee	64.65	15	4	29	39
16	Oklahoma	64.15	31	6	11	35
17	California	64.06	28	29	5	23
18	Florida	63.43	12	34	33	17
19	Oregon	62.80	18	12	43	7
20	Massachusetts	62.39	26	40	36	4
21	Rhode Island	62.19	16	48	37	2
22	Kansas	62.00	38	23	15	14
23	New Jersey	61.75	30	27	13	31
24	Alabama	61.52	27	15	20	43
25	Nevada	60.94	22	35	25	25
26	Indiana	60.19	37	26	23	21
27	South Carolina	59.91	19	36	16	47
28	Utah	59.82	32	33	2	49
29	Missouri	59.74	25	30	34	37
30	New Hampshire	59.66	5	28	48	46
31	Vermont	59.07	39	9	40	3
32	New York	59.05	36	43	27	13
33	Idaho	58.97	4	44	47	32
34	Mississippi	58.90	35	21	35	33
35	Pennsylvania	58.14	41	22	30	26
36	Connecticut	57.80	20	42	41	22
37	Arkansas	57.20	34	13	44	40
38	Ohio	56.39	43	39	19	36
39	Louisiana	56.27	40	37	31	34
40	Maine	56.00	21	38	46	38
41	Wyoming	55.00	49	1	28	42
42	Illinois	53.29	47	32	26	41
43	North Dakota	52.13	33	31	49	29
44	Montana	51.80	42	17	32	51
45	Nebraska	51.78	44	50	22	19
46	Iowa	51.55	48	46	42	6
47	Michigan	51.01	45	41	38	48
48	Minnesota	50.61	46	47	45	16
49	South Dakota	50.00	29	45	50	30
50	Wisconsin	36.76	50	49	51	44
51	District of Columbia	30.90	51	51	39	50

Notes: *No. 1 = Most Integrated
With the exception of “Total Score,” the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that category.

Median Annual Income Gap

Lowest

Lowest
1. New Hampshire
2. Hawaii
3. New Mexico
4. Idaho
5. South Dakota

Highest

Highest
47. Illinois
48. Louisiana
49. Wyoming
50. Wisconsin
51. District of Columbia

Labor-Force Participation Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Vermont
T-1. Kentucky
T-1. Idaho
T-1. North Dakota
T-1. Delaware

Highest

Highest
47. Montana
48. West Virginia
49. Wyoming
50. Wisconsin
51. District of Columbia

Unemployment Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Alaska
T-1. Maine
3. South Dakota
4. Idaho
5. New Hampshire

Highest

Highest
47. Michigan
48. Illinois
49. Hawaii
50. Montana
51. District of Columbia

Homeownership Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
1. District of Columbia
2. Mississippi
3. Maryland
4. South Carolina
5. Virginia

Highest

Highest
47. Vermont
48. Minnesota
49. Maine
50. South Dakota
51. North Dakota

Poverty Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
1. Hawaii
2. New Hampshire
3. Montana
4. Maryland
5. Arizona

Highest

Highest
47. Mississippi
48. District of Columbia
49. Wisconsin
50. Iowa
51. Wyoming

High School Graduation Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Wyoming
T-1. Texas
T-1. West Virginia
4. New Mexico
5. California

Highest

Highest
47. Nebraska
48. South Dakota
49. District of Columbia
50. Iowa
51. Minnesota

Bachelor's Degree Degree Attainment Gap

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Wyoming
T-1. Maine
3. Vermont
4. New Mexico
5. Oregon

Highest

Highest
47. New York
48. Massachusetts
49. Colorado
50. Connecticut
51. District of Columbia

Standardized-Test Scores Gap

Lowest

Lowest
1. Alaska
2. Vermont
3. New Hampshire
4. New Mexico
5. Hawaii

Highest

Highest
43. Michigan
44. California
45. Connecticut
46. Wisconsin
47. District of Columbia

Voter Turnout Gap (2024 Presidential Election)

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Mississippi
T-1. Oregon
T-1. Utah
4. Texas
5. New York

Highest

Highest
47. Maine
48. Idaho
49. South Dakota
50. Hawaii
51. North Dakota

Infant-Mortality Rate Gap

Lowest

Lowest
1. Massachusetts
2. Rhode Island
3. New York
4. District of Columbia
5. Oregon

Highest

Highest
37. Indiana
38. Maine
39. Wisconsin
40. West Virginia
41. Oklahoma

Note: All of the above comparisons refer to the gaps between white people and Black people, according to the most recent available data.

Racial Progress Ranking

This ranking measures the levels of racial progress achieved over time. We also have constructed a separate ranking of the states’ current racial integration levels.

Embed on your website

States with the Most Racial Progress

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Employment & Wealth Rank	Education Rank	Social & Civic Engagement Rank	Health Rank
1	Georgia	64.50	1	14	7	31
2	Mississippi	63.95	2	6	22	10
3	Texas	63.47	16	4	6	4
4	North Carolina	59.87	10	10	20	8
5	Maryland	59.81	3	27	16	19
6	Florida	59.52	14	2	21	21
7	New Jersey	58.42	9	7	14	29
8	Massachusetts	56.98	15	40	4	14
9	Louisiana	56.82	12	22	24	15
10	New Mexico	56.48	21	3	13	45
11	Delaware	56.29	13	15	19	30
12	Rhode Island	56.26	7	43	31	7
13	Alabama	56.24	6	26	27	32
14	Connecticut	56.19	4	38	44	9
15	South Carolina	55.71	8	20	17	39
16	Virginia	55.30	11	23	29	25
17	Idaho	55.17	23	31	1	3
18	Wyoming	54.75	33	1	9	N/A
19	Oregon	54.69	35	5	2	6
20	California	54.41	20	9	25	17
21	Pennsylvania	54.24	31	17	8	11
22	New York	53.80	19	37	11	23
23	Arkansas	53.61	17	25	26	34
24	Arizona	52.39	27	11	28	22
25	Tennessee	52.25	18	13	48	27
26	Kansas	51.38	36	18	12	16
27	Illinois	51.24	25	28	32	13
28	New Hampshire	49.78	24	49	10	2
29	Washington	49.27	30	12	40	12
30	Oklahoma	48.81	26	30	30	33
31	Utah	48.64	38	29	5	44
32	Hawaii	48.02	34	33	18	20
33	Nevada	47.03	39	24	3	43
34	Missouri	46.97	22	32	42	40
35	Kentucky	46.89	29	36	37	28
36	Alaska	46.60	32	21	36	42
37	North Dakota	46.59	5	51	51	1
38	Colorado	45.17	40	34	35	24
39	Minnesota	44.75	48	16	33	37
40	Montana	44.25	41	44	15	N/A
41	Maine	43.91	42	35	23	N/A
42	Michigan	43.79	45	8	43	36
43	Indiana	43.55	43	19	41	35
44	Ohio	42.95	37	41	39	38
45	District of Columbia	41.66	49	39	38	5
46	Wisconsin	40.32	46	47	49	26
47	South Dakota	40.18	28	50	46	47
48	West Virginia	39.98	44	42	50	41
49	Nebraska	37.81	47	45	34	46
50	Iowa	35.60	51	46	45	18
51	Vermont	30.17	50	48	47	N/A

Notes: *No. 1 = Most Racial Progress Achieved
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 best conditions for that metric category.

Median Annual Income Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Georgia
2. New Mexico
3. Florida
4. Rhode Island
5. Hawaii

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Indiana
48. Wisconsin
49. North Dakota
50. Vermont
51. District of Columbia

Labor-Force Participation Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. North Dakota
2. Utah
3. New Hampshire
4. South Dakota
5. Massachusetts

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Pennsylvania
48. Wyoming
49. Montana
50. Wisconsin
51. District of Columbia

Unemployment Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. North Dakota
2. Idaho
3. South Dakota
4. Maine
5. Wyoming

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Nevada
48. Illinois
49. Hawaii
50. District of Columbia
51. Montana

Homeownership Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Connecticut
2. North Dakota
3. Idaho
4. Massachusetts
5. Montana

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Utah
48. Oklahoma
49. Nebraska
50. West Virginia
51. Iowa

Poverty Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Mississippi
2. South Carolina
3. Georgia
4. Alabama
5. Arkansas

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Wyoming
48. District of Columbia
49. Alaska
50. Maine
51. Vermont

High School Graduation Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Mississippi
2. Nevada
3. Delaware
4. Arizona
5. Florida

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Minnesota
48. New Hampshire
49. Maine
50. South Dakota
51. North Dakota

Bachelor's Degree Attainment Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Wyoming
2. Maine
3. New Mexico
4. Arizona
5. Oregon

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
47. Minnesota
48. South Dakota
49. New Hampshire
50. Vermont
51. District of Columbia

Standardized-Test Scores Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Florida
2. Mississippi
3. Rhode Island
4. New Mexico
5. New Jersey

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
32. Kentucky
33. Ohio
34. Oklahoma
35. Iowa
36. Wisconsin

Voter Turnout Gap (2024 Presidential Election)

Best Change

Best Change
1. Kansas
2. New Jersey
3. New York
4. Mississippi
5. Texas

Worst Change

Worst Change
25. Missouri
26. Tennessee
27. Wisconsin
28. Connecticut
29. Washington

Infant-Mortality Rate Gap

Highest Change

Highest Change
1. Oregon
2. District of Columbia
3. Iowa
4. Pennsylvania
5. Colorado

Lowest Change

Lowest Change
35. Arkansas
36. West Virginia
37. Oklahoma
38. Kentucky
39. Nebraska

Note: The above comparisons refer to the gap between white people and Black people over time.

In-Depth Look at the States With the Most Racial Progress

Georgia

Georgia has made the most racial progress. For one thing, it has reduced the gap between the earnings of white and Black Americans by over 32 percentage points since 1979, the largest reduction in the nation.

Georgia has also made great strides when it comes to education, cutting the disparity between the share of white and Black residents who have at least a high school degree by more than 23 percentage points since 1970. Making educational attainment more equitable is likely one of the major reasons why there has been so much progress when it comes to salaries, as higher education correlates with higher earnings.

On top of that, Georgia ranks first for progress when it comes to business ownership rate, and fourth-best for improving the number of Black residents in executive positions.

Mississippi

Mississippi has closed the poverty rate gap by around 27 percentage points since 1970. That is the most significant reduction in the U.S., and one of the main reasons why Mississippi ranks as the state that has made the second-most racial progress. It also ranks as the sixth-best state for reducing the household income disparity.

Another place Mississippi stands out is improving voter participation. Between 1980 and 2024, the gap in voter participation rates between white and Black residents shrank by roughly 13 percentage points. Making progress in this area is vital for ensuring that no one is disenfranchised, so everyone who wants to vote is able to.

Finally, Mississippi has improved outcomes when it comes to health. For example, it is the third-best state when it comes to progress on overall health and the third-best for closing the gap in health-insurance coverage between white and Black residents.

Texas

The state that has made the third-most racial progress over the past few decades is Texas, in large part because it has done a lot to close the gap in health outcomes between white and Black residents. The state has reduced the gap in health insurance coverage by 12.1 percentage points since 1995, the second-most of any state. In addition, Texas has done the most to decrease the share of Black residents suffering from poor health and the 10th-most decrease in diabetes. It’s made the second-most progress when it comes to obesity, too.

Texas has also made a lot of racial progress in the business sector. For example, between 2002 and 2022, the gap in business ownership between white and Black residents decreased by 8.6 percentage points, the fifth-largest decrease in the nation. The disparity in the share of business executives who are white vs. Black also decreased by close to 8 percentage points, the seventh-largest decrease.

Finally, Texas is the fourth-best state when it comes to making racial progress in the parole system, which is important since Black people have faced a lot of discrimination in the criminal justice system throughout history.

Ask the Experts

The harsh realities of racial segregation and discrimination are no longer as visible in America as they once were — but they persist. In order to understand the driving forces behind such problems and possible solutions, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts and ideas. Click on the experts’ profiles to read their bios and responses to the following key questions:

What are the major causes of the racial wealth gap between Black and white households?
What can state and local authorities do to help reduce racial gaps in wealth, employment and education?
Should state and local authorities work to reduce racial segregation in housing? If so, how?
Why have some states been more successful than others in addressing racial inequalities?
What are the primary challenges in reducing racial gaps?

Ask the Experts

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

Ralph F. Young
Professor of Instruction in History; Affiliate Faculty, Global Studies Program - Temple University College of Liberal Arts
Read More

Donald Beachler
Retired Associate Professor, Politics - Ithaca College
Read More

M. Nicole Horsley
Associate Professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race & Ethnicity (CSCRE) – Ithaca College
Read More

Dr. Timothy W. Kneeland
Professor & Director, Museums, Archives & Public History, Director, Center for Public History - Nazareth University
Read More

Allan Lichtman
Distinguished Professor of History, American University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the most racially integrated states and those that have achieved the most racial progress over time, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Employment & Wealth, 2) Education 3) Social & Civic Engagement and 4) Health.

We evaluated those dimensions using 22 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of racial integration and progress.

This analysis compares only Black people and white people in light of racial tensions in recent years that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. We released this report ahead of the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against Black people.

We ranked the states and the District of Columbia based on two key measures:

Racial Integration – Determined by subtracting the values attributed to white people and Black people for a given metric, using only the most recent available data.
Racial Progress – Determined by subtracting the values attributed to white people and Black people for a given metric, using the oldest available data and the most recent. Based on the result, we calculated the percentage of progress for that specific metric in the analyzed period.

If in some states Black people scored as high as or better than white people on a given metric, all such states were awarded the maximum number of points.

Finally, we determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.

Employment & Wealth – Total Points: 40

Median Annual Household Income: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Labor-Force Participation Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Unemployment Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Homeownership Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Business Ownership Rate: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)
Share of Executives: Full Weight (~5.71 Points)

Education – Total Points: 20

Share of Adults with at Least a High School Degree: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: “Adults” include the population aged 25 and older.
Share of Adults with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: “Adults” include the population aged 25 and older.
Standardized-Test Scores: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Public High School Dropout Rate: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Social & Civic Engagement – Total Points: 20

Share of Single-Parent Households: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Share of Adult Population on Parole: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Share of Veterans: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Voter-Turnout Rate: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the rates for presidential elections.

Health – Total Points: 20

Share of Adults in Poor or Fair Health: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Share of Insured Adults: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Share of Obese Adults: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Share of Diabetic Adults: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Share of Preterm Births: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Share of Live Births with Low Birthweight: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: “Low Birthweight” refers to less than 2,500 grams.
Infant-Mortality Rate: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of deaths of infants younger than one year per 1,000 live births.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of December 16, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers

Editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. Please keep in mind that it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.

Was this article helpful?

Expert Commentary

WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.

Important Disclosures

Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers. For full transparency, here is a list of our current advertisers.

Advertisers compensate WalletHub when you click on a link, or your application is approved, or your account is opened. Advertising impacts how and where offers appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear and their prevalence). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.

Advertising enables WalletHub to provide you proprietary tools, services, and content at no charge. Advertising does not impact WalletHub's editorial content including our best picks, reviews, ratings and opinions. Those are completely independent and not provided, commissioned, or endorsed by any company, as our editors follow a strict editorial policy.

WalletHub is not a financial advisor. Our goal is to provide you with top-notch content, data, and tools. You are responsible for deciding what financial products and providers are best for your needs.

Irrespective of whether an institution or professional is a paid advertiser, the presence of information on WalletHub does not constitute a referral or endorsement of the institution or professional by us or vice versa.

We work hard to show you up-to-date product terms, however, this information does not originate from us and thus, we do not guarantee its accuracy. Actual terms may vary. Before submitting an application, always verify all terms and conditions with the offering institution. Please let us know if you notice any differences.