States with the Most Immigrants

A famous cultural historian once said, “The greater the diversity, the greater the perfection.” The United States is undoubtedly a mosaic of different cultures and traditions brought by people from all over the world. But immigration is not a simple subject, and the system itself is far from perfect.

This is one of the most highly-debated topics in today’s political and social sphere. According to a 2022 Pew Research study, 49% of adults in the U.S. believe immigration should be a top priority for lawmakers and national leaders. Because this issue affects so many people nationwide, Impactful.news wanted to take a closer look at the state-by-state numbers.

We looked at the 2022 Census data and compiled the numbers on state population totals, foreign-born populations, and naturalized vs. non-naturalized populations. We calculated percentages for states’ total population born in a foreign country and ranked them from highest to lowest.

Here are the states with the most immigrants ranked from highest percentage to lowest.

California

• 26.8% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 10,451,810
• State population: 39,029,342
• Non-naturalized population: 4,738,506
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 5,713,304

New Jersey

• 23% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 2,134,981
• State population: 9,261,699
• Non-naturalized population: 912,108
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 1,222,873

New York

• 22.5% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 4,427,356
• State population: 19,677,151
• Non-naturalized population: 1,756,286
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 1,756,286

Florida

• 21% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 4,608,653
• State population: 22,244,823
• Non-naturalized population: 1,834,175
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 2,774,478

Hawaii

• 18.8% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 270,345
• State population: 1,440,196
• Non-naturalized population: 103,956
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 166,389

Nevada

• 18.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 579,692
• State population: 3,177,772
• Non-naturalized population: 265,468
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 314,224

Massachusetts

• 17.6% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 1,227,488
• State population: 6,981,974
• Non-naturalized population: 557,852
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 669,636

Texas

• 17% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 5,092,132
• State population: 30,029,572
• Non-naturalized population: 2,967,476
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 2,124,656

Maryland

• 15.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 979,051
• State population: 6,164,660
• Non-naturalized population: 435,829
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 543,222

Connecticut

• 15.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 549,441
• State population: 3,626,205
• Non-naturalized population: 240,283
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 309,158

Washington

• 14.7% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 1,143,311
• State population: 7,785,786
• Non-naturalized population: 583,029
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 560,282

Rhode Island

• 14.6% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 159,304
• State population: 1,093,734
• Non-naturalized population: 67,878
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 91,426

Illinois

• 14.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 1,804,562
• State population: 12,582,032
• Non-naturalized population: 839,210
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 965,352

District of Colombia

• 13.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 89,226
• State population: 671,803
• Non-naturalized population: 44,326
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 44,900

Arizona

• 12.4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 915,934
• State population: 7,359,197
• Non-naturalized population: 469,820
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 446,114

Virginia

• 12.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 1,070,347
• State population: 8683619
• Non-naturalized population: 458703
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 611,644

Delaware

• 9.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 101,260
• State population: 1,018,396
• Non-naturalized population: 44,429
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 56,831

Georgia

• 9.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 1,082,965
• State population: 10,912,876
• Non-naturalized population: 541,352
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 541,613

Colorado

• 9.7% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 570,273
• State population: 5,839,926
• Non-naturalized population: 291,058
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 279,215

Oregon

• 9.7% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 412,396
• State population: 4,240,137
• Non-naturalized population: 198,734
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 213,662

New Mexico

• 9.1% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 192,634
• State population: 2,113,344
• Non-naturalized population: 105,270
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 87,364

Minnesota

• 8.5% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 487,445
• State population: 5,717,184
• Non-naturalized population: 202,832
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 284,613

Utah

• 8.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 278,336
• State population: 3,380,800
• Non-naturalized population: 154,174
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 124,162

North Carolina

• 8.1% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 869,786
• State population: 10,698,973
• Non-naturalized population: 491,857
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 377,929

Alaska

• 8% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 59,061
• State population: 733,583
• Non-naturalized population: 21,773
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 37,288

Nebraska

• 7.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 144,444
• State population: 1,967,923
• Non-naturalized population: 81,873
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 62,571

Pennsylvania

• 7.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 938,636
• State population: 12,972,008
• Non-naturalized population: 419,105
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 519,531

Kansas

• 6.8% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 201,911
• State population: 2,937,150
• Non-naturalized population: 112,509
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 89,402

Michigan

• 6.8% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 683,293
• State population: 10,034,113
• Non-naturalized population: 284,302
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 398,991

Idaho

• 5.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 115,392
• State population: 1,939,033
• Non-naturalized population: 63,538
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 51,854

New Hampshire

• 5.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 82,127
• State population: 1,395,231
• Non-naturalized population: 31,961
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 50,166

Oklahoma

• 5.7% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 230,620
• State population: 4,019,800
• Non-naturalized population: 135,506
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 95,114

Indiana

• 5.5% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 379,407
• State population: 6,833,037
• Non-naturalized population: 215,175
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 164,232

Iowa

• 5.4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 173,021
• State population: 3,200,517
• Non-naturalized population: 88,407
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 84,614

Tennessee

• 5.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 370,765
• State population: 7,051,339
• Non-naturalized population: 219,729
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 151,036

South Carolina

• 5.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 271,280
• State population: 5,282,634
• Non-naturalized population: 148,529
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 122,751

Wisconsin

• 5.1% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 300,760
• State population: 5,892,539
• Non-naturalized population: 153,069
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 147,691

Ohio

• 4.9% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 584,839
• State population: 11,756,058
• Non-naturalized population: 269,695
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 315,144

Arkansas

• 4.7% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 142,988
• State population: 3,045,637
• Non-naturalized population: 92,049
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 50,939

Louisiana

• 4.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 199,915
• State population: 4,590,241
• Non-naturalized population: 117,177
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 82,738

North Dakota

• 4.3% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 33,824
• State population: 779,261
• Non-naturalized population: 17,487
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 16,337

Vermont

• 4.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 27,203
• State population: 647,064
• Non-naturalized population: 11,069
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 16,134

Missouri

• 4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 251,238
• State population: 6,177,957
• Non-naturalized population: 119,084
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 132,154

Maine

• 4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 56,068
• State population: 1,385,340
• Non-naturalized population: 24,554
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 31,514

Kentucky

• 4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 182,011
• State population: 4,512,310
• Non-naturalized population: 104,518
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 77,493

Alabama

• 3.5% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 176,514
• State population: 5,074,296
• Non-naturalized population: 102,083
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 74,431

Wyoming

• 3.4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 19,898
• State population: 581,381
• Non-naturalized population: 11,720
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 8,178

South Dakota

• 3.4% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 30,983
• State population: 909,824
• Non-naturalized population: 16,431
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 14,552

Montana

• 2.2% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 24,457
• State population: 1,122,867
• Non-naturalized population: 12,290
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 12,167

Mississippi

• 2.1% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 62,859
• State population: 2,940,057
• Non-naturalized population: 33,734
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 29,125

West Virginia

• 1.6% foreign-born
• Foreign-born population: 27,861
• State population: 1,775,156
• Non-naturalized population: 14,042
• Naturalized foreign-born U.S. citizens: 13,819