The 5 most diverse states in America — and the 5 least diverse

Diversity is a cornerstone of the American experiment. And although the country is becoming more and more diverse each year, those changes look different depending on where you live. Some states represent a broader mix of racial, cultural, and economic identities, while others remain relatively homogeneous.

To better understand diversity across the country, WalletHub compared all 50 states via six categories: socioeconomic diversity, cultural diversity, economic diversity, household diversity, religious diversity, and political diversity. These measures capture not only differences in race and ethnicity, but also factors like language spoken at home, household structures, educational backgrounds, income levels, and industry types.

“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,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “The most diverse states have above-average variety when it comes to people’s ages, birthplaces, languages, jobs, family structures and more.”

Continue reading to see which states made the list. 

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Nevada leads the nation in birthplace diversity, with many residents having come from other parts of the U.S. or abroad. It also has a lot of racial and ethnic representation, with significant Latino and Asian populations. Nevada’s households also reflect wide variety, both in size and structure.

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Florida’s diversity stems largely from its population origins and languages. Nearly a quarter of residents were born outside the U.S., placing the state among the leaders in birthplace diversity. It also ranks high in language diversity, with Spanish and Haitian Creole commonly spoken alongside English.

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New Mexico stands out for its household diversity, ranking first in the country. The state also has one of the highest shares of Latino residents, alongside Native American communities. Nearly a third of households speak a non-English language at home.

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Texas leads the country in industry diversity, meaning Texans work across a wide range of fields, from energy to tech to agriculture. Linguistically, it ranks near the top, with over a third of residents speaking a language other than English at home.

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California takes the top spot as the most diverse state in the nation. It has the greatest linguistic diversity, with Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and many other languages spoken widely alongside English. No racial group in the state forms a majority, and educational and household-size diversity further boost California’s ranking.

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Montana ranks low in most categories of diversity, particularly in terms of language and household variety. The vast majority of residents speak only English at home, and racial representation is limited, with a predominantly white population.

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Vermont also has a pretty uniform racial and linguistic profile — most residents are white and English-speaking. Its small population size contributes to less household variation, and immigration levels are low compared to more diverse states.

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New Hampshire reflects limited racial and ethnic variety, with white residents making up the overwhelming majority. Language diversity is also low, as very few households speak a language other than English at home. 

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Maine struggles with cultural diversity, ranking near the bottom in both race and language categories. The state’s population is predominantly white, and few residents speak languages other than English. 

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West Virginia has some of the lowest levels of racial, linguistic, and birthplace variety in the country making it the most homogeneous state in the nation.