Data / Rankings / Union membership rate / US states

US states by union membership rate

Hawaii had the highest union membership rate of 51 states in 2022, at 21.9%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 1.7%. The median was 8.8% and the figure for the United States was 10.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest21.9Hawaii
Lowest1.7South Carolina
Median8.851 states
United States10.1History

Map of states, 2022

Alabama: 7.2 %Alaska: 16 %Arizona: 5.5 %Arkansas: 4.9 %California: 16.1 %Colorado: 6.7 %Connecticut: 14.2 %Delaware: 8.5 %District of Columbia: 9.1 %Florida: 4.5 %Georgia: 4.4 %Hawaii: 21.9 %Idaho: 4.7 %Illinois: 13.1 %Indiana: 7.4 %Iowa: 7 %Kansas: 9.8 %Kentucky: 7.9 %Louisiana: 4.2 %Maine: 9.2 %Maryland: 11.6 %Massachusetts: 12.7 %Michigan: 14 %Minnesota: 14.2 %Mississippi: 5.6 %Missouri: 9.6 %Montana: 11.2 %Nebraska: 6.5 %Nevada: 11.3 %New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Jersey: 14.9 %New Mexico: 8.8 %New York: 20.7 %North Carolina: 2.8 %North Dakota: 6.4 %Ohio: 12.8 %Oklahoma: 5.5 %Oregon: 15.5 %Pennsylvania: 12.7 %Rhode Island: 16.1 %South Carolina: 1.7 %South Dakota: 3.1 %Tennessee: 5.5 %Texas: 4.1 %Utah: 3.9 %Vermont: 12.1 %Virginia: 3.7 %Washington: 18 %West Virginia: 9.2 %Wisconsin: 7.1 %Wyoming: 5.6 %
  • Under 4.6
  • 4.6 to 6.5
  • 6.5 to 8.8
  • 8.8 to 11
  • 11 to 14
  • 14 and over
%, 2022. 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, 2022

Hawaii: 21.9 %Hawaii21.9New York: 20.7 %New York20.7Washington: 18 %Washington18California: 16.1 %California16.1Rhode Island: 16.1 %Rhode Island16.1Alaska: 16 %Alaska16Oregon: 15.5 %Oregon15.5New Jersey: 14.9 %New Jersey14.9Connecticut: 14.2 %Connecticut14.2Minnesota: 14.2 %Minnesota14.2Michigan: 14 %Michigan14Illinois: 13.1 %Illinois13.1Ohio: 12.8 %Ohio12.8Massachusetts: 12.7 %Massachusetts12.7Pennsylvania: 12.7 %Pennsylvania12.7Vermont: 12.1 %Vermont12.1Maryland: 11.6 %Maryland11.6Nevada: 11.3 %Nevada11.3Montana: 11.2 %Montana11.2New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Hampshire10.1Kansas: 9.8 %Kansas9.8Missouri: 9.6 %Missouri9.6Maine: 9.2 %Maine9.2West Virginia: 9.2 %West Virginia9.2District of Columbia: 9.1 %District of Columbia9.1New Mexico: 8.8 %New Mexico8.8Delaware: 8.5 %Delaware8.5Kentucky: 7.9 %Kentucky7.9Indiana: 7.4 %Indiana7.4Alabama: 7.2 %Alabama7.2Wisconsin: 7.1 %Wisconsin7.1Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Colorado: 6.7 %Colorado6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5North Dakota: 6.4 %North Dakota6.4Mississippi: 5.6 %Mississippi5.6Wyoming: 5.6 %Wyoming5.6Arizona: 5.5 %Arizona5.5Oklahoma: 5.5 %Oklahoma5.5Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Arkansas: 4.9 %Arkansas4.9Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Florida: 4.5 %Florida4.5Georgia: 4.4 %Georgia4.4Louisiana: 4.2 %Louisiana4.2Texas: 4.1 %Texas4.1Utah: 3.9 %Utah3.9Virginia: 3.7 %Virginia3.7South Dakota: 3.1 %South Dakota3.1North Carolina: 2.8 %North Carolina2.8South Carolina: 1.7 %South Carolina1.7Hawaii: 21.9 %Hawaii21.9New York: 20.7 %New York20.7Washington: 18 %Washington18California: 16.1 %California16.1Rhode Island: 16.1 %Rhode Island16.1Alaska: 16 %Alaska16Oregon: 15.5 %Oregon15.5New Jersey: 14.9 %New Jersey14.9Connecticut: 14.2 %Connecticut14.2Minnesota: 14.2 %Minnesota14.2Michigan: 14 %Michigan14Illinois: 13.1 %Illinois13.1Ohio: 12.8 %Ohio12.8Massachusetts: 12.7 %Massachusetts12.7Pennsylvania: 12.7 %Pennsylvania12.7Vermont: 12.1 %Vermont12.1Maryland: 11.6 %Maryland11.6Nevada: 11.3 %Nevada11.3Montana: 11.2 %Montana11.2New Hampshire: 10.1 %New Hampshire10.1Kansas: 9.8 %Kansas9.8Missouri: 9.6 %Missouri9.6Maine: 9.2 %Maine9.2West Virginia: 9.2 %West Virginia9.2District of Columbia: 9.1 %District of Columbia9.1New Mexico: 8.8 %New Mexico8.8Delaware: 8.5 %Delaware8.5Kentucky: 7.9 %Kentucky7.9Indiana: 7.4 %Indiana7.4Alabama: 7.2 %Alabama7.2Wisconsin: 7.1 %Wisconsin7.1Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Colorado: 6.7 %Colorado6.7Nebraska: 6.5 %Nebraska6.5North Dakota: 6.4 %North Dakota6.4Mississippi: 5.6 %Mississippi5.6Wyoming: 5.6 %Wyoming5.6Arizona: 5.5 %Arizona5.5Oklahoma: 5.5 %Oklahoma5.5Tennessee: 5.5 %Tennessee5.5Arkansas: 4.9 %Arkansas4.9Idaho: 4.7 %Idaho4.7Florida: 4.5 %Florida4.5Georgia: 4.4 %Georgia4.4Louisiana: 4.2 %Louisiana4.2Texas: 4.1 %Texas4.1Utah: 3.9 %Utah3.9Virginia: 3.7 %Virginia3.7South Dakota: 3.1 %South Dakota3.1North Carolina: 2.8 %North Carolina2.8South 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

RankStates2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Hawaii21.9-0.5 pts
2New York20.7-1.5 pts
3Washington18-1 pts
4California16.1+0.2 pts
4Rhode Island16.1+0.4 pts
6Alaska16+0.2 pts
7Oregon15.5-2.3 pts
8New Jersey14.9-1.3 pts
9Connecticut14.2-0.4 pts
9Minnesota14.2-1.8 pts
11Michigan14+0.7 pts
12Illinois13.1-0.8 pts
13Ohio12.8+0.8 pts
14Massachusetts12.7+0.1 pts
14Pennsylvania12.7-0.2 pts
16Vermont12.1-0.2 pts
17Maryland11.6+0.6 pts
18Nevada11.3-0.9 pts
19Montana11.20 pts
20New Hampshire10.10 pts
21Kansas9.8+0.6 pts
22Missouri9.6+0.6 pts
23Maine9.2-3.2 pts
23West Virginia9.2-0.4 pts
25District of Columbia9.1+0.2 pts
26New Mexico8.8+1.3 pts
27Delaware8.5-1.2 pts
28Kentucky7.9+0.7 pts
29Indiana7.4-1.6 pts
30Alabama7.2+1.3 pts
31Wisconsin7.1-0.8 pts
32Iowa7+0.5 pts
33Colorado6.7+0.2 pts
34Nebraska6.5-0.3 pts
35North Dakota6.4+1 pts
36Mississippi5.6+0.1 pts
36Wyoming5.6-0.1 pts
38Arizona5.5+0.1 pts
38Oklahoma5.5-0.1 pts
38Tennessee5.5+0.3 pts
41Arkansas4.9+1 pts
42Idaho4.70 pts
43Florida4.5-0.7 pts
44Georgia4.4-0.4 pts
45Louisiana4.2-0.5 pts
46Texas4.1+0.3 pts
47Utah3.9+0.4 pts
48Virginia3.7-1.1 pts
49South Dakota3.1-0.9 pts
50North Carolina2.8+0.2 pts
51South Carolina1.70 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, 2022) [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, 2022. 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=2022. 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, 2022. 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=2022.

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, 2022 [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=2022 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2022,
  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, 2022}},
  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=2022. 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, 2022
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=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-membership-rate/us-states?period=2022.
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 21.9% in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union membership rate?

South Carolina, with 1.7% in 2022.

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