Data / Rankings / Union membership rate / US states

US states by union membership rate

Hawaii had the highest union membership rate of 51 states in 2021, at 22.4%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 1.7%. The median was 9% and the figure for the United States was 10.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest22.4Hawaii
Lowest1.7South Carolina
Median951 states
United States10.3History

Map of states, 2021

Alabama: 5.9 %Alaska: 15.8 %Arizona: 5.4 %Arkansas: 3.9 %California: 15.9 %Colorado: 6.5 %Connecticut: 14.6 %Delaware: 9.7 %District of Columbia: 8.9 %Florida: 5.2 %Georgia: 4.8 %Hawaii: 22.4 %Idaho: 4.7 %Illinois: 13.9 %Indiana: 9 %Iowa: 6.5 %Kansas: 9.2 %Kentucky: 7.2 %Louisiana: 4.7 %Maine: 12.4 %Maryland: 11 %Massachusetts: 12.6 %Michigan: 13.3 %Minnesota: 16 %Mississippi: 5.5 %Missouri: 9 %Montana: 11.2 %Nebraska: 6.8 %Nevada: 12.2 %New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Jersey: 16.2 %New Mexico: 7.5 %New York: 22.2 %North Carolina: 2.6 %North Dakota: 5.4 %Ohio: 12 %Oklahoma: 5.6 %Oregon: 17.8 %Pennsylvania: 12.9 %Rhode Island: 15.7 %South Carolina: 1.7 %South Dakota: 4 %Tennessee: 5.2 %Texas: 3.8 %Utah: 3.5 %Vermont: 12.3 %Virginia: 4.8 %Washington: 19 %West Virginia: 9.6 %Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wyoming: 5.7 %
  • Under 4.8
  • 4.8 to 5.8
  • 5.8 to 9
  • 9 to 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 and over
%, 2021. 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, 2021

Hawaii: 22.4 %Hawaii22.4New York: 22.2 %New York22.2Washington: 19 %Washington19Oregon: 17.8 %Oregon17.8New Jersey: 16.2 %New Jersey16.2Minnesota: 16 %Minnesota16California: 15.9 %California15.9Alaska: 15.8 %Alaska15.8Rhode Island: 15.7 %Rhode Island15.7Connecticut: 14.6 %Connecticut14.6Illinois: 13.9 %Illinois13.9Michigan: 13.3 %Michigan13.3Pennsylvania: 12.9 %Pennsylvania12.9Massachusetts: 12.6 %Massachusetts12.6Maine: 12.4 %Maine12.4Vermont: 12.3 %Vermont12.3Nevada: 12.2 %Nevada12.2Ohio: 12 %Ohio12Montana: 11.2 %Montana11.2Maryland: 11 %Maryland11New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Hampshire10.1Delaware: 9.7 %Delaware9.7West Virginia: 9.6 %West Virginia9.6Kansas: 9.2 %Kansas9.2Indiana: 9 %Indiana9Missouri: 9 %Missouri9District of Columbia: 8.9 %District of Columbia8.9Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wisconsin7.9New Mexico: 7.5 %New Mexico7.5Kentucky: 7.2 %Kentucky7.2Nebraska: 6.8 %Nebraska6.8Colorado: 6.5 %Colorado6.5Iowa: 6.5 %Iowa6.5Alabama: 5.9 %Alabama5.9Wyoming: 5.7 %Wyoming5.7Oklahoma: 5.6 %Oklahoma5.6Mississippi: 5.5 %Mississippi5.5Arizona: 5.4 %Arizona5.4North Dakota: 5.4 %North Dakota5.4Florida: 5.2 %Florida5.2Tennessee: 5.2 %Tennessee5.2Georgia: 4.8 %Georgia4.8Virginia: 4.8 %Virginia4.8Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Louisiana: 4.7 %Louisiana4.7South Dakota: 4 %South Dakota4Arkansas: 3.9 %Arkansas3.9Texas: 3.8 %Texas3.8Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5North Carolina: 2.6 %North Carolina2.6South Carolina: 1.7 %South Carolina1.7Hawaii: 22.4 %Hawaii22.4New York: 22.2 %New York22.2Washington: 19 %Washington19Oregon: 17.8 %Oregon17.8New Jersey: 16.2 %New Jersey16.2Minnesota: 16 %Minnesota16California: 15.9 %California15.9Alaska: 15.8 %Alaska15.8Rhode Island: 15.7 %Rhode Island15.7Connecticut: 14.6 %Connecticut14.6Illinois: 13.9 %Illinois13.9Michigan: 13.3 %Michigan13.3Pennsylvania: 12.9 %Pennsylvania12.9Massachusetts: 12.6 %Massachusetts12.6Maine: 12.4 %Maine12.4Vermont: 12.3 %Vermont12.3Nevada: 12.2 %Nevada12.2Ohio: 12 %Ohio12Montana: 11.2 %Montana11.2Maryland: 11 %Maryland11New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Hampshire10.1Delaware: 9.7 %Delaware9.7West Virginia: 9.6 %West Virginia9.6Kansas: 9.2 %Kansas9.2Indiana: 9 %Indiana9Missouri: 9 %Missouri9District of Columbia: 8.9 %District of Columbia8.9Wisconsin: 7.9 %Wisconsin7.9New Mexico: 7.5 %New Mexico7.5Kentucky: 7.2 %Kentucky7.2Nebraska: 6.8 %Nebraska6.8Colorado: 6.5 %Colorado6.5Iowa: 6.5 %Iowa6.5Alabama: 5.9 %Alabama5.9Wyoming: 5.7 %Wyoming5.7Oklahoma: 5.6 %Oklahoma5.6Mississippi: 5.5 %Mississippi5.5Arizona: 5.4 %Arizona5.4North Dakota: 5.4 %North Dakota5.4Florida: 5.2 %Florida5.2Tennessee: 5.2 %Tennessee5.2Georgia: 4.8 %Georgia4.8Virginia: 4.8 %Virginia4.8Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Louisiana: 4.7 %Louisiana4.7South Dakota: 4 %South Dakota4Arkansas: 3.9 %Arkansas3.9Texas: 3.8 %Texas3.8Utah: 3.5 %Utah3.5North Carolina: 2.6 %North Carolina2.6South Carolina: 1.7 %South Carolina1.7
%. 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

RankStates2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Hawaii22.4-1.3 pts
2New York22.2+0.2 pts
3Washington19+1.6 pts
4Oregon17.8+1.6 pts
5New Jersey16.2+0.1 pts
6Minnesota16+0.2 pts
7California15.9-0.3 pts
8Alaska15.8-1.9 pts
9Rhode Island15.7-2.1 pts
10Connecticut14.6-2.5 pts
11Illinois13.9-0.4 pts
12Michigan13.3-1.9 pts
13Pennsylvania12.9-0.6 pts
14Massachusetts12.6+0.6 pts
15Maine12.4-2.3 pts
16Vermont12.3+0.5 pts
17Nevada12.2-1.2 pts
18Ohio12-1.2 pts
19Montana11.2-0.8 pts
20Maryland11-2.1 pts
21New Hampshire10.1+0.3 pts
22Delaware9.70 pts
23West Virginia9.6-1.1 pts
24Kansas9.2+0.3 pts
25Indiana9+0.7 pts
25Missouri9-0.4 pts
27District of Columbia8.9+0.3 pts
28Wisconsin7.9-0.8 pts
29New Mexico7.5+0.4 pts
30Kentucky7.2-0.3 pts
31Nebraska6.8-2.8 pts
32Colorado6.5-0.9 pts
32Iowa6.5-0.1 pts
34Alabama5.9-2.1 pts
35Wyoming5.7-1.9 pts
36Oklahoma5.6-0.4 pts
37Mississippi5.5-1.6 pts
38Arizona5.4+0.1 pts
38North Dakota5.4-0.8 pts
40Florida5.2-1.2 pts
40Tennessee5.2+0.8 pts
42Georgia4.8+0.2 pts
42Virginia4.8+0.4 pts
44Idaho4.7-0.9 pts
44Louisiana4.7-1.2 pts
46South Dakota4-0.3 pts
47Arkansas3.9-0.8 pts
48Texas3.8-1.1 pts
49Utah3.5-0.2 pts
50North Carolina2.6-0.5 pts
51South Carolina1.7-1.2 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, 2021) [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, 2021. 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=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

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, 2021 [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=2021 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2021,
  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, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2021.
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 22.4% in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union membership rate?

South Carolina, with 1.7% in 2021.

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