Which US states have the fastest-growing Muslim communities and what are the drivers?
Executive summary
Recent, non-governmental estimates place the largest Muslim populations in New York (≈724,475), California (≈504,056) and Texas (≈313,209), and identify fast growth in metropolitan and suburban areas rather than uniformly across states [1] [2] [3]. Drivers cited across reporting include immigration since the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, higher birth rates among immigrant communities, concentrated urban economic opportunities and institutional growth (mosques, schools), while measurement uncertainty remains because the U.S. Census does not collect religion [4] [2] [5].
1. Where the biggest and fastest changes are visible: New York, California, Texas and pockets of the Midwest
Multiple 2025 state-by-state tallies put New York, California and Texas at the top in absolute numbers — New York ~724,475, California ~504,056 and Texas ~313,209 — and list Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan among other large-state concentrations [1] [2] [5]. Reporting emphasizes metro and suburban growth: Washington, D.C. and other metro areas host sizable communities, and New Jersey shows Muslim adults at two-to-three times the national per-capita rate in some estimates [4] [3].
2. Why metropolitan and suburban pockets are growing fastest: jobs, institutions and affordable housing
Analysts link growth to economic opportunity and established institutional infrastructure: large metros provide jobs in tech, medicine and business and host mosques, Islamic schools and community organizations that attract and retain families [2] [5]. One profile notes Houston and Dallas as Texas hubs tied to economic dynamism and relatively lower housing costs, helping drive internal and international migration into the state [2] [6].
3. Immigration and policy history: the 1965 law and continuing migration
Scholars and demographic summaries point to the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act as a turning point that opened immigration from Muslim-majority countries and accelerated community growth in the U.S.; ongoing immigration remains a primary driver cited in multiple sources [7] [2]. Pew’s longer-term projections also count migration as a core factor in North American Muslim growth [8].
4. Fertility and age structure: a younger community with higher birth rates
Demographic accounts say American Muslims skew younger and that higher birth rates among immigrant populations contribute to growth. Pew-style projections and other summaries cite fertility and a youthful age profile as key mechanics behind continued increases in Muslim population shares [8] [9].
5. Conversion, retention and data uncertainty: mixed signals in state-level trends
Some reports—and an organizational profile—attribute measurable growth in places like Illinois partly to religious conversion, but also report significant attrition among recent converts in states such as New York and Illinois, complicating narratives of straightforward growth [10] [11]. All sources warn measurement is imperfect: the U.S. Census does not ask about religion, voluntary religion surveys are incomplete, and state tallies often differ, so numbers should be treated as estimates [4] [3].
6. Institutional expansion: mosques and community infrastructure mirror demographic shifts
Coverage documents a sharp rise in mosques and Islamic institutions—estimates of roughly 2,700–3,000 mosques in the U.S.—concentrated where populations are largest, which in turn supports family formation, education and civic engagement and helps sustain local growth [5] [2].
7. Competing estimates and the challenge of pinning down “fastest-growing”
Sources disagree on absolute counts—estimates range from about 3–4.5 million U.S. Muslims in mid-2020s accounts—and explicitly state data problems, with some outlets noting their own lists will be outdated quickly because communities are changing and surveys undercount minorities [12] [3] [9]. Because the federal government lacks a religion question, “fastest-growing” is best understood as metro- and county-level increases shown in religion surveys and community records rather than a precise state ranking [4] [3].
8. What this means politically and socially: growing visibility, local impacts
Reporting connects demographic growth to stronger civic presence—more mosques, schools and elected officials in some states—and to an expanding footprint in urban service delivery, education and politics; at the same time, observers note that growth fuels policy debates about immigration and integration [5] [4].
Limitations and open questions: published state figures come from private compilations and non-mandatory religion censuses; sources explicitly caution that counts vary and that conversions, attrition and internal migration complicate trends [3] [4] [11]. Available sources do not mention a single, authoritative 2025 federal count of Muslims by state because the Census does not collect religion [4].