Foreign-Born Population in U.S. States (2026): Key Insights

The 2026 data on foreign-born populations in U.S. states show clear differences in economic strength and cultural inclusion.

States such as California and Florida have higher percentages because they rely on immigrant labor to support growing industries.

This ranking shows how migration flows help cities prosper but also reveal weaknesses in how resources are shared. States with lower rankings frequently have fewer opportunities and struggle to lure global talent.

The table shows a country divided between fast-growing areas and those falling behind, which affects national competitiveness.

Rank	Region Name	Percentage share
1	California	30.8
2	Florida	25.6
3	New Jersey	24.2
4	Maryland	23.3
5	New York	23.1
6	Massachusetts	22.6
7	Texas	21.1
8	Washington	19.4
9	Nevada	19.2
10	Hawaii	18.6
11	Georgia	18.3
12	Connecticut	16.3
13	Illinois	15.0
14	Rhode Island	14.7
15	District of Columbia	14.1
16	Virginia	13.3
17	Arizona	13.2
18	Pennsylvania	11.3
19	Delaware	11.2
20	Indiana	11.2
21	New Mexico	10.2
22	Colorado	9.6
23	Oregon	9.6
24	North Carolina	9.2
25	Utah	8.9
26	Minnesota	8.6
27	Nebraska	7.7
28	Alaska	7.4
29	Michigan	7.3
30	Kansas	7.1
31	New Hampshire	6.8
32	Oklahoma	6.1
33	Tennessee	6.1
34	Iowa	5.9
35	South Carolina	5.9
36	Idaho	5.7
37	Arkansas	5.3
38	Ohio	5.3
39	Wisconsin	5.2
40	Louisiana	4.9
41	Missouri	4.8
42	Kentucky	4.5
43	Vermont	4.5
44	South Dakota	4.3
45	Alabama	4.0
46	North Dakota	4.0
47	Maine	3.8
48	Wyoming	3.6
49	Mississippi	2.6
50	Montana	2.2
51	West Virginia	1.8

The top regions lead because they have strong tech, finance, and services job markets that attract skilled immigrants. California is first, with 30.8 percent, thanks to Silicon Valley’s need for a wide range of expertise.

Florida ranks second at 25.6 percent as tourism and real estate sectors thrive on foreign-born workers who fill essential roles.

New Jersey is third with 24.2 percent, helped by its pharmaceutical and logistics centers that depend on international talent. These leading states include immigrants in high-value industries, raising GDP per capita well above the national average.

Georgia ranks eleventh with 18.3 percent, which is higher than Illinois at thirteenth with 15.0 percent, even though Illinois is a traditional gateway state.

Georgia’s growth stems from Atlanta becoming a center for logistics and film production, attracting Latin American and Asian migrants. This growth outpaces Illinois, where manufacturing is declining, even though Chicago has long served as a hub for immigrants.

This change is due to Georgia’s pro-business policies, which create entry-level jobs more quickly than Illinois’ regulations do.

Coastal regions do better than interior areas because of their strong economic networks.

The Northeast cluster, with New Jersey ranked third, Maryland fourth, New York fifth, and Massachusetts sixth, averages over 23 percent by relying on the finance and education sectors, which value global connections.

The Sun Belt cluster, which includes Florida in second place, Texas in seventh, and Georgia in eleventh, averages 21.5 percent. This is mainly due to the energy and agricultural industries, which use immigrant labor to keep costs down.

In contrast, the Midwest cluster, with Indiana ranked twentieth at 11.2 percent, Minnesota twenty-sixth at 8.6 percent, and Michigan twenty-ninth at 7.3 percent, averages less than 9 percent.

Their agricultural and manufacturing industries have not grown beyond serving domestic needs.

Top-ranked regions struggle with challenges with housing costs and public services. California, ranked first, deals with rising rents that push out local residents.

The arrival of more immigrants puts pressure on infrastructure, while low-wage sectors do not contribute enough in taxes to keep up.

Massachusetts is sixth, sacrificing community cohesion for economic gains, as rapid demographic changes erode social trust in urban areas.

These costs undermine long-term sustainability, forcing leaders to prioritize short-term growth over equitable development.

Lower-ranked regions face challenges because they are isolated and rely on only one or two industries.

West Virginia, ranked fifty-first with 1.8 percent, struggles to attract immigrants because its coal-based economy offers few different job options.

Montana, ranked 50th with 2.2 percent, and Wyoming, ranked 48th with 3.6 percent, have trouble attracting foreign talent because their rural areas are so spread out, making it hard to build strong professional networks.

These problems keep population growth flat, since skilled workers looking for city life and job variety often choose other places.

If things keep going the same way, the top regions will pull even further ahead because of their growing innovation advantage.

By 2035, California and Florida could each reach 35 percent, making them even stronger in tech and services while leaving other regions behind.

Midwestern areas could become less important economically as their populations age and fewer immigrants arrive to fill jobs.

Southern states like Mississippi, ranked forty-ninth with 2.6 percent, may see more poverty unless policies change to support new industries.

National policies need to step in and create more equal opportunities, or the growing gaps between districts could hurt the country’s unity.

Based on:

• U.S. Census Bureau. (2025). Vintage 2025 population estimates. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html
• Krikorian, M., & Camarota, S. A. (2025). The foreign-born population at the state and regional level, 1850 to 2025. Center for Immigration Studies. https://cis.org/Report/ForeignBorn-Population-State-and-Regional-Level-1850-2025
• Pew Research Center. (2025). What the data says about immigrants in the U.S. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants
• Migration Policy Institute. (2023). U.S. immigrant population by state and county. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/us-immigrant-population-state-and-county
• U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). The foreign-born population in the United States: 2022. https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-019.pdf
• American Immigration Council. (2025). U.S. immigration statistics. https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/locations/national