Data / Rankings / Union representation rate / US states

US states by union representation rate

Hawaii had the highest union representation rate of 51 states in 2020, at 25.7%. South Carolina had the lowest, at 3.8%. The median was 10.2% and the figure for the United States was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Highest25.7Hawaii
Lowest3.8South Carolina
Median10.251 states
United States12.1History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 8.7 %Alaska: 19.5 %Arizona: 7.1 %Arkansas: 5.9 %California: 17.6 %Colorado: 8.2 %Connecticut: 18.4 %Delaware: 10.3 %District of Columbia: 9.5 %Florida: 7.9 %Georgia: 6.5 %Hawaii: 25.7 %Idaho: 6.4 %Illinois: 15.2 %Indiana: 9.5 %Iowa: 9.1 %Kansas: 11.2 %Kentucky: 9.4 %Louisiana: 6.7 %Maine: 16.7 %Maryland: 14.1 %Massachusetts: 12.8 %Michigan: 16.6 %Minnesota: 17 %Mississippi: 8.3 %Missouri: 10.1 %Montana: 13 %Nebraska: 10.5 %Nevada: 15.4 %New Hampshire: 11.1 %New Jersey: 17.8 %New Mexico: 8.6 %New York: 23.6 %North Carolina: 3.9 %North Dakota: 7.4 %Ohio: 14.2 %Oklahoma: 7.6 %Oregon: 17.3 %Pennsylvania: 14.6 %Rhode Island: 19.1 %South Carolina: 3.8 %South Dakota: 5.5 %Tennessee: 5.1 %Texas: 6 %Utah: 5.4 %Vermont: 13.8 %Virginia: 5.4 %Washington: 18.6 %West Virginia: 11.3 %Wisconsin: 10.2 %Wyoming: 9.3 %
  • Under 6.4
  • 6.4 to 8.5
  • 8.5 to 10
  • 10 to 14
  • 14 to 17
  • 17 and over
%, 2020. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2020

Hawaii: 25.7 %Hawaii25.7New York: 23.6 %New York23.6Alaska: 19.5 %Alaska19.5Rhode Island: 19.1 %Rhode Island19.1Washington: 18.6 %Washington18.6Connecticut: 18.4 %Connecticut18.4New Jersey: 17.8 %New Jersey17.8California: 17.6 %California17.6Oregon: 17.3 %Oregon17.3Minnesota: 17 %Minnesota17Maine: 16.7 %Maine16.7Michigan: 16.6 %Michigan16.6Nevada: 15.4 %Nevada15.4Illinois: 15.2 %Illinois15.2Pennsylvania: 14.6 %Pennsylvania14.6Ohio: 14.2 %Ohio14.2Maryland: 14.1 %Maryland14.1Vermont: 13.8 %Vermont13.8Montana: 13 %Montana13Massachusetts: 12.8 %Massachusetts12.8West Virginia: 11.3 %West Virginia11.3Kansas: 11.2 %Kansas11.2New Hampshire: 11.1 %New Hampshire11.1Nebraska: 10.5 %Nebraska10.5Delaware: 10.3 %Delaware10.3Wisconsin: 10.2 %Wisconsin10.2Missouri: 10.1 %Missouri10.1District of Columbia: 9.5 %District of Columbia9.5Indiana: 9.5 %Indiana9.5Kentucky: 9.4 %Kentucky9.4Wyoming: 9.3 %Wyoming9.3Iowa: 9.1 %Iowa9.1Alabama: 8.7 %Alabama8.7New Mexico: 8.6 %New Mexico8.6Mississippi: 8.3 %Mississippi8.3Colorado: 8.2 %Colorado8.2Florida: 7.9 %Florida7.9Oklahoma: 7.6 %Oklahoma7.6North Dakota: 7.4 %North Dakota7.4Arizona: 7.1 %Arizona7.1Louisiana: 6.7 %Louisiana6.7Georgia: 6.5 %Georgia6.5Idaho: 6.4 %Idaho6.4Texas: 6 %Texas6Arkansas: 5.9 %Arkansas5.9South Dakota: 5.5 %South Dakota5.5Utah: 5.4 %Utah5.4Virginia: 5.4 %Virginia5.4Tennessee: 5.1 %Tennessee5.1North Carolina: 3.9 %North Carolina3.9South Carolina: 3.8 %South Carolina3.8Hawaii: 25.7 %Hawaii25.7New York: 23.6 %New York23.6Alaska: 19.5 %Alaska19.5Rhode Island: 19.1 %Rhode Island19.1Washington: 18.6 %Washington18.6Connecticut: 18.4 %Connecticut18.4New Jersey: 17.8 %New Jersey17.8California: 17.6 %California17.6Oregon: 17.3 %Oregon17.3Minnesota: 17 %Minnesota17Maine: 16.7 %Maine16.7Michigan: 16.6 %Michigan16.6Nevada: 15.4 %Nevada15.4Illinois: 15.2 %Illinois15.2Pennsylvania: 14.6 %Pennsylvania14.6Ohio: 14.2 %Ohio14.2Maryland: 14.1 %Maryland14.1Vermont: 13.8 %Vermont13.8Montana: 13 %Montana13Massachusetts: 12.8 %Massachusetts12.8West Virginia: 11.3 %West Virginia11.3Kansas: 11.2 %Kansas11.2New Hampshire: 11.1 %New Hampshire11.1Nebraska: 10.5 %Nebraska10.5Delaware: 10.3 %Delaware10.3Wisconsin: 10.2 %Wisconsin10.2Missouri: 10.1 %Missouri10.1District of Columbia: 9.5 %District of Columbia9.5Indiana: 9.5 %Indiana9.5Kentucky: 9.4 %Kentucky9.4Wyoming: 9.3 %Wyoming9.3Iowa: 9.1 %Iowa9.1Alabama: 8.7 %Alabama8.7New Mexico: 8.6 %New Mexico8.6Mississippi: 8.3 %Mississippi8.3Colorado: 8.2 %Colorado8.2Florida: 7.9 %Florida7.9Oklahoma: 7.6 %Oklahoma7.6North Dakota: 7.4 %North Dakota7.4Arizona: 7.1 %Arizona7.1Louisiana: 6.7 %Louisiana6.7Georgia: 6.5 %Georgia6.5Idaho: 6.4 %Idaho6.4Texas: 6 %Texas6Arkansas: 5.9 %Arkansas5.9South Dakota: 5.5 %South Dakota5.5Utah: 5.4 %Utah5.4Virginia: 5.4 %Virginia5.4Tennessee: 5.1 %Tennessee5.1North Carolina: 3.9 %North Carolina3.9South Carolina: 3.8 %South Carolina3.8
%. Source: BLS, Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankStates2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Hawaii25.7+0.2 pts
2New York23.6+0.9 pts
3Alaska19.5+0.8 pts
4Rhode Island19.1+0.1 pts
5Washington18.6-1.6 pts
6Connecticut18.4+2.4 pts
7New Jersey17.8+0.4 pts
8California17.6+1.1 pts
9Oregon17.3+1.6 pts
10Minnesota17+2.7 pts
11Maine16.7+3 pts
12Michigan16.6+1.6 pts
13Nevada15.4-0.7 pts
14Illinois15.2+0.5 pts
15Pennsylvania14.6+1.5 pts
16Ohio14.2+1.1 pts
17Maryland14.1+1.3 pts
18Vermont13.8+1.8 pts
19Montana13+1 pts
20Massachusetts12.8-0.4 pts
21West Virginia11.3+0.2 pts
22Kansas11.2+1.1 pts
23New Hampshire11.1-0.5 pts
24Nebraska10.5+0.9 pts
25Delaware10.3+0.4 pts
26Wisconsin10.2+1.1 pts
27Missouri10.1-2.4 pts
28District of Columbia9.5-0.7 pts
28Indiana9.5-0.3 pts
30Kentucky9.4-0.1 pts
31Wyoming9.3+0.6 pts
32Iowa9.1+1.2 pts
33Alabama8.7-1.1 pts
34New Mexico8.6-0.2 pts
35Mississippi8.3-0.1 pts
36Colorado8.2-1.6 pts
37Florida7.9+0.3 pts
38Oklahoma7.6-0.3 pts
39North Dakota7.4-0.1 pts
40Arizona7.10 pts
41Louisiana6.7+0.6 pts
42Georgia6.5+1.5 pts
43Idaho6.4+0.4 pts
44Texas6+0.8 pts
45Arkansas5.90 pts
46South Dakota5.5-1.2 pts
47Utah5.4-0.5 pts
47Virginia5.4+0.2 pts
49Tennessee5.1-0.4 pts
50North Carolina3.9+0.5 pts
51South Carolina3.8+1.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Wage and salary workers represented by unions, 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 LUU0204899700 for the nation).

Represented workers are union members plus workers who report no union affiliation but whose jobs are covered by a union or an employee association contract. 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.

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: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<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: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>) (US states by union representation rate, 2020) [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: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>), US states by union representation rate, 2020. 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-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). US states by union representation rate, 2020. 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-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026) Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>), US states by union representation rate, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_us_states_by_union_2020,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics}},
  title = {{Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>): US states by union representation rate, 2020}},
  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-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<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: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>): US states by union representation rate, 2020
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-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/union-representation-rate/us-states?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union affiliation data from the Current Population Survey: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/lu/lu.data.1.AllData. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest union representation rate?

Hawaii, with 25.7% in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which state has the lowest union representation rate?

South Carolina, with 3.8% in 2020.

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: represented by unions, percent of employed wage and salary workers, nation and states (LUU0204899700 and LUU02048997<state FIPS>). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

US states: more rankings