Data in Detail: United States

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Data for iowa

Immigrant Population

There are more than 45 million immigrants living in the United States, accounting for 14 percent of the national population. Exactly how much of the local population immigrants make up varies by state and locality, but immigrants play an important role everywhere, from West Virginia, where immigrants make up 2 percent of the population, to California where immigrants make up 27 percent of the population. All data for this analysis was derived from the 2021 American Community Survey 5-year data sample.

State Immigrants Share
Alabama 172,500 3%
Alaska 61,034 8%
Arizona 928,355 13%
Arkansas 151,582 5%
California 10,519,127 27%
Colorado 546,105 10%
Connecticut 536,477 15%
Delaware 94,660 10%
District of Columbia 93,646 14%
Florida 4,475,002 21%
Georgia 1,090,227 10%
Hawaii 266,305 18%
Idaho 103,274 6%
Illinois 1,809,725 14%
Indiana 369,595 5%
Iowa 172,387 5%
Kansas 208,604 7%
Kentucky 180,599 4%
Louisiana 192,690 4%
Maine 49,422 4%
Maryland 942,234 15%
Massachusetts 1,209,024 17%
Michigan 702,397 7%
Minnesota 482,613 9%
Mississippi 67,327 2%
Missouri 256,471 4%
Montana 23,958 2%
Nebraska 148,718 8%
Nevada 591,575 19%
New Hampshire 84,607 6%
New Jersey 2,122,591 23%
New Mexico 194,127 9%
New York 4,537,135 23%
North Carolina 840,585 8%
North Dakota 34,932 5%
Ohio 563,835 5%
Oklahoma 234,995 6%
Oregon 416,745 10%
Pennsylvania 929,694 7%
Rhode Island 156,051 14%
South Carolina 266,006 5%
South Dakota 32,701 4%
Tennessee 367,974 5%
Texas 4,943,836 17%
Utah 270,857 8%
Vermont 29,934 5%
Virginia 1,076,592 13%
Washington 1,127,961 15%
West Virginia 28,590 2%
Wisconsin 289,538 5%
Wyoming 19,003 3%
United States 45,013,922 14%
State Immigrants Share
Immigrant Share of GDP

Immigrants’ share of economic output is consistently more than their share of population. Nationally, immigrants account for 14 percent of the population and 17 percent of economic output, or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Three key factors explain this. First, immigrants are more likely to be in prime working age and are therefore also a larger share of the labor force. Second, immigrants are disproportionately likely to be business owners. And third, immigrants work in a much wider range of jobs than is often understood. As the analysis below shows, although immigrants are disproportionately likely to be in low-wage jobs, the majority work in middle- or upper-income jobs. In each state, the immigrant share of GDP is higher than immigrant share of population.

Educational Attainment for Immigrants

More than 15 million immigrants in the United States have at least an associate’s degree. Overall, 18 percent of all immigrants in the U.S. who are older than 25 have a bachelor’s degree and 14 percent have an advanced degree. There are significant gaps in access to education among immigrants, though. In all, 22 percent of immigrants have a high school diploma or equivalent but no college while 26 percent did not finish high school. On the whole, immigrants are less likely to have finished high school than their U.S.-born counterparts, as only 8 percent of U.S.-born people older than 25 have less than a high school diploma. When immigrants have access to a college education, however, they are more likely to finish, as 22 percent of U.S.-born folks have some college experience, but no degree, compared to just 13 percent for immigrants.

Immigrant Educational Attainment

U.S.-Born Educational Attainment

Where Immigrants Come From

Immigrants arrive in the United States from all over the world. There are many factors that impact why people move to the U.S., including geographical proximity, historical associations related to U.S. colonization or foreign policy, and corporate recruiting hotspots. In the United States as a whole, the most common birthplace for immigrants in the United States is Mexico, followed by India, China, Philippines, and El Salvador. Where immigrants come from varies significantly from state to state.

English Proficiency

Fluency in English is an important factor in economic and social integration in the United States. People who speak “only English” at home often come from countries that speak English or have a partner who speaks English. People who speak “very well” or “well” have the advantage of being fluent in two or more languages. Those who speak “not well” are often learning the language, and “not at all” includes new arrivals and people who have been in the United States but have not learned English. Nationally , most immigrants have high levels of English proficiency, including 37 percent who report speaking English “very well” and 17 percent who say they only speak English. Another 21 percent report speaking English “well,” adding up to 75 percent of the immigrant population who are proficient in English. Seventeen percent of immigrants say they have limited English proficiency, and 8 percent say they do not speak English at all.

Earning Ranges

Nationally, most immigrants are in middle- or upper-wage jobs. And, immigrants are disproportionately concentrated in low-wage jobs . Both things are true at the same time, according to research by Immigration Research Initiative. For this analysis we sorted full-time workers into three groups: “low wage,” “middle wage,” or upper wage.” Low wage is defined as earning less than two thirds of the national median, middle wage is two thirds to double the median, and upper wage is more than double the median. That means that people in low-wage jobs earn less than $35,000 for full-time, year-round work. Middle-wage earners bring in $35,000 to $104,000, and upper-wage earn over $104,000.

Immigrant Earning Wages

U.S.-Born Earning Wages

State Earning Range Count Share of U.S.-Born
Alabama Low Wage 540,047 35%
Alabama Middle Wage 825,526 54%
Alabama Upper Wage 172,602 11%
Alaska Low Wage 44,164 20%
Alaska Middle Wage 130,694 61%
Alaska Upper Wage 40,878 19%
Arizona Low Wage 530,558 28%
Arizona Middle Wage 1,107,450 58%
Arizona Upper Wage 279,651 15%
Arkansas Low Wage 337,992 37%
Arkansas Middle Wage 482,864 53%
Arkansas Upper Wage 83,950 9%
California Low Wage 1,940,413 23%
California Middle Wage 4,561,484 53%
California Upper Wage 2,078,773 24%
Colorado Low Wage 398,495 21%
Colorado Middle Wage 1,115,205 59%
Colorado Upper Wage 370,718 20%
Connecticut Low Wage 172,821 17%
Connecticut Middle Wage 606,513 59%
Connecticut Upper Wage 250,191 24%
Delaware Low Wage 73,398 25%
Delaware Middle Wage 171,048 59%
Delaware Upper Wage 44,496 15%
District of Columbia Low Wage 25,871 10%
District of Columbia Middle Wage 125,625 50%
District of Columbia Upper Wage 97,651 39%
Florida Low Wage 1,669,794 32%
Florida Middle Wage 2,842,583 55%
Florida Upper Wage 690,964 13%
Georgia Low Wage 975,433 31%
Georgia Middle Wage 1,749,801 55%
Georgia Upper Wage 463,102 15%
Hawaii Low Wage 98,037 24%
Hawaii Middle Wage 253,899 61%
Hawaii Upper Wage 62,783 15%
Idaho Low Wage 168,366 32%
Idaho Middle Wage 290,066 56%
Idaho Upper Wage 63,904 12%
Illinois Low Wage 865,886 24%
Illinois Middle Wage 2,112,542 58%
Illinois Upper Wage 682,480 19%
Indiana Low Wage 615,871 29%
Indiana Middle Wage 1,283,071 60%
Indiana Upper Wage 243,190 11%
Iowa Low Wage 281,922 26%
Iowa Middle Wage 675,009 63%
Iowa Upper Wage 118,136 11%
Kansas Low Wage 277,376 29%
Kansas Middle Wage 562,959 59%
Kansas Upper Wage 117,749 12%
Kentucky Low Wage 452,908 33%
Kentucky Middle Wage 770,724 57%
Kentucky Upper Wage 136,543 10%
Louisiana Low Wage 490,089 35%
Louisiana Middle Wage 743,988 53%
Louisiana Upper Wage 176,908 13%
Maine Low Wage 119,058 27%
Maine Middle Wage 278,397 63%
Maine Upper Wage 47,100 11%
Maryland Low Wage 341,187 18%
Maryland Middle Wage 1,068,158 57%
Maryland Upper Wage 472,197 25%
Massachusetts Low Wage 285,699 14%
Massachusetts Middle Wage 1,171,914 59%
Massachusetts Upper Wage 527,747 27%
Michigan Low Wage 811,668 28%
Michigan Middle Wage 1,691,216 58%
Michigan Upper Wage 400,229 14%
Minnesota Low Wage 347,790 19%
Minnesota Middle Wage 1,164,434 63%
Minnesota Upper Wage 322,394 18%
Mississippi Low Wage 357,985 40%
Mississippi Middle Wage 474,299 53%
Mississippi Upper Wage 70,430 8%
Missouri Low Wage 628,967 31%
Missouri Middle Wage 1,158,039 57%
Missouri Upper Wage 239,412 12%
Montana Low Wage 111,630 33%
Montana Middle Wage 192,444 56%
Montana Upper Wage 37,023 11%
Nebraska Low Wage 181,573 27%
Nebraska Middle Wage 412,077 62%
Nebraska Upper Wage 75,239 11%
Nevada Low Wage 214,551 28%
Nevada Middle Wage 443,806 58%
Nevada Upper Wage 104,302 14%
New Hampshire Low Wage 95,507 20%
New Hampshire Middle Wage 296,244 62%
New Hampshire Upper Wage 87,709 18%
New Jersey Low Wage 412,774 18%
New Jersey Middle Wage 1,274,420 55%
New Jersey Upper Wage 618,219 27%
New Mexico Low Wage 195,693 35%
New Mexico Middle Wage 300,524 54%
New Mexico Upper Wage 64,461 11%
New York Low Wage 968,046 20%
New York Middle Wage 2,842,786 58%
New York Upper Wage 1,125,480 23%
North Carolina Low Wage 994,770 31%
North Carolina Middle Wage 1,769,911 56%
North Carolina Upper Wage 414,012 13%
North Dakota Low Wage 68,933 25%
North Dakota Middle Wage 174,974 63%
North Dakota Upper Wage 32,860 12%
Ohio Low Wage 1,039,399 28%
Ohio Middle Wage 2,267,644 60%
Ohio Upper Wage 457,871 12%
Oklahoma Low Wage 413,334 34%
Oklahoma Middle Wage 676,325 56%
Oklahoma Upper Wage 128,293 11%
Oregon Low Wage 285,362 24%
Oregon Middle Wage 702,683 59%
Oregon Upper Wage 193,020 16%
Pennsylvania Low Wage 1,008,923 25%
Pennsylvania Middle Wage 2,456,767 60%
Pennsylvania Upper Wage 615,091 15%
Rhode Island Low Wage 60,677 19%
Rhode Island Middle Wage 204,756 64%
Rhode Island Upper Wage 53,463 17%
South Carolina Low Wage 538,910 34%
South Carolina Middle Wage 869,385 55%
South Carolina Upper Wage 175,089 11%
South Dakota Low Wage 94,096 30%
South Dakota Middle Wage 186,543 60%
South Dakota Upper Wage 28,429 9%
Tennessee Low Wage 721,608 33%
Tennessee Middle Wage 1,216,430 56%
Tennessee Upper Wage 249,811 11%
Texas Low Wage 2,312,351 29%
Texas Middle Wage 4,373,948 55%
Texas Upper Wage 1,268,688 16%
Utah Low Wage 237,454 25%
Utah Middle Wage 551,545 59%
Utah Upper Wage 147,454 16%
Vermont Low Wage 52,029 25%
Vermont Middle Wage 133,181 64%
Vermont Upper Wage 23,808 11%
Virginia Low Wage 641,449 24%
Virginia Middle Wage 1,471,729 55%
Virginia Upper Wage 583,094 22%
Washington Low Wage 406,962 19%
Washington Middle Wage 1,240,046 59%
Washington Upper Wage 466,508 22%
West Virginia Low Wage 189,687 36%
West Virginia Middle Wage 281,563 54%
West Virginia Upper Wage 51,001 10%
Wisconsin Low Wage 479,844 24%
Wisconsin Middle Wage 1,281,697 64%
Wisconsin Upper Wage 233,862 12%
Wyoming Low Wage 56,015 29%
Wyoming Middle Wage 114,259 59%
Wyoming Upper Wage 22,936 12%
United States Low Wage 24,633,372 26%
United States Middle Wage 53,153,195 57%
United States Upper Wage 15,511,901 17%
State Earning Range Count Share of U.S.-Born