Data / Rankings / Union membership rate / US states

US states by union membership rate

Hawaii had the highest union membership rate of 51 states in 2018, at 23.1%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 2.7%. The median was 9.4% and the figure for the United States was 10.5%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest23.1Hawaii
Lowest2.7South Carolina
Median9.451 states
United States10.5History

Map of states, 2018

Alabama: 9.2 %Alaska: 18.5 %Arizona: 5.3 %Arkansas: 4.8 %California: 14.7 %Colorado: 11 %Connecticut: 16 %Delaware: 10.3 %District of Columbia: 9.9 %Florida: 5.6 %Georgia: 4.5 %Hawaii: 23.1 %Idaho: 4.7 %Illinois: 13.8 %Indiana: 8.8 %Iowa: 7.7 %Kansas: 7 %Kentucky: 8.9 %Louisiana: 5 %Maine: 12.9 %Maryland: 11 %Massachusetts: 13.7 %Michigan: 14.5 %Minnesota: 15 %Mississippi: 5.1 %Missouri: 9.4 %Montana: 11.8 %Nebraska: 6.6 %Nevada: 13.9 %New Hampshire: 10.2 %New Jersey: 14.9 %New Mexico: 6.8 %New York: 22.3 %North Carolina: 2.7 %North Dakota: 5.2 %Ohio: 12.6 %Oklahoma: 5.7 %Oregon: 13.9 %Pennsylvania: 12.6 %Rhode Island: 17.4 %South Carolina: 2.7 %South Dakota: 5.6 %Tennessee: 5.5 %Texas: 4.3 %Utah: 4.1 %Vermont: 10.5 %Virginia: 4.3 %Washington: 19.8 %West Virginia: 10 %Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wyoming: 6.5 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 6.6
  • 6.6 to 9.4
  • 9.4 to 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2018. 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, 2018

Hawaii: 23.1 %Hawaii23.1New York: 22.3 %New York22.3Washington: 19.8 %Washington19.8Alaska: 18.5 %Alaska18.5Rhode Island: 17.4 %Rhode Island17.4Connecticut: 16 %Connecticut16Minnesota: 15 %Minnesota15New Jersey: 14.9 %New Jersey14.9California: 14.7 %California14.7Michigan: 14.5 %Michigan14.5Nevada: 13.9 %Nevada13.9Oregon: 13.9 %Oregon13.9Illinois: 13.8 %Illinois13.8Massachusetts: 13.7 %Massachusetts13.7Maine: 12.9 %Maine12.9Ohio: 12.6 %Ohio12.6Pennsylvania: 12.6 %Pennsylvania12.6Montana: 11.8 %Montana11.8Colorado: 11 %Colorado11Maryland: 11 %Maryland11Vermont: 10.5 %Vermont10.5Delaware: 10.3 %Delaware10.3New Hampshire: 10.2 %New Hampshire10.2West Virginia: 10 %West Virginia10District of Columbia: 9.9 %District of Columbia9.9Missouri: 9.4 %Missouri9.4Alabama: 9.2 %Alabama9.2Kentucky: 8.9 %Kentucky8.9Indiana: 8.8 %Indiana8.8Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wisconsin8.1Iowa: 7.7 %Iowa7.7Kansas: 7 %Kansas7New Mexico: 6.8 %New Mexico6.8Nebraska: 6.6 %Nebraska6.6Wyoming: 6.5 %Wyoming6.5Oklahoma: 5.7 %Oklahoma5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6South Dakota: 5.6 %South Dakota5.6Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Arizona: 5.3 %Arizona5.3North Dakota: 5.2 %North Dakota5.2Mississippi: 5.1 %Mississippi5.1Louisiana: 5 %Louisiana5Arkansas: 4.8 %Arkansas4.8Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Georgia: 4.5 %Georgia4.5Texas: 4.3 %Texas4.3Virginia: 4.3 %Virginia4.3Utah: 4.1 %Utah4.1North Carolina: 2.7 %North Carolina2.7South Carolina: 2.7 %South Carolina2.7Hawaii: 23.1 %Hawaii23.1New York: 22.3 %New York22.3Washington: 19.8 %Washington19.8Alaska: 18.5 %Alaska18.5Rhode Island: 17.4 %Rhode Island17.4Connecticut: 16 %Connecticut16Minnesota: 15 %Minnesota15New Jersey: 14.9 %New Jersey14.9California: 14.7 %California14.7Michigan: 14.5 %Michigan14.5Nevada: 13.9 %Nevada13.9Oregon: 13.9 %Oregon13.9Illinois: 13.8 %Illinois13.8Massachusetts: 13.7 %Massachusetts13.7Maine: 12.9 %Maine12.9Ohio: 12.6 %Ohio12.6Pennsylvania: 12.6 %Pennsylvania12.6Montana: 11.8 %Montana11.8Colorado: 11 %Colorado11Maryland: 11 %Maryland11Vermont: 10.5 %Vermont10.5Delaware: 10.3 %Delaware10.3New Hampshire: 10.2 %New Hampshire10.2West Virginia: 10 %West Virginia10District of Columbia: 9.9 %District of Columbia9.9Missouri: 9.4 %Missouri9.4Alabama: 9.2 %Alabama9.2Kentucky: 8.9 %Kentucky8.9Indiana: 8.8 %Indiana8.8Wisconsin: 8.1 %Wisconsin8.1Iowa: 7.7 %Iowa7.7Kansas: 7 %Kansas7New Mexico: 6.8 %New Mexico6.8Nebraska: 6.6 %Nebraska6.6Wyoming: 6.5 %Wyoming6.5Oklahoma: 5.7 %Oklahoma5.7Florida: 5.6 %Florida5.6South Dakota: 5.6 %South Dakota5.6Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Arizona: 5.3 %Arizona5.3North Dakota: 5.2 %North Dakota5.2Mississippi: 5.1 %Mississippi5.1Louisiana: 5 %Louisiana5Arkansas: 4.8 %Arkansas4.8Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Georgia: 4.5 %Georgia4.5Texas: 4.3 %Texas4.3Virginia: 4.3 %Virginia4.3Utah: 4.1 %Utah4.1North Carolina: 2.7 %North Carolina2.7South Carolina: 2.7 %South Carolina2.7
%. 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

RankStates2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Hawaii23.1+1.8 pts
2New York22.3-1.5 pts
3Washington19.8+1 pts
4Alaska18.5+0.4 pts
5Rhode Island17.4+1.3 pts
6Connecticut16-0.9 pts
7Minnesota15-0.2 pts
8New Jersey14.9-1.3 pts
9California14.7-0.8 pts
10Michigan14.5-1.1 pts
11Nevada13.9+1.2 pts
11Oregon13.9-1 pts
13Illinois13.8-1.2 pts
14Massachusetts13.7+1.3 pts
15Maine12.9+1.5 pts
16Ohio12.6+0.1 pts
16Pennsylvania12.6+0.6 pts
18Montana11.8-0.1 pts
19Colorado11+1.4 pts
19Maryland11+0.2 pts
21Vermont10.5-0.5 pts
22Delaware10.3-0.4 pts
23New Hampshire10.2-1.1 pts
24West Virginia10-1 pts
25District of Columbia9.9+0.1 pts
26Missouri9.4+0.7 pts
27Alabama9.2+1.8 pts
28Kentucky8.9-0.7 pts
29Indiana8.8-0.1 pts
30Wisconsin8.1-0.2 pts
31Iowa7.7+0.7 pts
32Kansas7-0.8 pts
33New Mexico6.8+0.1 pts
34Nebraska6.6-1.6 pts
35Wyoming6.5+0.5 pts
36Oklahoma5.7+0.2 pts
37Florida5.60 pts
37South Dakota5.6+0.2 pts
39Tennessee5.5-0.2 pts
40Arizona5.3+1.3 pts
41North Dakota5.2+0.1 pts
42Mississippi5.1-0.2 pts
43Louisiana5+0.6 pts
44Arkansas4.8-0.3 pts
45Idaho4.7-0.1 pts
46Georgia4.5+0.5 pts
47Texas4.3-0.4 pts
47Virginia4.3-0.3 pts
49Utah4.1+0.2 pts
50North Carolina2.7-0.7 pts
50South Carolina2.7+0.1 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

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

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, 2018) [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, 2018. 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=2018. 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, 2018. 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=2018.

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, 2018 [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=2018 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2018,
  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, 2018}},
  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=2018. 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, 2018
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=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2018.
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?

Hawaii, with 23.1% in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union membership rate?

South Carolina, with 2.7% in 2018.

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