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With Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing and women holding nearly 12% of Fortune 500 CEO positions for the first time, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2025" Most and Least Diverse States in America, as well as expert commentary.
To determine where the most idea and identity exchanges have occurred at the highest level in the U.S. -- and where the population is relatively more homogeneous -- WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key categories: socio-economic, cultural, economic, household, religious and political diversity.
Diversity in New Hampshire (1=Most Diverse, 25=Avg.):
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-diverse-states-in-america/38262
"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. The most diverse states have above-average variety when it comes to people's ages, birthplaces, languages, jobs, family structures and more. Moving to a diverse state can be an extremely enriching experience as it exposes you to new ideas and new ways of living."
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"California is the most diverse state in America, with the most diversity when it comes to the languages people speak and the second-most racial and ethnic diversity. In addition, California has the second-most diversity in educational attainment, the second-most household size diversity and the fourth-most industry diversity."
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Expert Commentary
What are the benefits and challenges of living in a diverse state?
"Sociologists have shown that intergroup relations may range from hostile to hospitable. Individuals from different backgrounds may learn to respect each other's culture and heritage or struggle to coexist peacefully. Diversity may result in the creation of strong community bonds by learning to respect people from different backgrounds. This may represent a challenge for some people but may be overcome by learning about one another's history and culture."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"Benefits of living in a diverse state include access to others whose identities, beliefs, and behavior differ from your own. Further, your state often becomes a revenue-generating tourist destination for out-of-state visitors who appreciate new ways of seeing the world. Diversity creates nearly limitless opportunities to learn about and from others: what they eat, what they celebrate, and what they believe. Challenges of living in a diverse state include transaction costs of negotiating the unfamiliar in familiar settings. Also, individuals with rigid worldviews or exclusionist mentalities sometimes feel stressed by the amount of social change happening in a diverse state. Given the current socio-political climate, some diverse states may seem to be under intense scrutiny for their embrace of diversity."
Tony N. Brown - Distinguished Professor; Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup, Rice University
What can policymakers do to encourage integration across neighborhoods?
"Policymakers may enforce existing laws that prohibit discrimination in the rental and sale of property and respect for human life to encourage integration across neighborhoods."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"Policymakers should endorse widespread training on explicit and implicit biases for community members. They should encourage libraries to host events that build bridges across neighborhoods. They should support cultural empowerment and exchange zones in neighborhoods where people can come together to appreciate the unmet needs of groups living in different circumstances. They should continue to enforce laws that prevent and undermine school segregation along racial, ethnic, social class, and religious lines. They should sponsor competitions for small grants aimed at improving social cooperation (e.g., community gardens, neighborhood clean-ups, local art installations, expanding green spaces, etc.)."
Tony N. Brown - Distinguished Professor; Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup, Rice University
How can states harness their diversity in order to increase economic growth?
"States could promote opportunities for community engagement such as festivals that celebrate various histories and cultures which may lead to increased economic growth from residents and visitors alike through tourism revenue, sales tax, and real estate development."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"States can enhance economic growth by leveraging the broad range of skills, talents, and connections that diverse populations bring. Immigrant communities, for instance, often contribute entrepreneurial energy and international trade links, while multicultural workforces enhance creativity and innovation within businesses. By embracing fair hiring practices while supporting minority-owned enterprises, states can expand their economic base, while opening doors to markets beyond their local and national borders. Diversity helps states to attract multinational corporations and industries seeking culturally competent employees to serve their customers. At the same time, states can invest in inclusive education, diversity training, workforce development, and infrastructure that enables diverse communities to be productively engaged and contribute fully to the economy. Such policies can make states more attractive to tourists, students, and professionals from all parts of the globe for long-term competitiveness. As such, diversity becomes not just a social asset but a key driver of innovation-driven and sustainable economic growth."
Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, MS-LAW, MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP - Professor, Nova Southeastern University
To determine where the most idea and identity exchanges have occurred at the highest level in the U.S. -- and where the population is relatively more homogeneous -- WalletHub compared the 50 states across six key categories: socio-economic, cultural, economic, household, religious and political diversity.
Diversity in New Hampshire (1=Most Diverse, 25=Avg.):
- Overall rank for New Hampshire: 48th
- 38th - Income Diversity
- 16th - Educational-Attainment Diversity
- 47th - Racial & Ethnic Diversity
- 37th - Linguistic Diversity
- 17th - Birthplace Diversity
- 37th - Industry Diversity*
- 41st - Occupational Diversity*
- 36th - Worker-Class Diversity*
- 35th - Marital-Status Diversity
- 44th - Generational Diversity
- 48th - Household-Type Diversity
- 27th - Household-Size Diversity
- 50th - Religious Diversity
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-least-diverse-states-in-america/38262
"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. The most diverse states have above-average variety when it comes to people's ages, birthplaces, languages, jobs, family structures and more. Moving to a diverse state can be an extremely enriching experience as it exposes you to new ideas and new ways of living."-
"California is the most diverse state in America, with the most diversity when it comes to the languages people speak and the second-most racial and ethnic diversity. In addition, California has the second-most diversity in educational attainment, the second-most household size diversity and the fourth-most industry diversity."
- Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Expert Commentary
What are the benefits and challenges of living in a diverse state?
"Sociologists have shown that intergroup relations may range from hostile to hospitable. Individuals from different backgrounds may learn to respect each other's culture and heritage or struggle to coexist peacefully. Diversity may result in the creation of strong community bonds by learning to respect people from different backgrounds. This may represent a challenge for some people but may be overcome by learning about one another's history and culture."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"Benefits of living in a diverse state include access to others whose identities, beliefs, and behavior differ from your own. Further, your state often becomes a revenue-generating tourist destination for out-of-state visitors who appreciate new ways of seeing the world. Diversity creates nearly limitless opportunities to learn about and from others: what they eat, what they celebrate, and what they believe. Challenges of living in a diverse state include transaction costs of negotiating the unfamiliar in familiar settings. Also, individuals with rigid worldviews or exclusionist mentalities sometimes feel stressed by the amount of social change happening in a diverse state. Given the current socio-political climate, some diverse states may seem to be under intense scrutiny for their embrace of diversity."
Tony N. Brown - Distinguished Professor; Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup, Rice University
What can policymakers do to encourage integration across neighborhoods?
"Policymakers may enforce existing laws that prohibit discrimination in the rental and sale of property and respect for human life to encourage integration across neighborhoods."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"Policymakers should endorse widespread training on explicit and implicit biases for community members. They should encourage libraries to host events that build bridges across neighborhoods. They should support cultural empowerment and exchange zones in neighborhoods where people can come together to appreciate the unmet needs of groups living in different circumstances. They should continue to enforce laws that prevent and undermine school segregation along racial, ethnic, social class, and religious lines. They should sponsor competitions for small grants aimed at improving social cooperation (e.g., community gardens, neighborhood clean-ups, local art installations, expanding green spaces, etc.)."
Tony N. Brown - Distinguished Professor; Director, Racism and Racial Experiences Workgroup, Rice University
How can states harness their diversity in order to increase economic growth?
"States could promote opportunities for community engagement such as festivals that celebrate various histories and cultures which may lead to increased economic growth from residents and visitors alike through tourism revenue, sales tax, and real estate development."
Lori Latrice Martin, PhD - Associate Dean, College of Humanities & Social Sciences; Professor, Louisiana State University
"States can enhance economic growth by leveraging the broad range of skills, talents, and connections that diverse populations bring. Immigrant communities, for instance, often contribute entrepreneurial energy and international trade links, while multicultural workforces enhance creativity and innovation within businesses. By embracing fair hiring practices while supporting minority-owned enterprises, states can expand their economic base, while opening doors to markets beyond their local and national borders. Diversity helps states to attract multinational corporations and industries seeking culturally competent employees to serve their customers. At the same time, states can invest in inclusive education, diversity training, workforce development, and infrastructure that enables diverse communities to be productively engaged and contribute fully to the economy. Such policies can make states more attractive to tourists, students, and professionals from all parts of the globe for long-term competitiveness. As such, diversity becomes not just a social asset but a key driver of innovation-driven and sustainable economic growth."
Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, MS-LAW, MBA, DBA, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP - Professor, Nova Southeastern University
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