Census ACS 5-Year · 52 states
States With Most Foreign-Born Residents
Immigration has shaped the United States since its founding, and the distribution of foreign-born residents reveals which states are most connected to global migration patterns. California leads the nation with roughly 27% of residents born outside the US, followed by New York, New Jersey, and Florida. These gateway states offer established immigrant communities, international airports, employment opportunities, and social networks that attract new arrivals. The foreign-born population is tremendously diverse, encompassing refugees, high-skilled workers on visas, family-sponsored immigrants, and undocumented individuals. States with large foreign-born populations tend to have more multilingual schools, diverse food cultures, and stronger international business connections. They also face unique policy challenges around language access, credential recognition, and immigration enforcement that differ markedly from states with smaller immigrant populations.
Key Findings
- 1Wyoming leads with a foreign-born population percentage of 53.6%, followed by Nevada (51.8%) and New Hampshire (51.6%).
- 2The national median across all states is 32.5% (North Dakota at the midpoint).
- 3The top 10 states are: Wyoming, Nevada, New Hampshire, District of Columbia, Idaho, Colorado, Alaska, Vermont, Arizona, Delaware.
Full Ranking: States With Most Foreign-Born Residents
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Foreign Born % | Non-English Home | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 53.6% | 93.2% | 579,761 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 23.4% | 91.2% | 5,892,023 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 29.8% | 97.5% | 1,784,462 |
| 4 | Washington | 36.5% | 79.0% | 7,740,984 |
| 5 | Virginia | 36.0% | 82.8% | 8,657,499 |
| 6 | Vermont | 46.8% | 94.5% | 645,254 |
| 7 | Utah | 29.1% | 84.3% | 3,331,187 |
| 8 | Texas | 22.4% | 65.1% | 29,640,343 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 35.3% | 91.7% | 6,986,082 |
| 10 | South Dakota | 32.5% | 93.3% | 899,194 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 39.7% | 91.8% | 5,212,774 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 28.3% | 77.3% | 1,095,371 |
| 13 | Puerto Rico | - | - | 3,254,885 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 19.7% | 88.0% | 12,986,518 |
| 15 | Oregon | 43.4% | 84.9% | 4,238,714 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 32.7% | 88.7% | 3,995,260 |
| 17 | Ohio | 19.3% | 92.3% | 11,780,046 |
| 18 | North Dakota | 32.5% | 93.6% | 779,361 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 35.7% | 87.0% | 10,584,340 |
| 20 | New York | 12.2% | 69.4% | 19,872,319 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 36.7% | 68.4% | 2,114,768 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 22.9% | 67.3% | 9,267,014 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 51.6% | 92.0% | 1,387,834 |
| 24 | Nevada | 51.8% | 70.7% | 3,141,000 |
| 25 | Nebraska | 26.9% | 87.7% | 1,965,926 |
| 26 | Montana | 44.3% | 95.8% | 1,105,072 |
| 27 | Missouri | 29.0% | 93.4% | 6,168,181 |
| 28 | Mississippi | 25.8% | 95.8% | 2,951,438 |
| 29 | Minnesota | 23.3% | 87.8% | 5,713,716 |
| 30 | Michigan | 15.9% | 89.8% | 10,051,595 |
| 31 | Massachusetts | 20.3% | 75.2% | 6,992,395 |
| 32 | Maryland | 35.0% | 79.4% | 6,170,738 |
| 33 | Maine | 34.7% | 94.0% | 1,377,400 |
| 34 | Louisiana | 17.4% | 91.7% | 4,621,025 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 26.9% | 93.6% | 4,510,725 |
| 36 | Kansas | 32.6% | 87.9% | 2,937,569 |
| 37 | Iowa | 23.7% | 91.1% | 3,195,937 |
| 38 | Indiana | 26.0% | 90.2% | 6,811,752 |
| 39 | Illinois | 17.5% | 76.2% | 12,692,653 |
| 40 | Idaho | 48.9% | 89.3% | 1,893,296 |
| 41 | Hawaii | 25.9% | 74.9% | 1,445,635 |
| 42 | Georgia | 33.9% | 85.0% | 10,822,590 |
| 43 | Florida | 39.0% | 69.9% | 21,928,881 |
| 44 | District of Columbia | 49.1% | 82.0% | 672,079 |
| 45 | Delaware | 44.4% | 85.2% | 1,005,872 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 27.2% | 77.0% | 3,598,348 |
| 47 | Colorado | 47.2% | 83.9% | 5,810,774 |
| 48 | California | 15.2% | 55.9% | 39,242,785 |
| 49 | Arkansas | 33.5% | 91.9% | 3,032,651 |
| 50 | Arizona | 46.2% | 74.3% | 7,268,175 |
| 51 | Alaska | 46.9% | 84.4% | 733,971 |
| 52 | Alabama | 27.2% | 94.1% | 5,054,253 |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Wyoming has the highest foreign-born population percentage at 53.6%, according to latest Census ACS data. Nevada and New Hampshire round out the top three.
Puerto Rico has the lowest foreign-born population percentage at -. New York is second-lowest at 12.2%.
The median across all 52 states is 32.5%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.