Data / Rankings / Union membership rate / US states

US states by union membership rate

New York had the highest union membership rate of 51 states in 2016, at 23.6%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 1.6%. The median was 9.7% and the figure for the United States was 10.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest23.6New York
Lowest1.6South Carolina
Median9.751 states
United States10.7History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 8.1 %Alaska: 18.5 %Arizona: 4.5 %Arkansas: 3.9 %California: 15.9 %Colorado: 9.8 %Connecticut: 17.5 %Delaware: 11.4 %District of Columbia: 9.5 %Florida: 5.6 %Georgia: 3.9 %Hawaii: 19.9 %Idaho: 6.1 %Illinois: 14.5 %Indiana: 10.4 %Iowa: 8.9 %Kansas: 8.6 %Kentucky: 11.1 %Louisiana: 4.2 %Maine: 11.4 %Maryland: 11 %Massachusetts: 12.1 %Michigan: 14.4 %Minnesota: 14.2 %Mississippi: 6.6 %Missouri: 9.7 %Montana: 11.9 %Nebraska: 7.4 %Nevada: 12.1 %New Hampshire: 9.4 %New Jersey: 16.1 %New Mexico: 6.3 %New York: 23.6 %North Carolina: 3 %North Dakota: 5.5 %Ohio: 12.4 %Oklahoma: 5.4 %Oregon: 13.5 %Pennsylvania: 12.1 %Rhode Island: 15.5 %South Carolina: 1.6 %South Dakota: 5.2 %Tennessee: 5.7 %Texas: 4 %Utah: 4.7 %Vermont: 11.5 %Virginia: 4.3 %Washington: 17.4 %West Virginia: 11.8 %Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wyoming: 6.3 %
  • Under 4.9
  • 4.9 to 6.5
  • 6.5 to 9.7
  • 9.7 to 12
  • 12 to 14
  • 14 and over
%, 2016. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2016

New York: 23.6 %New York23.6Hawaii: 19.9 %Hawaii19.9Alaska: 18.5 %Alaska18.5Connecticut: 17.5 %Connecticut17.5Washington: 17.4 %Washington17.4New Jersey: 16.1 %New Jersey16.1California: 15.9 %California15.9Rhode Island: 15.5 %Rhode Island15.5Illinois: 14.5 %Illinois14.5Michigan: 14.4 %Michigan14.4Minnesota: 14.2 %Minnesota14.2Oregon: 13.5 %Oregon13.5Ohio: 12.4 %Ohio12.4Massachusetts: 12.1 %Massachusetts12.1Nevada: 12.1 %Nevada12.1Pennsylvania: 12.1 %Pennsylvania12.1Montana: 11.9 %Montana11.9West Virginia: 11.8 %West Virginia11.8Vermont: 11.5 %Vermont11.5Delaware: 11.4 %Delaware11.4Maine: 11.4 %Maine11.4Kentucky: 11.1 %Kentucky11.1Maryland: 11 %Maryland11Indiana: 10.4 %Indiana10.4Colorado: 9.8 %Colorado9.8Missouri: 9.7 %Missouri9.7District of Columbia: 9.5 %District of Columbia9.5New Hampshire: 9.4 %New Hampshire9.4Iowa: 8.9 %Iowa8.9Kansas: 8.6 %Kansas8.6Alabama: 8.1 %Alabama8.1Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wisconsin8.1Nebraska: 7.4 %Nebraska7.4Mississippi: 6.6 %Mississippi6.6New Mexico: 6.3 %New Mexico6.3Wyoming: 6.3 %Wyoming6.3Idaho: 6.1 %Idaho6.1Tennessee: 5.7 %Tennessee5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6North Dakota: 5.5 %North Dakota5.5Oklahoma: 5.4 %Oklahoma5.4South Dakota: 5.2 %South Dakota5.2Utah: 4.7 %Utah4.7Arizona: 4.5 %Arizona4.5Virginia: 4.3 %Virginia4.3Louisiana: 4.2 %Louisiana4.2Texas: 4 %Texas4Arkansas: 3.9 %Arkansas3.9Georgia: 3.9 %Georgia3.9North Carolina: 3 %North Carolina3South Carolina: 1.6 %South Carolina1.6New York: 23.6 %New York23.6Hawaii: 19.9 %Hawaii19.9Alaska: 18.5 %Alaska18.5Connecticut: 17.5 %Connecticut17.5Washington: 17.4 %Washington17.4New Jersey: 16.1 %New Jersey16.1California: 15.9 %California15.9Rhode Island: 15.5 %Rhode Island15.5Illinois: 14.5 %Illinois14.5Michigan: 14.4 %Michigan14.4Minnesota: 14.2 %Minnesota14.2Oregon: 13.5 %Oregon13.5Ohio: 12.4 %Ohio12.4Massachusetts: 12.1 %Massachusetts12.1Nevada: 12.1 %Nevada12.1Pennsylvania: 12.1 %Pennsylvania12.1Montana: 11.9 %Montana11.9West Virginia: 11.8 %West Virginia11.8Vermont: 11.5 %Vermont11.5Delaware: 11.4 %Delaware11.4Maine: 11.4 %Maine11.4Kentucky: 11.1 %Kentucky11.1Maryland: 11 %Maryland11Indiana: 10.4 %Indiana10.4Colorado: 9.8 %Colorado9.8Missouri: 9.7 %Missouri9.7District of Columbia: 9.5 %District of Columbia9.5New Hampshire: 9.4 %New Hampshire9.4Iowa: 8.9 %Iowa8.9Kansas: 8.6 %Kansas8.6Alabama: 8.1 %Alabama8.1Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wisconsin8.1Nebraska: 7.4 %Nebraska7.4Mississippi: 6.6 %Mississippi6.6New Mexico: 6.3 %New Mexico6.3Wyoming: 6.3 %Wyoming6.3Idaho: 6.1 %Idaho6.1Tennessee: 5.7 %Tennessee5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6North Dakota: 5.5 %North Dakota5.5Oklahoma: 5.4 %Oklahoma5.4South Dakota: 5.2 %South Dakota5.2Utah: 4.7 %Utah4.7Arizona: 4.5 %Arizona4.5Virginia: 4.3 %Virginia4.3Louisiana: 4.2 %Louisiana4.2Texas: 4 %Texas4Arkansas: 3.9 %Arkansas3.9Georgia: 3.9 %Georgia3.9North Carolina: 3 %North Carolina3South Carolina: 1.6 %South Carolina1.6
%. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankStates2016 (%)Change on 2015
1New York23.6-1.1 pts
2Hawaii19.9-0.5 pts
3Alaska18.5-1.1 pts
4Connecticut17.5+0.5 pts
5Washington17.4+0.6 pts
6New Jersey16.1+0.7 pts
7California15.90 pts
8Rhode Island15.5+1.3 pts
9Illinois14.5-0.7 pts
10Michigan14.4-0.8 pts
11Minnesota14.20 pts
12Oregon13.5-1.3 pts
13Ohio12.4+0.1 pts
14Massachusetts12.1-0.8 pts
14Nevada12.1-2.2 pts
14Pennsylvania12.1-1.2 pts
17Montana11.9-0.3 pts
18West Virginia11.8-0.6 pts
19Vermont11.5-1.1 pts
20Delaware11.4+2.2 pts
20Maine11.4-0.2 pts
22Kentucky11.1+0.1 pts
23Maryland11+0.6 pts
24Indiana10.4+0.4 pts
25Colorado9.8+1.4 pts
26Missouri9.7+0.9 pts
27District of Columbia9.5-0.9 pts
28New Hampshire9.4-0.3 pts
29Iowa8.9-0.7 pts
30Kansas8.6-0.1 pts
31Alabama8.1-2.1 pts
31Wisconsin8.1-0.2 pts
33Nebraska7.4-0.3 pts
34Mississippi6.6+1.2 pts
35New Mexico6.3+0.1 pts
35Wyoming6.3-0.8 pts
37Idaho6.1-0.7 pts
38Tennessee5.7+0.3 pts
39Florida5.6-1.2 pts
40North Dakota5.5+0.1 pts
41Oklahoma5.4-0.2 pts
42South Dakota5.2-0.7 pts
43Utah4.7+0.8 pts
44Arizona4.5-0.7 pts
45Virginia4.3-1.1 pts
46Louisiana4.2-1.6 pts
47Texas4-0.5 pts
48Arkansas3.9-1.2 pts
48Georgia3.9-0.1 pts
50North Carolina30 pts
51South Carolina1.6-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Union members as a percent of employed wage and salary workers, annual average, from the Current Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (series LUU0204899600 for the nation).

Union members are members of a labor union or an employee association similar to a union. Annual averages of the monthly Current Population Survey, a household survey, so the figures carry sampling error, which is larger for small states. Wage and salary workers exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self employed. State figures are by state of residence. The 2025 averages cover 11 months: October 2025 was not collected during the federal government shutdown. For workers covered by a union contract, members or not, use union_representation_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

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APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2026). Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>) (US states by union membership rate, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData

MLA 9

Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>), US states by union membership rate, 2016. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18 Feb. 2026, https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). US states by union membership rate, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>), US states by union membership rate, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>): US states by union membership rate, 2016}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
TI  - Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>): US states by union membership rate, 2016
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/18
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Rank US states by union membership rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which state has the highest union membership rate?

New York, with 23.6% in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union membership rate?

South Carolina, with 1.6% in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: members of unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899600 and LUU02048996<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

US states: more rankings