The 2024 American Community Survey counted 25,837,975 U.S. citizens by naturalization nationwide, alongside 24,396,883 residents who were not U.S. citizens. The same Census measure shows substantial differences between states: naturalized citizens represented 1.0% of Mississippi’s population and 15.0% of California’s. Separately, USCIS reported 818,500 new citizens in fiscal year 2024.
These figures describe different things. The Census figures are 2024 ACS 1-year estimates of residents by citizenship status, while the USCIS figure counts people who became citizens through naturalization during fiscal year 2024. They should not be added together or treated as interchangeable totals.
In this article
- National citizenship figures
- States with the largest naturalized-citizen populations
- Naturalized citizens as a share of state population
- State-by-state statistics
- FY 2024 naturalization activity
- How to read these citizenship statistics
National citizenship figures
The 2024 ACS 1-year estimate placed the total U.S. resident population at 340,110,990. Within that national total, 25,837,975 people were U.S. citizens by naturalization. The same Census API B05001 measure counted 24,396,883 people who were not U.S. citizens. These are nationwide resident estimates for the 2024 ACS 1-year period, not a count of naturalization applications or ceremonies.
The two citizenship categories answer different questions. “U.S. citizens by naturalization” identifies residents who became citizens through naturalization. “Not a U.S. citizen” identifies residents who did not report U.S. citizenship in the relevant Census measure. Neither number is a direct count of everyone who has ever applied for citizenship, everyone eligible to apply, or everyone who completed the process during calendar year 2024.
The national figures also provide context for the state results. A state can have a large naturalized-citizen population because it is large overall, because naturalized citizens make up a relatively high share of its residents, or because of both factors. Looking at counts and percentages together gives a more useful picture than ranking by either measure alone.
Source: Census API B05001, 2024 ACS 1-year.
States with the largest naturalized-citizen populations
California had the largest reported number of U.S. citizens by naturalization in the supplied 2024 ACS figures, with 5,898,528. Florida followed with 2,958,705, and New York had 2,743,619. Texas had 2,411,503, while New Jersey had 1,327,439. Illinois was the next state above one million, with 1,011,989 naturalized citizens.
These leading totals are not all similar in population share. California’s 5,898,528 naturalized citizens represented 15.0% of its total population of 39,431,263. Florida’s 2,958,705 represented 12.7% of 23,372,215 residents. New York’s 2,743,619 represented 13.8% of 19,867,248 residents. Texas had 2,411,503, or 7.7% of its 31,290,831 residents, and New Jersey had 1,327,439, or 14.0% of its 9,500,851 residents.
The comparison below separates the reported count from the reported state-population share.
| State | Citizens by naturalization | Share of state population |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5,898,528 | 15.0% |
| Florida | 2,958,705 | 12.7% |
| New York | 2,743,619 | 13.8% |
| Texas | 2,411,503 | 7.7% |
| New Jersey | 1,327,439 | 14.0% |
| Illinois | 1,011,989 | 8.0% |
Source for all state figures in this section: Census API B05001, 2024 ACS 1-year.
Naturalized citizens as a share of state population
The reported percentages show a different ordering. California was at 15.0%, New Jersey at 14.0%, and New York at 13.8%. Florida’s share was 12.7%, while Nevada’s 342,521 naturalized citizens represented 10.5% of its 3,267,467 residents. Massachusetts reported 696,731 naturalized citizens, equal to 9.8% of its 7,136,171 residents.
Other states with comparatively high reported shares included Maryland at 9.4% with 587,055 naturalized citizens, Connecticut at 8.6% with 317,229, and Rhode Island at 8.4% with 93,597. Illinois and Washington each reported an 8.0% share, with 1,011,989 and 639,632 naturalized citizens respectively. Virginia reported 664,674, equal to 7.5% of its 8,811,195 residents.
At the lower end of the supplied state percentages, Mississippi reported 30,316 naturalized citizens, or 1.0% of its population of 2,943,045. Montana reported 12,718, or 1.1% of 1,137,233, and West Virginia reported 18,911, also 1.1% of 1,769,979. South Dakota and Wyoming each reported a 1.6% share, with 14,840 and 9,155 naturalized citizens respectively.
A percentage is a measure of population composition, not a measure of the number of people who naturalized in that year. For example, the ACS percentage includes residents who naturalized in earlier years as well as residents who may have naturalized more recently. The measurement period is the 2024 ACS 1-year estimate.
State-by-state statistics
The full set of supplied 2024 ACS figures shows how widely the counts and shares vary. Alabama reported 90,522 naturalized citizens, or 1.8% of 5,157,699 residents. Alaska reported 35,315, or 4.8% of 740,133. Arizona reported 487,599, or 6.4% of 7,582,384. Arkansas reported 63,100, or 2.0% of 3,088,354.
Colorado reported 296,683, or 5.0% of 5,957,494. Delaware reported 63,833, or 6.1% of 1,051,917, while the District of Columbia reported 47,824, or 6.8% of 702,250. Georgia reported 634,671, or 5.7% of 11,180,878. Hawaii reported 164,373, or 11.4% of 1,446,146.
Idaho reported 54,446, or 2.7% of 2,001,619. Indiana reported 191,180, or 2.8% of 6,924,275. Iowa reported 85,683, or 2.6% of 3,241,488. Kansas reported 98,431, or 3.3% of 2,970,606. Kentucky reported 88,461, or 1.9% of 4,588,372, and Louisiana reported 93,583, or 2.0% of 4,597,740.
Maine reported 33,160, or 2.4% of 1,405,012. Michigan reported 441,017, or 4.3% of 10,140,459. Minnesota reported 304,324, or 5.3% of 5,793,151. Missouri reported 157,773, or 2.5% of 6,245,466. Nebraska reported 71,497, or 3.6% of 2,005,466.
New Hampshire reported 52,368, or 3.7% of 1,409,032. New Mexico reported 86,532, or 4.1% of 2,130,256. North Carolina reported 460,803, or 4.2% of 11,046,024. North Dakota reported 15,104, or 1.9% of 796,568. Ohio reported 342,707, or 2.9% of 11,883,304.
Oklahoma reported 112,846, or 2.8% of 4,095,393. Oregon reported 219,347, or 5.1% of 4,272,371. Pennsylvania reported 614,120, or 4.7% of 13,078,751. South Carolina reported 157,392, or 2.9% of 5,478,831. Tennessee reported 187,088, or 2.6% of 7,227,750.
Utah reported 135,355, or 3.9% of 3,503,613. Vermont reported 20,153, or 3.1% of 648,493. Wisconsin reported 151,523, or 2.5% of 5,960,975. Wyoming reported 9,155, or 1.6% of 587,618. These percentages are the reported shares of each jurisdiction’s 2024 ACS 1-year total population.
FY 2024 naturalization activity
USCIS reported that 818,500 people became new citizens in fiscal year 2024. USCIS described that total as 7% below the FY 2023 level and 12% above the 2010–2019 annual average of 730,100. The fiscal-year measure is an administrative activity count for naturalizations during FY 2024, while the ACS measure is a resident population estimate for 2024.
The comparison can be stated directly:
| USCIS measure | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| New citizens, FY 2024 | 818,500 |
| Change from FY 2023 | 7% below |
| 2010–2019 annual average | 730,100 |
| FY 2024 compared with that average | 12% above |
The FY 2024 total therefore should not be read as the number of naturalized citizens living in the United States. A person naturalized during FY 2024 may appear in the ACS resident population, but the two sources use different scopes and reporting methods. The USCIS figure also does not provide a state-by-state breakdown in the supplied statistics.
Source: USCIS Naturalization Statistics.
How to read these citizenship statistics
For questions about how many naturalized citizens live in a place, use the ACS count and the associated state population. For questions about naturalization activity during a fiscal year, use the USCIS total. A state count answers a population question; a fiscal-year total answers an annual administrative-activity question.
The Census API B05001 figures are labeled as 2024 ACS 1-year estimates. Estimates describe the measured population through a survey product and should not be presented as an exact administrative register. The state percentages likewise reflect the reported ACS estimates and are shown to the supplied precision.
The USCIS comparison uses fiscal year 2024, FY 2023, and the 2010–2019 annual average. Those periods are not the same as the 2024 ACS 1-year period. Keeping the period and geography attached to every statistic prevents a common mistake: treating the number of people who naturalized during one fiscal year as though it were the total number of naturalized citizens residing in the country or in a particular state.
Source labels: Census API B05001, 2024 ACS 1-year; USCIS Naturalization Statistics. The historical USCIS figures are presented as reported by USCIS and have not been independently verified here.