3 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Highest integration: Vermont leads all 50 states with 64.05% of its foreign-born population naturalized, followed by Alaska at 61.84% and New Hampshire at 60.86%, all three exceeding 60%, a threshold no other state clears.
- Regional pattern: The Northeast dominates the top of the ranking, with eight states placing in the top 18 and averaging a naturalization rate of 57.96%, significantly above the bottom-ranked Southern states.
- Lowest integration: Arkansas ranks last at just 34.32%, nearly 30 percentage points below Vermont, with Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma all falling below 41%, making the South the clear regional outlier for low naturalization.
Foreign-born residents have long been central to the American story — but where they choose to settle, and whether they choose to stay, varies dramatically from state to state. Yet behind the broader immigration debate lies a more telling question: where in the United States are immigrants most likely to put down permanent roots and become citizens? Across the country, naturalization rates among foreign-born residents range from just 34% to over 64%, revealing a striking geographic divide in how deeply immigrants integrate into American civic life.
This report was produced by The Mendoza Law Firm, which analyzed average annual foreign-born population and naturalized citizen data across all 50 U.S. states from 2020 to 2024. For each state, the share of the foreign-born population holding naturalized U.S. citizenship was calculated and used to rank states from highest to lowest naturalization rate, identifying where foreign-born residents are most and least likely to pursue permanent citizenship.
The U.S. States Where Foreign-Born Residents Are Most Likely to Become Citizens
Table 1: Top 10 States by Naturalization Rate (2020–2024)
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Foreign-Born Population | Avg. Annual Naturalized Citizens | % Naturalized |
| 1 | Vermont | 27,669 | 17,723 | 64.05% |
| 2 | Alaska | 56,745 | 35,092 | 61.84% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 85,632 | 52,114 | 60.86% |
| 4 | Hawaii | 259,001 | 157,451 | 60.79% |
| 5 | New York | 4,526,014 | 2,693,804 | 59.52% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 497,722 | 293,146 | 58.90% |
| 7 | Florida | 4,905,727 | 2,817,269 | 57.43% |
| 8 | Virginia | 1,142,826 | 647,130 | 56.63% |
| 9 | Michigan | 728,881 | 412,498 | 56.59% |
| 10 | New Jersey | 2,236,554 | 1,257,744 | 56.24% |
The top 10 is notably diverse in scale; Vermont leads with just 27,669 foreign-born residents, while New York and Florida each host over 4.5 million, yet all surpass 56% naturalization. Smaller states like Vermont, Alaska, and New Hampshire claim the top three spots, suggesting that tight-knit communities with lower immigrant populations may foster stronger pathways to citizenship. Florida is the standout among large states, ranking 7th despite having the second-largest foreign-born population in the top 10 at nearly 4.9 million.
Naturalization Rates by U.S. Region
Table 2: Regional Breakdown of Naturalization Rates (2020–2024)
| Region | States | Avg. Annual Foreign-Born Population | Avg. Annual Naturalized Citizens | Avg. Naturalization Rate |
| Northeast | VT, NH, NY, NJ, PA, CT, RI, MA, ME | 1,479,511 | 840,337 | 57.96% |
| West | AK, HI, NV, CA, WA, AZ, OR, ID, WY, MT, NM, CO, UT | 1,252,752 | 622,439 | 51.13% |
| Midwest | MN, MI, OH, IL, WI, MO, IA, KS, NE, ND, SD, IN | 419,793 | 213,052 | 48.48% |
| South | FL, VA, MD, WV, DE, GA, SC, NC, TX, OK, LA, KY, AL, TN, AR, MS | 1,311,701 | 626,019 | 43.96% |
The Northeast firmly leads all regions with an average naturalization rate of 57.96%, driven by high-integration states like Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, all surpassing 59%. The West sits in the middle of the pack at 51.13%, buoyed by Hawaii and Alaska but pulled down by lower-performing interior states like Utah and Idaho. The South trails every region at 43.96%, with Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama all falling below 40%, making it the clear outlier where foreign-born residents are least likely to pursue citizenship.
The U.S. States Where Foreign-Born Residents Are Least Likely to Become Citizens
Table 3: Bottom 10 States by Naturalization Rate (2020–2024)
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Foreign-Born Population | Avg. Annual Naturalized Citizens | % Naturalized |
| 41 | Texas | 5,302,466 | 2,221,483 | 41.90% |
| 42 | North Dakota | 36,962 | 15,294 | 41.38% |
| 43 | Indiana | 431,255 | 177,452 | 41.15% |
| 44 | Mississippi | 71,918 | 29,248 | 40.67% |
| 45 | Oklahoma | 256,215 | 103,474 | 40.39% |
| 46 | Louisiana | 224,537 | 90,569 | 40.34% |
| 47 | Kentucky | 211,210 | 85,140 | 40.31% |
| 48 | Alabama | 203,578 | 80,179 | 39.38% |
| 49 | Tennessee | 431,545 | 169,013 | 39.16% |
| 50 | Arkansas | 165,740 | 56,884 | 34.32% |
The bottom 10 are almost entirely Southern, with eight of the ten states located in the region. Arkansas ranks last at just 34.32%, nearly 30 percentage points below Vermont, while Texas stands as the notable outlier, falling in the bottom 10 despite hosting the largest foreign-born population in the study at over 5.3 million, proving that immigrant population size alone does not drive naturalization rates.
The U.S. States With the Highest Number of Naturalized Citizens
Table 4: Top 10 States by Absolute Number of Naturalized Citizens (2020–2024)
| Rank | State | Avg. Annual Foreign-Born Population | Avg. Annual Naturalized Citizens | Avg. Annual Non-Naturalized Foreign-Born |
| 1 | California | 10,598,301 | 5,756,924 | 4,841,377 |
| 2 | Florida | 4,905,727 | 2,817,269 | 2,088,458 |
| 3 | Texas | 5,302,466 | 2,221,483 | 3,080,983 |
| 4 | New York | 4,526,014 | 2,693,804 | 1,832,210 |
| 5 | New Jersey | 2,236,554 | 1,257,744 | 978,810 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,872,449 | 980,128 | 892,321 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 1,271,206 | 683,507 | 587,699 |
| 8 | Virginia | 1,142,826 | 647,130 | 495,696 |
| 9 | Maryland | 1,030,670 | 562,664 | 468,006 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 1,004,975 | 556,395 | 448,580 |
California leads all states by a wide margin, averaging nearly 5.8 million naturalized citizens annually, more than double second-placed New York. The top 10 is dominated by large coastal states, collectively accounting for the vast majority of all naturalized citizens in the country. Texas is the standout outlier, ranking 4th in absolute naturalized citizens at over 2.2 million, yet sitting 41st in naturalization rate at just 41.90%, its sheer foreign-born population size drives the volume despite one of the lowest conversion rates among large states.
Methodology
The study analyzed average annual foreign-born population and naturalized citizen data across all 50 U.S. states from 2020 to 2024. For each state, the share of the foreign-born population holding naturalized U.S. citizenship was calculated and used to rank states from highest to lowest naturalization rate, identifying where foreign-born residents are most and least likely to pursue permanent citizenship.
Data Sources
- Naturalized U.S. Citizen Data: https://mcdc.missouri.edu
- Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jXTaXFxuDu8RoXeX2fezGNgZPv6jd56J2KozoDX4DcU/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- Study by: https://mendozafirm.com/
About The Mendoza Law Firm
The Mendoza Law Firm is an immigration law practice helping individuals and families navigate the U.S. immigration system. With a focus on community advocacy and accessible legal support, the firm serves underserved populations while raising awareness about public safety issues affecting communities across the country.
