You’ve probably seen the maps. Those heat maps that track how America is changing, with vibrant bursts of color in the Sun Belt and the West. But if you look up—way up—toward the jagged coastline of the Northeast, or deep into the crags of the Appalachian Mountains, the colors stay remarkably consistent. People often ask about the whitest state in the United States, usually expecting a simple answer. Honestly, it’s a neck-and-neck race between two very different places: West Virginia and Maine.
As of the latest 2026 demographic projections and recent Census Bureau snapshots, West Virginia holds the top spot with a white population of approximately 95.8%. Maine is a breath behind at roughly 93% to 94%.
Numbers are just numbers until you look at the "why" behind them. Why have these specific pockets stayed so demographicially stagnant while states like Texas and Florida are transforming by the minute? It isn't just one thing. It's a mix of rugged geography, aging populations, and historical migration patterns that basically skipped over these areas during the massive shifts of the 20th century.
The Mountain State: West Virginia’s Deep Roots
West Virginia is an outlier in almost every category. It’s the only state in the union that is actually shrinking in total population consistently. When people leave a state and nobody new moves in, the demographic "makeup" gets frozen in time.
The terrain is part of the story. The Appalachian Mountains are beautiful, but they’ve historically made large-scale industrialization—and the diverse labor forces that come with it—difficult. Unlike the Midwest’s "Great Migration" hubs like Chicago or Detroit, West Virginia’s economy was built on coal and timber. These were often isolated, family-run or company-town operations.
You’ve also got the age factor. West Virginia has one of the oldest median ages in the country. Younger, more diverse generations tend to move toward urban centers with tech jobs or massive service economies. That’s just not the vibe in Harpers Ferry or Beckley.
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Maine and the Northern New England Bubble
Then there’s Maine. If West Virginia is the mountain king of homogeneity, Maine is the coastal queen.
For a long time, Maine was actually the undisputed whitest state in the United States. It still feels that way when you're walking through Portland or driving up to Acadia. The 2020 Census gave us a real shock when it showed Maine’s diversity index actually increasing, but it’s still overwhelmingly white.
Why? Think about the "end of the road" effect.
- Geography: Maine isn’t "on the way" to anywhere. You don't pass through Maine to get to another major hub. You go to Maine because you intended to go to Maine.
- Climate: Let’s be real—the winters are brutal. That naturally slows down the kind of rapid "sunseeker" migration we see in the South.
- Economic Structure: Much like West Virginia, Maine relies on traditional industries like lobster fishing, tourism, and forestry. These aren't typically sectors that draw massive international immigration.
Vermont and New Hampshire aren't far behind, either. They usually round out the top four. It’s a Northern New England phenomenon. These states have very low birth rates and high median ages—Maine's median age is now roughly 45, the highest in the nation. When the population is mostly retirees, you don't see the rapid demographic turnover that happens in "younger" states like Utah.
Beyond the Percentages: What Most People Get Wrong
It’s easy to look at a 95% statistic and think these places are monolithic. They aren't.
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In West Virginia, there is a deep, often overlooked history of Black coal miners who helped build the state’s labor unions. In Maine, the "whitest" label masks a growing and vital population of New Americans, particularly Somali and Congolese refugees in cities like Lewiston and Auburn. These communities are literally saving these towns from population collapse.
Without this recent migration, many of these "whitest" states would be facing a total labor vacuum. Even though the overall percentage of white residents is high, the growth in these states is almost entirely driven by people of color.
Ranking the Whitest States (2026 Projections)
- West Virginia: ~95.8%
- Vermont: ~95.6%
- Maine: ~93.3%
- New Hampshire: ~91.8%
- Wyoming: ~90.8%
Interestingly, Vermont and West Virginia often swap the #1 and #2 spots depending on how the Census Bureau handles "Multi-racial" self-identification. People are becoming more comfortable checking multiple boxes on their forms, which "lowers" the White-alone percentage even if the actual person hasn't changed.
Is This Changing?
Sorta. But slowly.
The "Zoom-town" trend during the early 2020s brought a wave of remote workers to places like Burlington and Portland. These were often people fleeing high-cost cities like NYC or Boston. While this brought some new faces, it didn't drastically move the needle on race because many of those moving were themselves part of the same demographic majority.
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What really moves the needle is birth rates. In the whitest state in the United States, deaths currently outpace births. This is a demographic cliff. To keep schools open and hospitals staffed, these states are actively trying to recruit new residents.
States like Vermont have even experimented with "Remote Worker Grants," paying people to move there. The goal isn't necessarily to change the racial makeup, but to prevent the state from becoming a "giant nursing home," as some local economists bluntly put it.
Insights for Your Next Move
If you're researching this because you're planning a move or a trip, keep these nuances in mind.
- Cost of Living varies wildly: West Virginia is incredibly affordable; Maine and Vermont are becoming increasingly expensive due to housing shortages.
- Infrastructure Matters: High homogeneity often correlates with rurality. Don't expect 5G or high-speed rail in the Northeast Kingdom or the Appalachian hollers.
- Community is Local: In states with less diversity, people tend to rely heavily on tight-knit local networks. It can be hard to "break in" as an outsider, regardless of your background.
If you want to stay updated on how these numbers shift, keep an eye on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Population Estimates. They usually drop the most granular data in the spring. You can also look into the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for their national population projections, which are often more forward-looking than the standard Census lag.
The "whitest" title is a snapshot of history, geography, and age—but if you look at the kindergarten classrooms in these states, you'll see a future that looks a lot more like the rest of America.