Least Racist States

Last updated May 24, 2025

Racism Index Score
Top
Last
Racism Index ScoreQuestion Mark
1VermontVermont12
2New HampshireNew Hampshire21
3IdahoIdaho24
4UtahUtah28
4OregonOregon28
4North DakotaNorth Dakota28
7MaineMaine29
8MinnesotaMinnesota30
8MontanaMontana30
10WyomingWyoming32
10WashingtonWashington32
10ColoradoColorado32
10MassachusettsMassachusetts32
14IowaIowa33
15West VirginiaWest Virginia34
16AlaskaAlaska35
17KansasKansas36
18South DakotaSouth Dakota37
18WisconsinWisconsin37
20New YorkNew York38
20NebraskaNebraska38
22OklahomaOklahoma40
22CaliforniaCalifornia40
24ConnecticutConnecticut41
25ArizonaArizona42
25New MexicoNew Mexico42
27HawaiiHawaii43
27MissouriMissouri43
29New JerseyNew Jersey44
30PennsylvaniaPennsylvania45
31IllinoisIllinois47
31MichiganMichigan47
33IndianaIndiana48
33TennesseeTennessee48
33OhioOhio48
36FloridaFlorida49
36KentuckyKentucky49
38VirginiaVirginia50
39TexasTexas52
40Rhode IslandRhode Island53
41NevadaNevada54
41ArkansasArkansas54
43North CarolinaNorth Carolina55
44South CarolinaSouth Carolina64
45AlabamaAlabama66
46MarylandMaryland69
47DelawareDelaware75
47GeorgiaGeorgia75
49LouisianaLouisiana83
50MississippiMississippi100

Introduction

Racism, a societal issue deeply ingrained in the fabric of our nation, has long been a significant cause of social division and injustice. Tallied through the lens of racial prejudice, discrimination, and antagonism, the scopes of racism differ vastly from state to state, indicating the polarized stance on this issue across the United States.

  • Topping the list as the least racist state is Vermont, closely followed by New Hampshire and Idaho.
  • Analyses show a trend among the northern states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, and Maine, depicting lower levels of racism, tangibly contrasting with southern states such as Mississippi and Louisiana, which score higher on the racism metric.
  • West Coast states Oregon and Washington demonstrate relatively low racism scores, indicating more inclusivity in these progressive strongholds, while East Coast states reveal mixed results, with New York considerably outperforming Delaware.
  • It's notable that states with a historically significant indigenous population, such as Idaho and Alaska, show lower racism scores, potentially suggesting more harmonious racial relations.

10 Least Racist States

The states with the least racism prevalence are Vermont, New Hampshire, Idaho, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington.

With values much less than average, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Idaho top the charts as having the least racism prevalence. These states have consistently reported low numbers, becoming exemplary for racial tolerance nationwide.

The states of North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington have achieved the 'below average' status in terms of racism prevalence, which shows a commendable effort in the direction of promoting racial harmony and equality.

The ten least racist states:

  1. Vermont
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Idaho
  4. North Dakota
  5. Oregon
  6. Utah
  7. Maine
  8. Minnesota
  9. Montana
  10. Washington

Methodology

Our analysis was conducted from March 1st, 2023, to June 30th, 2023. To determine the level of racism in each state, five core inputs were analyzed:

  1. Frequency of racial profiling incidents from publicly available crime data
  2. Housing and Employment data to determine discriminatory frequencies
  3. Racial disparities in education and healthcare outcomes
  4. Usage of racial slurs on Twitter
  5. Use of racial slurs on Google Searches

Each was weighted and adjusted for the state's population. The cumulative scores were added up and adapted to determine the racial level of each state relative to the holistic dataset.

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