California and Texas Lead with 15 Million Foreign-Born Residents in 2026

(CALIFORNIA) California remains the center of immigrant life in the United States 🇺🇸 in 2026, with 10,640,017 foreign-born residents. Texas follows with 5,455,292, then Florida with 4,996,874, New York with 4,517,996, and New Jersey with 2,250,431.

These rankings matter because raw population totals and population share tell different stories. A state may host millions of immigrants, yet still rank lower by percentage if its overall population is much larger. That is why California leads both measures, while Nevada appears in the top five by share, even though it does not rank among the five largest immigrant populations.

The numbers also show where schools, hospitals, employers, and local governments are most shaped by immigration. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, state and county data often reveal more about daily immigrant life than national totals alone. Readers who want official population tables can review the U.S. Census Bureau’s population and migration resources.

2026 ranking method: total residents first, share second

This ranking uses two simple tests. The first is the total foreign-born population, which shows where the largest immigrant communities live. The second is the foreign-born share of the state population, which shows where immigration has the strongest effect on a state’s overall makeup.

Using both measures gives a fuller picture. California and Texas dominate in total numbers. New Jersey and Nevada stand out when the focus shifts to share. Together, the rankings show size, concentration, and how closely immigration is tied to local economic and family life.

1. California stays far ahead in total immigrant residents

California ranks first with 10,640,017 immigrants, equal to 27.3% of the state population. No other state comes close in raw numbers. The gap between California and Texas alone is more than 5 million people.

That lead reflects California’s long ties to global migration, large metro areas, and family settlement patterns that stretch across generations. It also helps explain why counties in the Bay Area appear again in the county concentration data. High state totals and high county shares often go together.

California also tops the percentage ranking. That matters. It means the state is not only home to the largest immigrant community, but also one of the places where immigrant presence shapes everyday public life most strongly.

2. Texas holds second place with a huge foreign-born base

Texas ranks second with 5,455,292 immigrants, or 17.9% of the state population. That total is roughly half of California’s, but it still places Texas well ahead of every state except California.

The Texas figure shows a different pattern from California. The foreign-born population is very large, yet the share is lower than in California, New Jersey, New York, and Florida. That tells readers Texas has a vast immigrant community spread across a very large state population.

For employers, school systems, and local services, this means Texas feels immigration’s impact through scale. A lower percentage does not mean a small community. In Texas, the numbers are simply enormous.

3. Florida combines large numbers with a high population share

Florida ranks third by total immigrant population at 4,996,874. Immigrants make up 22.1% of the state’s residents, placing Florida fourth by share and third by total numbers.

That pairing makes Florida one of the clearest examples of a state where immigration is both broad and deeply rooted. The state does not match California’s total, but it has a much higher immigrant share than Texas.

Florida’s standing also becomes clearer at the county level. Miami-Dade County has the highest immigrant share in the country at 54.3%. It is the only county in the nation where immigrants form a majority. That county data helps explain Florida’s powerful statewide ranking.

4. New York remains one of the country’s main immigrant centers

New York ranks fourth with 4,517,996 immigrants, equal to 23.1% of the state population. That gives New York a higher share than Florida, even though Florida has the larger total count.

This distinction matters for readers comparing the two states. Florida has more foreign-born residents overall. New York has a larger immigrant share within its total population. Both numbers are right. They answer different questions.

New York’s place near the top reflects the continued pull of major metro areas. Immigrant communities often cluster in states with large cities, job markets, and family networks. New York fits that national pattern closely.

5. New Jersey rounds out the top five by total population

New Jersey ranks fifth with 2,250,431 immigrants. That is far below California, Texas, Florida, and New York in raw totals. Yet immigrants account for 24.2% of New Jersey’s population, giving the state second place by share.

That split is one of the clearest lessons in the data. New Jersey is not among the biggest states by population. Even so, immigrant communities make up nearly one in four residents. That makes immigration a central part of the state’s social and economic makeup.

Readers focused only on totals could miss New Jersey’s position. Share data fixes that. It shows where immigration is woven deeply into daily life, even when the state’s total population is smaller.

Percentage ranking reveals a different map

Looking only at share changes the order. California stays first at 27.3%. New Jersey rises to second at 24.2%. New York takes third at 23.1%, Florida lands fourth at 22.1%, and Nevada enters fifth at 19.3%.

Nevada’s entry is important because it shows how percentage rankings bring out states that would be hidden in a totals-only list. A smaller state can have a very high immigrant presence without producing one of the nation’s biggest raw counts.

This second ranking also helps explain policy debates. States with high immigrant shares often feel immigration in classrooms, housing markets, labor needs, and local politics in a more direct way.

County numbers show where immigrant life is most concentrated

County data sharpens the picture further. Miami-Dade County, Florida, stands alone at 54.3% immigrants. That makes it the highest immigrant share of any county in the country and the only county with an immigrant majority.

California’s Bay Area counties also stand out. San Mateo County has an immigrant share of 35.6%. San Francisco County follows at 34.2%. Alameda County records 34.1%.

These county figures matter because statewide rankings can hide local concentration. California already leads the nation in total foreign-born population. The Bay Area numbers show that many communities inside California are even more immigrant-rich than the state average.

The national picture behind the state rankings

Nationwide, the United States 🇺🇸 has about 48.2 million immigrants. They make up 14.6% of the total population. That places the top states in context. California alone holds more than 10 million foreign-born residents, while Texas has more than 5 million.

The pattern is not random. Immigrant communities cluster in states with major metropolitan areas. That helps explain why California, Texas, Florida, and New York remain near the top. Large job markets, transport links, and family networks keep drawing people to the same states.

These numbers also show why immigration debates look different across the country. A state with a small foreign-born population will often frame the issue differently from California or Texas, where immigrant communities are part of daily public life.

A sharp drop in migration is changing growth patterns

The broader trend has shifted fast. From July 2024 to July 2025, net international migration fell 54%, dropping from 2.7 million to 1.3 million people.

That change is large enough to affect state growth patterns. States that depend more on international migration for labor force growth, household formation, and school enrollment are likely to feel the shift more directly. California, Texas, Florida, and New York all have reasons to watch those changes closely.

For readers comparing states, the lesson is simple. Look at both total numbers and population share. California leads by both measures. Texas stands out for scale. Florida and New York combine high totals with high shares. New Jersey shows how deeply immigration can shape a smaller state, and Nevada proves percentage rankings tell a story raw totals miss completely.