State rankings

Most Racist States

California has the highest Hate Crimes in 2023 (2,114), followed by New Jersey (1,422) and New York (1,048). South Dakota has the lowest (11).

Culture51 states · 5 metricsUpdated Mar 17, 2025Original page
5 sources
51 of 51 states
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Hate Crimes, 2023

Green is better, red is worse (lower is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 51 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
142
Middle half 52 – 281
Average
250
51 states
Lowest (best)
11
Montana
Highest (worst)
2,114
California

Over time · 2021–2023

The top 5 in 2023, against the median.

  • Median of all states
  • Montana
  • South Dakota
  • Mississippi
  • Delaware
  • Alaska

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

What correlates with Hate Crimes (2023)?

Pearson r against 2,092 other state metrics sharing at least 31 states. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Hate Crimes tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Other Gas StationsNumber of Gas Stations by State
    r = +0.90 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. RevenuesState Budgets by State
    r = +0.89 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  3. ExpendituresState Budgets by State
    r = +0.89 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  4. Democratic Seats (maps)Most Gerrymandered States
    r = +0.88 · very strong · n = 40
    Plot
  5. Est. Annual Immigrants from Asia (2018-2022)Immigrants by State
    r = +0.88 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  6. Total ResourcesState Budgets by State
    r = +0.88 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Hate Crimes tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Req. English CreditsHigh School Graduation Requirements by State
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Balance of Payments without COVIDFederal Aid by State
    r = −0.62 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. Quadratic RuleMost Gerrymandered States
    r = −0.61 · strong · n = 44
    Plot
  4. % VeteransVeterans Unemployment Benefits by State
    r = −0.58 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Housing CostPension-Friendly States
    r = −0.56 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  6. Related Groups per Capita RankBest States to HomeschoolA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Hate Crimes?
California has the highest Hate Crimes in 2023, at 2,114, followed by New Jersey (1,422) and New York (1,048).
Which state has the lowest Hate Crimes?
South Dakota has the lowest Hate Crimes in 2023, at 11.
What is the median Hate Crimes across US states?
The median is 142 across the 51 US states with data in 2023.
Where does this most racist states data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Hate Map - Southern Poverty Law Center; The Most Racist States in the U.S. Aren't Where You'd Expect - HowStuffWorks; Where America's Racist Tweets Come From - The Atlantic; Mapping Racist Tweets in Response to President Obama's Re-election.