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Best States for Immigrants
Ranked by sanctuary status, driver's license access, in-state tuition, Medicaid coverage, plus job-market and school quality — for newcomers planning where to settle.
State-level immigration policy varies more than federal law suggests. We composite four immigration-policy flags (sourced from NILC, NCSL, KFF, and the Higher Ed Immigration Portal) with state-average unemployment and school metrics to rank every state for newcomers.
How we scored each state
Each factor is normalized 0–100 against the actual 51-state distribution (min → 0, max → 100; inverted when lower is better). The composite is a weighted average; states missing data for a factor receive a neutral 50 so all 51 still rank.
Full 51-State Ranking
| # | State | Sanctuary Status | Undocumented Driver's License | In-State Tuition | Medicaid Coverage Scope | Strong Labor Market | School Completion | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 65 | 60 | 85 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 37 | 65 | 80 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 60 | 75 | 80 |
| 4 | Oregon | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 53 | 45 | 80 |
| 5 | California | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 30 | 64 | 79 |
| 6 | Connecticut | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | — | 83 | 79 |
| 7 | Illinois | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 47 | 50 | 79 |
| 8 | Vermont | 100 | 100 | — | 50 | 92 | 67 | 79 |
| 9 | Maryland | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 81 | 36 | 76 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 76 | 42 | 76 |
| 11 | Colorado | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 57 | 54 | 75 |
| 12 | Utah | 50 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 73 | 89 | 75 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 50 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 58 | 100 | 74 |
| 14 | New Jersey | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 73 |
| 15 | Nebraska | 50 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 90 | 49 | 70 |
| 16 | Washington | 100 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 44 | 36 | 69 |
| 17 | Hawaii | 50 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 81 | 41 | 67 |
| 18 | Virginia | 50 | 100 | 100 | 50 | 81 | 43 | 67 |
| 19 | Delaware | 50 | 100 | 100 | 0 | 68 | 48 | 58 |
| 20 | Nevada | 50 | 100 | 100 | 0 | 32 | 67 | 55 |
| 21 | New Mexico | 100 | 100 | 100 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 55 |
| 22 | Maine | 50 | 0 | — | 50 | 72 | 50 | 47 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | 50 | 0 | — | 0 | 92 | 46 | 43 |
| 24 | Kansas | 50 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 72 | 36 | 42 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | 50 | 0 | — | 0 | 67 | 67 | 42 |
| 26 | Michigan | 50 | 0 | — | 50 | 37 | 44 | 39 |
| 27 | Idaho | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 76 | 38 |
| 28 | South Dakota | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 38 | 38 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 55 | 37 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 73 | 52 | 35 |
| 31 | North Dakota | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 32 | 34 |
| 32 | Ohio | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 53 | 31 |
| 33 | West Virginia | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 55 | 31 |
| 34 | Wyoming | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 29 | 31 |
| 35 | Florida | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 73 | 29 |
| 36 | Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 82 | 57 | 28 |
| 37 | Montana | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 12 | 28 |
| 38 | Missouri | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 57 | 24 |
| 39 | Tennessee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 69 | 53 | 24 |
| 40 | Indiana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 56 | 23 |
| 41 | Kentucky | 0 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 25 | 39 | 23 |
| 42 | Mississippi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 32 | 21 |
| 43 | Texas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 46 | 21 |
| 44 | Arizona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 34 | 19 |
| 45 | Alaska | 50 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 18 |
| 46 | Arkansas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 26 | 18 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 43 | 18 |
| 48 | North Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 24 | 18 |
| 49 | Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 8 | 16 |
| 50 | Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 10 | 16 |
| 51 | South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 23 | 15 |
Scores are normalized 0–100; higher is better. Click any state name for the full state profile.
FAQ
What does sanctuary status actually mean?
A sanctuary state limits how state and local agencies cooperate with federal immigration enforcement (ICE). Mandatory-ICE states require maximum cooperation; cooperative states sit in the middle. The label affects detention practices, traffic-stop policies, and whether local police share immigration data. NCSL and state executive orders are the canonical source.
Which states let undocumented residents get driver's licenses?
About 19 states plus DC let residents apply for a driver's license or permit regardless of immigration status, per NILC. Requirements vary — most still demand proof of identity and state residency. The ranking treats this as a binary access flag because it materially affects daily life (driving to work, getting a bank account, signing a lease).
How does Medicaid scope vary for immigrants?
Federal law sets a five-year wait for most lawfully-present immigrants before Medicaid eligibility, but states can use state-only funds to cover gaps. We score full state expansion (all ages) highest, then children + pregnant women only, then emergency-only, then no state coverage. KFF tracks state-by-state.
Why are jobs and schools in this ranking?
Immigrants often choose states based on employment opportunities and education quality for their kids. Policy is necessary but not sufficient — a state with sanctuary status but 8% unemployment and weak schools isn't a great destination. The composite weights immigration policy (60%) above economy and education (40% combined).
Mubboo Editorial Team. Cross-domain rankings combine state-level data from multiple Mubboo Info datasets — see the methodology table above for per-factor sources. Datasets refresh annually; rankings recompute every 24 hours. See our full methodology →
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