What states have the most undocumented workers
Executive summary
California and Texas host the largest absolute populations of undocumented workers in the United States—California with roughly 2.25 million and Texas about 2.05 million—while smaller states such as Nevada, Florida, New Jersey and Maryland rank highest when measured as a share of the workforce (percent of workers who are unauthorized) rather than by headcount [1] [2] [3] [4]. Estimates vary by source and year, and researchers warn that differences in methods—surveys, imputation and administrative data—produce different state rankings depending on whether the metric is absolute numbers or workforce share immigration-policy-program-data-hub/unauthorized-immigrant-population-profiles" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">[5] [6] [7].
1. Top states by absolute number: California and Texas lead
By raw headcount the concentration of undocumented workers is heavily skewed toward large immigrant‑destination states: California has the single largest undocumented population—about 2.25 million in 2023—and Texas is a close second at roughly 2.05 million, a pattern documented by the Public Policy Institute of California citing Pew data and reflected across demographic dashboards [1] [4] [6]. Other states with large absolute populations include Florida, New York and New Jersey, but they trail the two giants when totals rather than rates are compared [4] [8].
2. Highest shares in the workforce: Nevada, Florida, New Jersey and others
When analysts look at the share of a state’s workforce made up by unauthorized immigrants rather than absolute counts, the top ranks change: recent Pew summaries and related visualizations show Nevada, Florida and New Jersey among the states with the highest percentage of unauthorized workers (often around 8–9%), with California typically lower in share because of its large overall workforce [2] [3] [4]. This distinction matters: small states can have high per‑worker concentrations even if they host far fewer people in absolute terms [2] [3].
3. Why the two metrics tell different stories
Absolute numbers concentrate in populous gateway states because of historical settlement, industry demands and immigrant networks; workforce shares spike in states with particular industry mixes—agriculture, construction and hospitality—where unauthorized labor is concentrated and where the total workforce is smaller, amplifying the percentage impact [2] [4] [6]. Analysts at Migration Policy Institute and other researchers repeatedly note that both perspectives are valid but answer different questions: “where are people” versus “where do undocumented workers make up the biggest slice of local labor” [5] [6].
4. Methodology and uncertainty: interpreting the estimates
All public estimates rely on imperfect data: surveys (ACS, SIPP) that undercount undocumented respondents, imputation models used by MPI and others, and administrative tallies from DHS that use different definitions and timeframes; the DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics and research groups explicitly caution about these limitations in state‑level residence and workforce breakdowns [7] [5] [6]. Different organizations therefore publish different totals—Migration Policy, Pew, Center for Migration Studies and Visual Capitalist present comparable but non‑identical state rankings because of variation in years covered and modeling choices [6] [4] [9].
5. Politics, policy and hidden agendas in the reporting
Data on where undocumented workers live and work are politically salient and frequently cherry‑picked: some outlets emphasize absolute counts to focus attention on border and enforcement issues, while others highlight workforce shares to argue local labor market impacts or need for services; advocacy groups and policymakers selectively cite whichever metric supports their agenda, a dynamic noted across reporting and policy briefs [1] [8] [10]. Readers should therefore cross‑check absolute numbers and shares, examine the estimating methodology and note when a source is advancing a policy recommendation tied to the figures [8] [10].
6. Bottom line
For anyone asking which states “have the most undocumented workers,” the direct answer depends on the measure: by absolute headcount California and Texas top the list (about 2.25M and 2.05M respectively), while by share of the workforce Nevada, Florida, New Jersey and similar states often rank highest; underlying methodological differences across Pew, MPI, DHS and other producers of these estimates must be accounted for when interpreting the rankings [1] [2] [5] [7] [4].