Whitest States

Understanding the racial demographics of the United States requires looking past simple percentages. According to the 2023 American Community Survey by the US Census Bureau, the white population accounts for roughly 59.3% of the country when looking strictly at non-Hispanic individuals, and 75.8% when including all white categories. However, this demographic is not distributed evenly. 

When analyzing the "whitest states" in the US, Data Pandas looks at two distinct metrics defined by the Census Bureau: Percentage (the concentration of white residents relative to the state's total population) and Total Population (the absolute number of white residents living there). 

By separating these two metrics, a fascinating demographic paradox emerges: the states with the highest concentration of white residents actually have some of the smallest populations in the country.

When measuring by strict percentage, the states with the highest proportion of residents identifying as "White Alone" are heavily concentrated in two specific geographic regions: Northern New England and Appalachia.

Maine and West Virginia tie for the highest concentration in the country, with 90.10% of their respective populations identifying exclusively as white. They are closely followed by Vermont (89.90%) and New Hampshire (87.50%). 

While these states are highly homogenous, they are also largely rural with relatively low overall populations. Wyoming, for example, is 84.30% white, but that accounts for fewer than 500,000 people. 

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Hawaii is the least white state by percentage (21.90%), followed by California (38.50%) and New Mexico (47.50%).

If we want to know where the most white Americans actually live, looking at percentages is highly misleading. To visualize this, we can plot the percentage of white residents against the absolute total population of white residents in each state.

The scatter plot above compares the percentage of "White Alone" residents (X-Axis) against the absolute number of "White Alone" residents (Y-Axis).

This chart reveals a distinct demographic paradox: The states with the lowest proportion of white residents are home to the highest sheer volume of white Americans.

Because highly diverse states like California, Texas, and Florida have such massive overall populations, they serve as demographic megacenters for all racial groups. 

• California ranks as the 2nd least-white state by percentage (just 38.50% White Alone). However, it is home to nearly 15 million white residents—the largest absolute white population in the country. 
• Texas is a "majority-minority" state where the White Alone population makes up only 47.70% of the total demographic. Yet, it holds the 2nd highest absolute white population with 14.5 million residents.

Conversely, Maine ranks #1 by percentage, but its actual white population is just 1.25 million—less than 10% of California's white population.

Demographics in the United States are rapidly evolving, and the strict "White Alone" metric does not tell the whole story. The Census Bureau also tracks the "Total White" population, which includes individuals who identify as white in combination with one or more other races, as well as many Hispanic Americans who identify racially as white.

Comparing these two metrics reveals how multiracial identity shifts state demographics:

The scatter plot above compares the strict "White Alone" percentage (X-Axis) against the more inclusive "Total White" percentage (Y-Axis).

In highly diverse states, the gap between these two metrics explodes:

• Texas: The strict "White Alone" population is a minority at 47.70%. But when including multiracial individuals and Hispanic Whites, the "Total White" demographic jumps to 70.10%.
• Hawaii: While only 21.90% of Hawaii identifies as "White Alone," the "Total White" metric jumps to 44.30%. This indicates that more than half of the white population in Hawaii identifies as multiracial.
• California: Jumps from 38.50% (Alone) to 56.20% (Total), adding millions of multiracial Californians to the total count.

These gaps illustrate that as the nation grows more diverse, relying on a single "Alone" percentage point provides an increasingly incomplete picture of a state's true cultural and demographic identity.

All demographic data analyzed by Data Pandas on this page is sourced directly from the United States Census Bureau, utilizing the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates. 

• Definition of White: The US Census Bureau defines "White" as a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.
• White Alone: Refers to individuals who reported their race strictly as "White" and did not report any other race. 
• Total White (In Combination): Refers to individuals who reported their race as "White," either alone or in combination with one or more other designated racial categories.
• Note on Hispanic Origin: The US government considers "Hispanic or Latino" to be an ethnicity, not a race. Therefore, a person can identify as ethnically Hispanic while simultaneously identifying racially as White.