State rankings

Sundown Towns by State

Illinois has the highest Estimated # of Sundown Towns (349), followed by Wisconsin (246) and Indiana (245). Delaware has the lowest (1).

CultureHistory48 states · 2 metricsUpdated Mar 3, 2025Original page
1 source
Estimated # of Sundown TownsBetter directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
48 of 51 states
Compare this metricAdd to combined rankingOpen full map

Estimated # of Sundown Towns

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

Loading map…

All 48 ranked

Highest 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
18.5
Middle half 9 – 58.75
Average
50.52
48 states
Highest
349
Illinois
Lowest
1
Delaware

Data

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

What correlates with Estimated # of Sundown Towns?

Pearson r against 2,113 other state metrics sharing at least 29 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 Estimated # of Sundown Towns tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Pumpkin Acres HarvestedPumpkin Production by State
    r = +0.76 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Number of School DistrictsWorst School Districts by State
    r = +0.60 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Soybean ProductionSoybean Production by State
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  4. Population < 5kSmall Towns by State
    r = +0.58 · strong · n = 43
    Plot
  5. Soybean Production ValueSoybean Production by State
    r = +0.57 · strong · n = 29
    Plot
  6. Corn Production ValueCorn Production by State
    r = +0.54 · strong · n = 41
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Estimated # of Sundown Towns tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. SDG ScoreMost Racist States
    r = −0.51 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. Debt-To-Income Ratio LowDebt by State
    r = −0.48 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Debt-To-Income Ratio HighDebt by State
    r = −0.46 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  4. Employment and Wealth Racial Integration RankLeast Racist StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.46 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  5. Transgender % of Total Pop. Age 25-64 (2016-2021)What Percentage of the Population is Transgender?
    r = −0.43 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot
  6. Birthplace DiversityMost Diverse US StatesA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.43 · moderate · n = 48
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Estimated # of Sundown Towns?
Illinois has the highest Estimated # of Sundown Towns, at 349, followed by Wisconsin (246) and Indiana (245).
Which state has the lowest Estimated # of Sundown Towns?
Delaware has the lowest Estimated # of Sundown Towns, at 1.
What is the median Estimated # of Sundown Towns across US states?
The median is 18.5 across the 48 US states with data.
Where does this sundown towns by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Historical Database of Sundown Towns - History & Social Justice.

Keep exploring