West Virginia Ranks as Least Diverse State in America, According to New Report (2024)

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West Virginia Ranks as Least Diverse State in America, According to New Report? ›

West Virginia is ranked the least diverse state in America, ranking number 50 for overall diversity. California ranked number 1 overall, number one in socio-economic and cultural diversity, 11 for economic, and 9 for household diversity. Texas ranked number 2 overall, and Hawaii came in at number 3.

The research compared the 50 states based on socio-economic, cultural, economic, household, and religious and political diversity. According to the findings, West Virginia has been ranked as the least diverse state in America, coming in at number 50 for overall diversity.

Population & Diversity

In 2022, there were 27 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (1.63M people) in West Virginia than any other race or ethnicity. There were 60.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 54.8k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Wyoming reports the least number of Black or African American residents, with just 5.2K individuals. This, however, does not come as a surprise when one takes into account Wyoming's overall population status, which is the smallest in the country.

Population & Diversity

Virginia is home to a population of 8.62M people, from which 94.4% are citizens. As of 2022, 12.5% of Virginia residents were born outside of the country (1.08M people). In 2022, there were 3.23 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.17M people) in Virginia than any other race or ethnicity.

West Virginia is ranked the least diverse state in America, ranking number 50 for overall diversity. California ranked number 1 overall, number one in socio-economic and cultural diversity, 11th for economic, and 9th for household diversity. Texas followed at second overall, and Hawaii came in at number 3 on the list.

As the United States' third most-forested state, West Virginia is known for its timber and protected woodlands. It's also famous for its salt: Wild buffalo and deer gathered to lick natural salt deposits, and Native Americans and colonists gathered salt to cure butter and preserve meats.

Low crime rate: West Virginia has a lower crime rate compared to other states, making it a safe and peaceful place to live. Natural beauty: West Virginia is known for its stunning natural scenery, including the Appalachian Mountains, verdant forests, and numerous lakes and rivers.

What is the whitest state in America? ›

The whitest state in the U.S is West Virginia, where 97.12% of the population identifies as White. The second state closely following this demographic trend is Wyoming with a White population percentage of 93.79%, closely trailed by Vermont with 92.80% and Maine with 92.69%.

Hawaii has the largest multiracial population with 24.1 percent of its population identifying with two or more races.

Keystone is one of the few municipalities in West Virginia with an African-American majority, with 65 percent of the residents being black.

Of all places in West Virginia with populations between 1,000 and 25,000, Shenandoah Junction ranks as the wealthiest. The average household income in the town stands at $169,135, about $99,700 more than the statewide average.

This limit made Papua New Guinea an outlier; as none of its thousands of groups included more than one percent of the population, it was considered to have zero groups and thus have a perfect fractionalization score of 1.

It found that New Mexico is the most cultural state in the US. The state is home to 367 sights and landmarks, 505 museums, and 334 art galleries meaning that out of the 2,751 attractions in the state, 43.84% were considered cultural, the highest percentage of any US state.