White Americans

White people of the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

White Americans

White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as "[a] person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa". This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. According to the 2020 census, 71%, or 235,411,507 people, were White alone or in combination, and 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were White alone. This represented a national white demographic decline from a 72.4% white alone share of the US population in 2010.

Quick Facts Total population, Regions with significant populations ...
White Americans
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Proportion of White Americans in each county as of the 2020 US census
Total population
Alone (one race)
204,277,273 (2020 census)[1]
61.63% of the total US population

In combination (multiracial)
31,134,234 (2020 census)[1]
9.39% of the total US population

Alone or in combination
235,411,507 (2020 census)[1]
71.02% of the total US population
Regions with significant populations
All areas of the United States
California16,296,122[1]
Texas14,609,365[1]
Florida12,422,961[1]
New York11,143,349[1]
Pennsylvania9,750,687[1]
Languages
Majority: English
Minority: German · Spanish · Irish · Italian · Polish · French · Arabic · Scots · Norwegian · Russian · Dutch · Swedish · Portuguese
Religion
[2] (Among non-Hispanic whites only)
Related ethnic groups
European Americans
North African Americans
Middle Eastern Americans
Close

As of the latest American Community Survey in 2022, US Census Bureau estimates that 60.9% of the US population were White alone, while Non-Hispanic Whites were 57.7% of the population. Overall, 72.5% of Americans identified as White alone or in combination.[3] [4] European Americans are by far the largest panethnic group of white Americans and have constituted the majority population of the United States since the nation's founding.

The US Census Bureau uses a particular definition of "white" that differs from some colloquial uses of the term.[5][6] The Bureau defines "White" people to be those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa".[7] Within official census definitions, people of all racial categories may be further divided into those who identify as "not Hispanic or Latino" and those who do identify as "Hispanic or Latino".[8][5] The term "non-Hispanic white", rather than just "white", may be the census group corresponding most closely to those persons who identify as and are perceived to be white in common usage; similarly not all Hispanic/Latino people identify as "white", "black", or any other listed racial category.[5][6] In 2015, the Census Bureau announced their intention to make Hispanic/Latino and Middle Eastern/North African racial categories similar to "white" or "black", with respondents able to choose one, two, or more racial categories; this change was canceled during the Trump administration.[6][9] Other persons who are classified as "white" by the US census but may or may not identify as or be perceived as “white” include Arab Americans and Jewish Americans of European or MENA descent.[10][11][12][13][14] In the United States, the term White people generally denotes a person of European ancestry, but has been legally extended to people of West Asian and North African (Middle Eastern, West Asian, and North African) ancestry.[15][16][17] However, in 2024, the Office of Management and Budget announced that the race categories used by the federal government would be updated, and that Middle Eastern and North African Americans will no longer be classified as white in the upcoming 2030 Census.[18]

Self Reported Ancestry

Summarize
Perspective

White ethnic groups according to the 2020 US Census[19]

  Britons (11.71%)
  Germans (4.69%)
  White Hispanics (3.80%)
  Italians (2.00%)
  Poles (0.81%)
  French (0.54%)
  Arabs (0.48%)
  Norwegians (0.31%)
  Russians (0.30%)
  Dutch (0.27%)
  Other whites (36.72%)
  Non-Whites (38.37%)

The most commonly reported ancestries of White Americans include English (12.5%), German (7.6%), Irish (5.3%), Italian (3.2%), and Polish (1.3%).[20] It is difficult to track full or partial ancestry from Spain in White Hispanics, Mestizos, or Mulattoes since people of direct Spanish descent are also classified as Hispanic, and though the census does track Hispanics' national origin, it does not classify it by race. In 2021, 995,583 people of any race claimed ancestry from Spain, 0.3% of the total population.[21] However, genetic studies have found that the vast majority of Hispanics in the US have varying amounts of European ancestry, with the largest component being Spanish or Iberian.[22][23][24] The English Americans' demography is also considered a serious under-count, as the stock tend to self-report and identify as simply "Americans" (7%), due to the length of time they have inhabited the United States, particularly if their family arrived prior to the American Revolution.[12][25][14]

Genetics

A 2015 genetic study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics analyzed the genetic ancestry of 148,789 European Americans. The study concluded that British/Irish ancestry is the most common European ancestry among white Americans, with this component ranging between 20% (Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota) and 55% (Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas). These states strongly correlated with those where the largest number of people identified with "American" ancestry on the census.[26] Many white Americans also have ancestry from multiple countries. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, 76,678,228 Americans identified with multiple European, Middle Eastern, or North African ancestry groups, with the large majority of these identifying with various European groups.[27]

Historical and present definitions

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Perspective

Definitions of who is "White" have changed throughout the history of the United States.

US census definition

The term "white American" can encompass many different ethnic groups. Although the United States census purports to reflect a social definition of race, the social dimensions of race are more complex than Census criteria. The 2000 US census states that racial categories "generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country. They do not conform to any biological, anthropological or genetic criteria."[28]

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Steven Paul Jobs is an American inventor of Arab and Swiss descent.

The Census question on race lists the categories White or European American, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Asian, plus "Some other race", with the respondent having the ability to mark more than one racial or ethnic category. The Census Bureau defines White people as follows:

"White" refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as "White" or reported entries such as German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.[7]

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Lorenzo Lamas is an Hispanic American actor of Argentine descent.

In US census documents, the designation White overlaps, as do all other official racial categories, with the term Hispanic or Latino, which was introduced in the 1980 census as a category of ethnicity, separate and independent of race.[29][30] Hispanic and Latino Americans as a whole make up a racially diverse group and are the largest minority in the country.[31][32]

Beginning in 1930, Mexican was added as a distinct race on the US census with the explanation that "practically all Mexican laborers are of a racial mixture difficult to classify".[33][34] The Mexican racial category was removed in 1940, with new direction that "Mexicans are to be regarded as white unless definitely of Indian or other nonwhite race"; this was continued in 1950.[35] 1970 saw the creation of the Spanish Origin category, which superseded previous classifications for Latin Americans and is now represented by the Hispanic or Latino ethnic category. Hispanic or Latino was again to be raised to racial status for the 2020 census (along with Middle Eastern and North African), but this was canceled by President Donald J. Trump.[36]

The characterization of Middle Eastern and North African Americans as white has been a matter of controversy. In the early 20th century, there were a number of cases where people of Arab descent were denied entry into the United States or deported, because they were characterized as nonwhite.[37] In the early 21st century, MENA Americans began lobbying for the creation of their own racial group and were successful; in 2015, the US Census Bureau announced that it had responded to their requests and would add a "Middle Eastern and North African" racial category to the 2020 census.[38][39] The Trump administration nullified this change after coming to power in 2016.

However, in 2024, the Office of Management and Budget under the Biden administration reinstated the proposed changes, announcing that the race categories used by the federal government would be updated, and that Middle Eastern and North African Americans will no longer be classified as white in the upcoming 2030 Census, and Hispanic and Latino will also be treated similar to a racial, rather than ethnic, category.[18] The Census Bureau defines the planned definition of White people as follows:

"Individuals with origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, including, for example, English, German, Irish, Italian, Polish, and Scottish."[40]

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President Abraham Lincoln was descended from Samuel Lincoln and was of English and Welsh ancestry.
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Gloria Vanderbilt, noted artist and designer, was of Dutch descent.

In cases where individuals do not self-identify, the US census parameters for race give each national origin a racial value.

On some government documents, such as the 2007 SEER program's Coding and Staging Manual, people who reported Muslim (or a sect of Islam such as Shia or Sunni), Jewish, Zoroastrian, Caucasian, or a MENA or Latin American ethnicity as their race in the "Some other race" section, without noting a country of origin or Native American tribal affiliation, were automatically tallied as White. [41] The 1990 US census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) listed "Caucasian" or "Aryan" among other terms as subgroups of "white" in their ancestry code listing,[42] but 2005 and proceeding years of PUMS codes do not.[43]

Social definition

In the contemporary United States, any one of European descent is typically considered white. However, the US census also considers people of Middle Eastern and North African ancestry to be “white”. Many of the ethnic groups classified as “white” by the US census, such as Arab Americans, Berber Americans, Jewish Americans of European, Middle Eastern or North African descent, and Hispanics and Latinos of European, Middle Eastern or North African descent may not always identify as, and may not always be perceived to be, “white”.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]

Social perceptions of whiteness have evolved over the course of American history. For example, Benjamin Franklin commented that the Saxons of Germany and the English "make the principal Body of White People on the Face of the Earth".[52] Historically, many individuals of European descent were not readily integrated into mainstream American society and found themselves caught on the "dark" side of the white/black binary, including Irish, Italians, Greeks and Slavs.[53] In Minnesota, increasing numbers of Finnish immigrants led to a debate[when?] surrounding Finnish whiteness and whether Finns should be classified as a Mongoloid peoples.[51]

David Roediger argues that the construction of the white race in the United States was an effort to mentally distance slave owners from slaves.[54] The process of officially being defined as white by law often came about in court disputes over pursuit of citizenship.[55]

Demographic information

Summarize
Perspective
More information Year, Population ...
White alone 1790–2020
Year Population % of
the US
% change
(raw)
% change

(share)

17903,172,00680.7Steady Steady
18004,306,44681.1Increase35.8% 0.4
18105,862,07381.0Increase36.1% -0.1
18207,866,79781.6Increase34.2% 0.6
183010,532,06081.9Increase33.9% 0.3
184014,189,70583.2Increase34.7% 1.3
185019,553,06884.3Increase37.8% 0.9
186026,922,53785.6Increase37.7% 1.3
187033,589,37787.1Increase24.8% 1.5
188043,402,97086.5Increase29.2% -0.6
189055,101,25887.5Increase26.9% 1.0
190066,809,19687.9Increase21.2% 0.4
1910 81,731,957 88.9 Increase22.3% 1.0
1920 94,820,915 89.7 Increase16.0% 1.2
1930 110,286,740 89.8 Increase16.3% 0.1
1940 118,214,870 89.8 (highest) Increase7.2% 0.0
1950 134,942,028 89.5 Increase14.1% -0.3
1960 158,831,732 88.6 Increase17.7% -0.9
1970 178,119,221 87.5 Increase12.1% -1.1
1980 188,371,622 83.1 Increase5.8% -4.4
1990 199,686,070 80.3 Increase6.0% -2.8
2000 211,460,626 75.1 Increase5.9% -4.8
2010 223,553,265 72.4 Increase5.7% -2.7
2020 204,277,273 61.6 (lowest) Decrease – 8.6% -10.8
Source: United States census bureau.[56][57][58][59]
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The fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the 2020 United States census

White Americans constitute the majority of the 332 million people living in the United States, with 71% of the population in the 2020 United States census, including 61.6% who identified as 'white alone.' This represented a national white demographic decline from a 72.4% share of the US's self-identified white alone population in 2010.[7][60][note 1]

The largest ethnic groups (by ancestry) among White Americans were English or British, followed by Germans and Irish.[62][63] In the 1980 census 49,598,035 Americans cited that they were of English ancestry, making them 26% of the country and the largest group at the time, and in fact larger than the population of England itself.[64] Slightly more than half of these people would cite that they were of "American" ancestry on subsequent censuses and virtually everywhere that "American" ancestry predominates on the 2000 census corresponds to places where "English" predominated on the 1980 census.[14][65]

More information Years, Non-Hispanic Whites ...
White American groups according to the census
Years Non-Hispanic Whites White Hispanics Total
#  % #  %
2020 191,697,647 57.84% 12,579,626 3.80% 204,277,273
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Geographic distribution

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White Americans (alone/single race) population pyramid in 2020
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White Americans of one race (or alone) in 2020
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White Americans of one race (or alone) from 1960 to 2020

White Americans alone (including White Hispanics) are the majority racial group in most of the United States. As of 2022, they are not the majority in Hawaii,[66] California,[67] Texas,[68] New Mexico,[69] Nevada,[70] and Maryland,[71] making up just under half of the population in the last four states. If White Hispanics are excluded, they are also a minority in Georgia.[72] They are also a minority in many American Indian reservations, parts of the South, especially areas part of the “black belt”, the District of Columbia, all US territories, and in many urban areas throughout the country.

However, when including multiracial Americans, those who identify as part or fully White make up the majority of the population in every state except for Hawaii,[73] along with Puerto Rico.[74]

Overall the highest concentration of those referred to as "non-Hispanic whites" by the Census Bureau are found in the Midwest, New England, the northern Rocky Mountain states, Kentucky, West Virginia, and East Tennessee.[75] The lowest concentration of whites was found in southern and mid-Atlantic states.[8][76][77]

More information State or territory, Population (2022 est.) ...
White population in all 50 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico), as of 2022
State or territory Population

(2022 est.)

White alone (Non Hispanic)[78] White alone[79] White alone or in combination[80]
Alabama 5,074,296 64.1% 65.1% 69.8%
Alaska 733,583 57.4% 59.6% 72.6%
Arizona 7,359,197 51.8% 57.8% 76.5%
Arkansas 3,045,637 67.5% 69.1% 79.3%
California 39,029,344 33.7% 38.9% 56.6%
Colorado 5,839,926 65.0% 70.3% 84.3%
Connecticut 3,626,205 62.0% 65.0% 75.2%
Delaware 1,018,396 58.9% 59.9% 68.2%
District of Columbia 671,803 36.7% 38.4% 47.3%
Florida 22,244,824 50.8% 55.9% 73.9%
Georgia 10,912,876 49.6% 51.3% 58.7%
Hawaii 1,440,196 20.7% 22.2% 43.8%
Idaho 1,939,033 79.0% 81.9% 91.5%
Illinois 12,582,032 58.5% 61.1% 71.3%
Indiana 6,833,037 76.0% 77.5% 84.1%
Iowa 3,200,517 82.8% 84.4% 90.6%
Kansas 2,937,150 73.1% 76.3% 85.8%
Kentucky 4,512,310 82.2% 83.1% 88.8%
Louisiana 4,590,241 56.7% 57.6% 63.9%
Maine 1,385,340 90.2% 90.8% 95.9%
Maryland 6,164,660 47.1% 48.4% 55.4%
Massachusetts 6,981,974 67.0% 68.8% 77.8%
Michigan 10,034,118 72.6% 74.0% 80.7%
Minnesota 5,717,184 76.2% 77.2% 83.5%
Mississippi 2,940,057 55.3% 55.7% 59.8%
Missouri 6,177,957 76.6% 77.6% 84.6%
Montana 1,122,867 83.5% 85.1% 91.7%
Nebraska 1,967,923 75.8% 78.4% 86.8%
Nevada 3,177,772 44.4% 49.1% 65.2%
New Hampshire 1,395,231 86.6% 87.5% 93.9%
New Jersey 9,261,699 51.5% 54.1% 64.8%
New Mexico 2,113,344 34.8% 46.4% 70.8%
New York 19,677,152 52.9% 55.2% 63.4%
North Carolina 10,698,973 60.7% 62.2% 69.4%
North Dakota 779,261 82.0% 83.2% 88.2%
Ohio 11,756,058 76.1% 77.1% 83.1%
Oklahoma 4,019,800 62.6% 65.2% 78.6%
Oregon 4,240,137 71.6% 74.5% 85.8%
Pennsylvania 12,972,008 73.1% 74.4% 80.9%
Puerto Rico 3,221,789 0.6% 26.3% 60.7%
Rhode Island 1,093,734 68.2% 70.5% 80.1%
South Carolina 5,282,634 62.5% 63.6% 69.5%
South Dakota 909,824 79.9% 80.8% 86.7%
Tennessee 7,051,339 71.9% 73.0% 79.5%
Texas 30,029,572 38.9% 47.6% 70.6%
Utah 3,380,800 75.6% 79.2% 87.7%
Vermont 647,064 90.2% 90.9% 96.2%
Virginia 8,683,619 58.7% 60.2% 68.6%
Washington 7,785,786 63.5% 65.9% 77.7%
West Virginia 1,775,156 89.8% 90.3% 94.9%
Wisconsin 5,892,539 79.0% 80.4% 88.0%
Wyoming 581,381 81.4% 84.6% 92.6%
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Although all large geographical areas are dominated by White Americans, much larger differences can be seen between specific parts of large cities.

States with the highest percentages of White Americans, either White Alone or in combination with another race as of 2020:[81][failed verification]

  1. Vermont 95.6%
  2. Maine 95.4%
  3. West Virginia 94.4%
  4. New Hampshire 93.7%
  5. Wyoming 92.0%
  6. Montana 90.9%
  7. Idaho 90.2%
  8. Iowa 89.8%
  9. North Dakota 88.0%
  10. Kentucky 87.5%

States with the highest percentages of non-Latino/Hispanic whites, as of 2020:[82][failed verification]

  1. Maine 92.0%
  2. Vermont 91.3%
  3. New Hampshire 91.3%
  4. West Virginia 90.4%
  5. Wyoming 90.7%
  6. Idaho 90.7%
  7. Utah 88.7%
  8. Iowa 88.7%
  9. Montana 86.7%
  10. Nebraska 86.0%

Income and educational attainment

White Americans have the second highest median household income and personal income levels in the nation, by cultural background. The median income per household member was also the highest, since White Americans had the smallest households of any racial demographic in the nation. In 2006, the median individual income of a White American age 25 or older was $33,030, with those who were full-time employed, and of age 25 to 64, earning $34,432. Since 42% of all households had two income earners, the median household income was considerably higher than the median personal income, which was $48,554 in 2005. Jewish Americans rank first in household income, personal income, and educational attainment among White Americans.[83] In 2005, White households had a median household income of $48,977, which is 10% above the national median of $44,389. Among Cuban Americans, with 86% classified as White, those born in the US have a higher median income and educational attainment level than most other Whites.[84]

The poverty rates for White Americans are the second-lowest of any racial group, with 11% of white individuals living below the poverty line, 3% lower than the national average.[85] However, due to Whites' majority status, 48% of Americans living in poverty are white.[86]

White Americans' educational attainment is the second-highest in the country, after Asian Americans'. Overall, nearly one-third of White Americans had a Bachelor's degree, with the educational attainment for Whites being higher for those born outside the United States: 38% of foreign born, and 30% of native born Whites had a college degree. Both figures are above the national average of 27%.[87]

Gender income inequality was the greatest among Whites, with White men outearning White women by 48%. Census Bureau data for 2005 reveals that the median income of White females was lower than that of males of all races. In 2005, the median income for White American females was only slightly higher than that of African American females.[88]

White Americans are more likely to live in suburbs and small cities than their black counterparts.[89]

Proportion in each county

White Americans of one race or alone from 2000 to 2020

More information State, Growth ...
White American (of one race or alone) population as of 2000, 2010 and 2020 censuses[58][90][91]
State 2000 2010 2020 Growth
Pop. 2000  % 2000 Pop. 2010  % 2010 Pop. 2020 % 2020 % growth between 2000 and 2010
Alabama Alabama 3,162,808 71.1% 3,275,394 68.5% 3,220,452 64.1% +3.6%
Alaska Alaska 434,534 69.3% 473,576 66.7% 435,392 59.4% +9.0%
Arizona Arizona 3,873,611 75.5% 4,667,121 73.0% 4,322,337 60.4% +20.5%
Arkansas Arkansas 2,138,598 80.0% 2,245,229 77.0% 2,114,512 70.2% +5.0%
California California 20,170,059 59.5% 21,453,934 57.6% 16,296,122 41.2% +6.4%
Colorado Colorado 3,560,005 82.8% 4,089,202 81.3% 4,082,927 70.7% +14.9%
Connecticut Connecticut 2,780,355 81.6% 2,772,410 77.6% 2,395,128 66.4% -0.3%
Delaware Delaware 584,773 74.6% 618,617 68.9% 597,763 60.4% +5.8%
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia 176,101 30.8% 231,471 38.5% 273,194 39.4% +31.4%
Florida Florida 12,465,029 78.0% 14,109,162 75.0% 12,422,961 57.7% +13.2%
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 5,327,281 65.1% 5,787,440 59.7% 5,555,483 51.9% +8.6%
Hawaii Hawaii 294,102 24.3% 336,599 24.7% 333,261 22.9% +14.4%
Idaho Idaho 1,177,304 91.0% 1,396,487 89.1% 1,510,360 82.1% +18.6%
Illinois Illinois 9,125,471 73.5% 9,177,877 71.5% 7,868,227 61.4% +0.6%
Indiana Indiana 5,320,022 87.5% 5,467,906 84.3% 5,241,791 77.2% +2.8%
Iowa Iowa 2,748,640 93.9% 2,781,561 91.3% 2,694,521 84.5% +1.2%
Kansas Kansas 2,313,944 86.1% 2,391,044 83.8% 2,222,462 75.6% +3.3%
Kentucky Kentucky 3,640,889 90.1% 3,809,537 87.8% 3,711,254 82.4% +4.6%
Louisiana Louisiana 2,856,161 63.9% 2,836,192 62.6% 2,675,652 57.1% -0.7%
Maine Maine 1,236,014 96.9% 1,264,971 95.2% 1,237,041 90.8% +2.3%
Maryland Maryland 3,391,308 64.0% 3,359,284 58.2% 3,007,874 48.7% -0.9%
Massachusetts Massachusetts 5,367,286 84.5% 5,265,236 80.4% 4,896,037 69.6% -1.9%
Michigan Michigan 7,966,053 80.2% 7,803,120 78.9% 7,444,974 73.9% -2.0%
Minnesota Minnesota 4,400,282 89.4% 4,524,062 85.3% 4,423,146 77.5% +2.8%
Mississippi Mississippi 1,746,099 61.4% 1,754,684 59.1% 1,658,893 56% +0.5%
Missouri Missouri 4,748,083 84.9% 4,958,770 82.8% 4,740,335 77% +4.4%
Montana Montana 817,229 90.6% 884,961 89.4% 916,524 84.5% +8.3%
Nebraska Nebraska 1,533,261 89.6% 1,572,838 86.1% 1,538,052 78.4% +2.6%
Nevada Nevada 1,501,886 75.2% 1,786,688 66.2% 1,588,463 51.2% +19.0%
New Hampshire New Hampshire 1,186,851 96.0% 1,236,050 92.3% 1,216,203 88.3% +4.1%
New Jersey New Jersey 6,104,705 72.6% 6,029,248 68.6% 5,112,280 55% -1.2%
New Mexico New Mexico 1,214,253 66.8% 1,407,876 68.4% 1,078,927 51% +15.9%
New York (state) New York 12,893,689 67.9% 12,740,974 65.7% 11,143,349 55.2% -1.2%
North Carolina North Carolina 5,804,656 72.1% 6,528,950 68.5% 6,448,459 62.2% +12.5%
North Dakota North Dakota 593,181 92.4% 605,449 90.0% 645,938 82.9% +2.1%
Ohio Ohio 9,645,453 85.0% 9,539,437 82.7% 9,080,688 77% -1.1%
Oklahoma Oklahoma 2,628,434 76.2% 2,706,845 72.2% 2,514,884 63.5% +3.0%
Oregon Oregon 2,961,623 86.6% 3,204,614 83.6% 3,169,096 74.8% +8.2%
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 10,484,203 85.4% 10,406,288 81.9% 9,750,687 75% -0.7%
Rhode Island Rhode Island 891,191 85.0% 856,869 81.4% 782,920 71.3% -3.8%
South Carolina South Carolina 2,695,560 67.2% 3,060,000 66.2% 3,243,442 63.4% +13.5%
South Dakota South Dakota 669,404 88.7% 699,392 85.9% 715,336 80.7% +4.5%
Tennessee Tennessee 4,563,310 80.2% 4,921,948 77.6% 4,990,938 72.2% +7.9%
Texas Texas 14,799,505 71.0% 17,701,552 70.4% 14,609,365 50.1% +19.6%
Utah Utah 1,992,975 89.2% 2,379,560 86.1% 2,573,413 78.7% +19.4%
Vermont Vermont 589,208 96.8% 596,292 95.3% 577,751 89.8% +1.2%
Virginia Virginia 5,120,110 72.3% 5,486,852 68.6% 5,208,856 60.3% +7.2%
Washington (state) Washington 4,821,823 81.8% 5,196,362 77.3% 5,130,920 66.6% +7.8%
West Virginia West Virginia 1,718,777 95.0% 1,739,988 93.9% 1,610,749 89.8% +1.2%
Wisconsin Wisconsin 4,769,857 88.9% 4,902,067 86.2% 4,737,545 80.4% +2.8%
Wyoming Wyoming 454,670 92.1% 511,279 90.7% 488,374 84.7% +12.4%
United States United States of America 211,460,626 75.1% 223,553,265 72.4% 204,277,273 61.6% +5.7%
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More information State, Pop. 2016 ...
White population by state (includes Hispanics who identify as white)[92]
StatePop. 2016% 2016Pop. 2017% 2017percentage
growth
numeric
growth
Alabama Alabama 3,371,066 69.35% 3,374,131 69.22% -0.13% +3,065
Alaska Alaska 490,864 66.20% 486,724 65.79% -0.41% -4,140
Arizona Arizona 5,753,506 83.28% 5,827,866 83.06% -0.22% +74,360
Arkansas Arkansas 2,372,843 79.41% 2,381,662 79.27% -0.14% +3,740
California California 28,560,032 72.68% 28,611,160 72.37% -0.31% +51,128
Colorado Colorado 4,837,197 87.47% 4,894,372 87.29% -0.18% +57,175
Connecticut Connecticut 2,891,943 80.60% 2,879,759 80.26% -0.34% -12,184
Delaware Delaware 667,076 70.02% 670,512 69.70% -0.32% +3,436
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia 305,232 44.60% 313,234 45.14% +0.54% +8,002
Florida Florida 16,022,497 77.56% 16,247,613 77.43% -0.13% +225,116
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 6,310,426 61.18% 6,341,768 60.81% -0.37% +31,342
Hawaii Hawaii 370,362 25.92% 366,546 25.67% -0.25% -3,816
Idaho Idaho 1,567,868 93.32% 1,599,814 93.18% -0.2% +31,946
Illinois Illinois 9,909,184 77.20% 9,864,942 77.06% -0.14% -44,242
Indiana Indiana 5,679,252 85.61% 5,690,929 85.36% -0.25% +11,677
Iowa Iowa 2,860,136 91.35% 2,864,664 91.06% -0.29% +4,528
Kansas Kansas 2,519,340 86.64% 2,519,176 86.47% -0.17% -164
Kentucky Kentucky 3,901,878 87.96% 3,908,964 87.76% -0.20% +7,086
Louisiana Louisiana 2,958,471 63.13% 2,951,003 63.00% -0.13% -7,468
Maine Maine 1,261,247 94.81% 1,264,744 94.67% -0.14% +3,497
Maryland Maryland 3,572,673 59.30% 3,568,679 58.96% -0.34% -3,994
Massachusetts Massachusetts 5,575,622 81.71% 5,576,725 81.29% -0.42% +1,103
Michigan Michigan 7,906,913 79.60% 7,914,418 79.44% -0.16% +7,505
Minnesota Minnesota 4,687,397 84.84% 4,708,215 84.43% -0.41% +20,818
Mississippi Mississippi 1,771,276 59.33% 1,766,950 59.21% -0.12% -4,326
Missouri Missouri 5,069,869 83.23% 5,080,444 83.10% -0.13% +10,575
Montana Montana 926,475 89.20% 935,792 89.08% -0.12% +9,317
Nebraska Nebraska 1,693,622 88.78% 1,700,881 88.58% -0.20% +7,259
Nevada Nevada 2,208,915 75.15% 2,235,657 74.57% -0.58% +26,742
New Hampshire New Hampshire 1,251,836 93.77% 1,256,807 93.59% -0.18% +4,971
New Jersey New Jersey 6,499,057 72.38% 6,489,409 72.06% -0.32% -9,648
New Mexico New Mexico 1,716,662 82.31% 1,715,623 82.16% -0.15% -1,039
New York (state) New York 13,856,651 69.85% 13,807,127 69.56% -0.29% -49,524
North Carolina North Carolina 7,212,423 71.01% 7,276,995 70.83% -0.18% +64,572
North Dakota North Dakota 663,424 87.81% 661,217 87.53% -0.28% -2,207
Ohio Ohio 9,578,424 82.41% 9,579,207 82.16% -0.25% +783
Oklahoma Oklahoma 2,923,751 74.56% 2,921,390 74.32% -0.24% -2,361
Oregon Oregon 3,569,538 87.29% 3,607,515 87.08% -0.21% +37,977
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 10,525,562 82.31% 10,507,780 82.06% -0.25% -17,782
Rhode Island Rhode Island 892,287 84.37% 890,883 84.07% -0.30% -1,404
South Carolina South Carolina 3,393,346 68.2% 3,440,141 68.47% +0.27% +46,795
South Dakota South Dakota 733,199 85.10% 738,554 84.92% -0.18% +5,355
Tennessee Tennessee 5,231,987 78.68% 5,276,748 78.57% -0.11% +44,761
Texas Texas 22,166,782 79.44% 22,404,118 79.15% -0.29% +237,336
Utah Utah 2,774,606 91.14% 2,820,387 90.93% -0.21% +45,781
Vermont Vermont 589,836 94.62% 589,163 94.47% -0.15% -673
Virginia Virginia 5,891,174 70.01% 5,904,472 69.71% -0.30% +13,298
Washington (state) Washington 5,820,007 79.93% 5,887,060 79.49% -0.44% +67,053
West Virginia West Virginia 1,712,647 93.66% 1,699,266 93.58% -0.08% -13,381
Wisconsin Wisconsin 5,049,698 87.47% 5,060,891 87.32% -0.15% +11,193
Wyoming Wyoming 543,224 92.87% 537,396 92.76% -0.11% -5,828
United States United States 248,619,303 76.87% 249,619,493 76.64% -0.23% +1,000,190
Close
Non-Hispanic population
More information State, Pop. 2016 ...
Non-Hispanic white population by state[92]
StatePop. 2016% 2016Pop. 2017% 2017percentage
growth
numeric
growth
Alabama Alabama 3,198,381 65.80% 3,196,852 65.58% -0.22% -1,529
Alaska Alaska 454,651 61.31% 449,776 60.80% -0.51% -4,875
Arizona Arizona 3,819,881 55.29% 3,849,130 54.86% -0.43% +29,249
Arkansas Arkansas 2,175,521 72.80% 2,177,809 72.49% -0.31% +2,288
California California 14,797,971 37.66% 14,696,754 37.17% -0.49% -101,217
Colorado Colorado 3,791,612 68.56% 3,827,750 68.26% -0.30% +36,135
Connecticut Connecticut 2,428,332 67.68% 2,404,792 67.02% -0.66% -23,540
Delaware Delaware 597,728 62.74% 599,260 62.30% -0.44% +1,532
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia 249,141 36.40% 255,387 36.80% +0.40% +6,246
Florida Florida 11,273,388 54.57% 11,343,977 54.06% -0.51% +70,589
Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia 5,499,055 53.32% 5,507,334 52.81% -0.51% +8,279
Hawaii Hawaii 317,026 22.19% 312,492 21.89% -0.30% -4,534
Idaho Idaho 1,382,934 82.32% 1,408,294 82.02% -0.30% +25,360
Illinois Illinois 7,915,013 61.65% 7,849,887 61.32% -0.33% -65,126
Indiana Indiana 5,280,029 79.59% 5,280,420 79.20% -0.39% +391
Iowa Iowa 2,696,686 86.13% 2,695,962 85.70% -0.43% -724
Kansas Kansas 2,215,920 76.21% 2,209,748 75.86% -0.35% -6,172
Kentucky Kentucky 3,767,092 84.92% 3,768,891 84.61% -0.31% +1,799
Louisiana Louisiana 2,760,416 58.91% 2,747,730 58.66% -0.25% -12,686
Maine Maine 1,243,741 93.50% 1,246,478 93.30% -0.20% +2,737
Maryland Maryland 3,098,543 51.43% 3,077,907 50.86% -0.57% -20,636
Massachusetts Massachusetts 4,972,010 72.86% 4,953,695 72.21% -0.65% -18,315
Michigan Michigan 7,489,609 75.40% 7,488,326 75.17% -0.23% -1,283
Minnesota Minnesota 4,442,684 80.41% 4,455,605 79.89% -0.52% +12,921
Mississippi Mississippi 1,697,562 56.86% 1,691,566 56.69% -0.17% -5,996
Missouri Missouri 4,855,156 79.71% 4,859,227 79.48% -0.23% +4,071
Montana Montana 897,790 86.44% 905,811 86.23% -0.21% +8,021
Nebraska Nebraska 1,515,494 79.44% 1,516,962 79.00% -0.44% +1,468
Nevada Nevada 1,465,888 49.87% 1,470,855 49.06% -0.81% +4,967
New Hampshire New Hampshire 1,212,377 90.81% 1,215,447 90.52% -0.29% +3,070
New Jersey New Jersey 5,002,866 55.72% 4,962,470 55.10% -0.62% -40,396
New Mexico New Mexico 789,869 38.31% 783,064 37.50% -0.81% -6,805
New York (state) New York 11,047,456 55.69% 10,972,959 55.28% -0.41% -74,497
North Carolina North Carolina 6,447,852 63.48% 6,486,100 63.13% -0.35% +38,248
North Dakota North Dakota 641,945 84.96% 639,029 84.59% -0.37% -2,916
Ohio Ohio 9,229,932 79.41% 9,219,577 79.08% -0.33% -10,355
Oklahoma Oklahoma 2,592,571 66.12% 2,581,568 65.67% -0.45% -11,003
Oregon Oregon 3,115,656 76.25% 3,139,685 75.79% -0.46% +24,029
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 9,841,619 76.96% 9,796,510 76.50% -0.44% -45,109
Rhode Island Rhode Island 773,405 73.13% 768,229 72.50% -0.63% -5,176
South Carolina South Carolina 3,165,176 63.82% 3,203,045 63.75% -0.07% +37,869
South Dakota South Dakota 710,509 82.47% 714,881 82.20% -0.27% +4,372
Tennessee Tennessee 4,931,609 74.17% 4,963,780 73.91% -0.26% +32,171
Texas Texas 11,862,697 42.51% 11,886,381 42.00% -0.51% +23,684
Utah Utah 2,400,885 78.86% 2,434,785 78.49% -0.37% +33,900
Vermont Vermont 580,238 93.08% 579,149 92.86% -0.22% -1,089
Virginia Virginia 5,247,231 62.36% 5,241,262 61.88% -0.48% -5,969
Washington (state) Washington 5,049,817 69.36% 5,091,370 68.75% -0.61% +41,553
West Virginia West Virginia 1,688,472 92.33% 1,674,557 92.22% -0.11% -13,915
Wisconsin Wisconsin 4,710,928 81.60% 4,713,993 81.34% -0.26% +3,065
Wyoming Wyoming 492,235 84.16% 486,565 83.99% -0.17% -5,670
United States United States 197,834,599 61.17% 197,803,083 60.73% -0.44% -31,516
Close

Ancestry groups

Summarize
Perspective

The following table lists all self-reported European and Middle Eastern ancestries with over 50,000 members, according to 2022 estimates from the American Community Survey:[93][94]

More information Ancestry, Number in 2022 (Alone) ...
Ancestry Number in 2022 (Alone) Number as of 2022 (Alone or in any combination) % Total
German 13,241,923 41,137,168 12.3%
English 12,331,696 31,380,620 9.4%
Irish 8,649,243 30,655,612 9.2%
American

(Mostly old-stock white Americans of British descent)

14,929,899 17,786,214 5.3%
Italian 5,766,634 16,009,774 4.8%
Polish 2,658,632 8,249,491 2.5%
French

(Not including French Canadian)

1,360,631 6,310,548 1.9%
Scottish 1,555,579 5,352,344 1.6%
Broadly "European"

(No country specified)

3,718,055 4,819,541 1.4%
Swedish 740,478 3,936,772 1.2%
Norwegian 1,224,373 3,317,462 1.0%
Dutch 858,809 3,019,465 0.9%
Scotch-Irish 940,337 2,524,746 0.8%
Arab

(Including Lebanese (583,719), Egyptian (334,574), Syrian (203,282), Palestinian (171,969), Iraqi (164,851), Moroccan (140,196), and all other Arab ancestries)

1,502,360 2,237,982 0.7%
Russian 747,866 2,099,079 0.6%
Spanish

(Including responses of "Spaniard," "Spanish," and "Spanish American." Many Hispanos of New Mexico identify as Spanish/Spaniard)

1,926,228 0.6%
French Canadian 694,089 1,626,456 0.5%
Welsh 293,551 1,521,565 0.5%
Portuguese 543,531 1,350,442 0.4%
Hungarian 390,561 1,247,165 0.4%
Greek 486,878 1,200,706 0.4%
Broadly "British"

(Not further specified)

503,077 1,196,265 0.4%
Czech 340,768 1,188,711 0.4%
Ukrainian 565,431 1,164,728 0.3%
Danish 268,019 1,127,518 0.3%
Broadly "Eastern European"

(Not further specified)

566,715 951,384 0.3%
Broadly "Scandinavian"

(Not further specified)

372,673 935,153 0.3%
Swiss 196,120 847,247 0.3%
Finnish 189,603 606,028 0.2%
Slovak 186,902 602,949 0.2%
Lithuanian 167,355 598,508 0.2%
Austrian 123,987 584,517 0.2%
Canadian 249,309 542,459 0.2%
Iranian 392,051 519,658 0.2%
Armenian 282,012 458,841 0.1%
Romanian 251,069 450,751 0.1%
Broadly "Northern European"

(No country specified)

273,675 434,292 0.1%
Croatian 128,623 389,272 0.1%
Belgian 96,361 316,493 0.1%
Turkish 168,354 239,667 0.07%
Pennsylvania German 155,563 228,634 0.07%
"Czechoslovakian"

(Not further specified)

79,992 227,217 0.07%
Albanian 182,625 223,984 0.07%
"Yugoslavian"

(Not further specified)

129,759 198,687 0.06%
Serbian 96,388 191,538 0.06%
Afghan 169,255 189,493 0.06%
Slovene 48,809 153,589 0.05%
Israeli 80,336 144,202 0.04%
Broadly "Slavic"

(No country specified)

57,491 140,956 0.04%
Bulgarian 75,386 106,896 0.03%
Assyrian 64,349 93,542 0.03%
Latvian 33,742 91,859 0.03%
Cajun 59,046 91,706 0.03%
Australian 37,180 88,999 0.03%
Macedonian 39,586 65,107 0.02%
Basque 24,219 62,731 0.02%
Icelandic 18,978 53,415 0.02%
Close

Politics

Summarize
Perspective

A majority of White Americans have voted for the Republican Party since the 1968 United States presidential election, with the 1964 United States presidential election being the last election when the Democratic Party won a majority of White voters.[citation needed]

In 2012, 88% of Romney voters were non-Hispanic white while 56% of Obama voters were non-Hispanic white.[95] In the 2008 presidential election, John McCain won 55% of non-Hispanic white votes.[96] In the 2010 House election, Republicans won 60% of the non-Hispanic white votes.[97]

Some academics and commentators have argued that Donald Trump's presidential election victory in 2016 is an example of "White backlash".[98][99][100]

More information Year, Candidate of the plurality ...
Year Candidate of
the plurality
Political
party
% of
Non-Hispanic White
vote[citation needed]
Result
1980Ronald ReaganRepublican Party56% Won
1984Ronald ReaganRepublican66% Won
1988George H. W. BushRepublican59% Won
1992George H. W. BushRepublican40% Lost
1996Bob DoleRepublican46% Lost
2000George W. BushRepublican55% Won
2004George W. BushRepublican58% Won
2008John McCainRepublican55% Lost
2012Mitt RomneyRepublican59% Lost
2016Donald TrumpRepublican57% Won
2020Donald TrumpRepublican58% Lost
2024Donald TrumpRepublican57% Won
Close

Health

Culture

Summarize
Perspective

From their earliest presence in North America, White Americans have contributed literature, art, cinema, religion, agricultural skills, foods, science and technology, fashion and clothing styles, music, language, legal system, political system, and social and technological innovation to American culture. White American culture derived its earliest influences from English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish settlers and is quantitatively the largest proportion of American culture.[101] The overall American culture reflects White American culture. The culture has been developing since long before the United States formed a separate country. Much of White American culture shows influences from British culture. Colonial ties to Great Britain spread the English language, legal system and other cultural attributes.[102]

Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America

Thumb
Three members of the Kennedy political dynasty, John, Robert and Ted Kennedy. All eight of their great-grandparents emigrated from Ireland.

In his 1989 book Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America, David Hackett Fischer explores the details of the folkways of four groups of settlers from the British Isles that moved to the American colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries from distinct regions of Britain and Ireland. His thesis is that the culture of each group persisted (albeit in modified form), providing the basis for the modern United States.[103]

According to Fischer, the foundation of America's four regional cultures was formed from four mass migrations from four regions of the British Isles by four distinct ethno-cultural groups. New England's formative period occurred between 1629 and 1640 when Puritans, mostly from East Anglia, settled there, thus forming the basis for the New England regional culture.[104] The next mass migration was of southern English Cavaliers and their working class British Isles servants to the Chesapeake Bay region between 1640 and 1675. This spawned the creation of the American Southern culture.[105]

Then, between 1675 and 1725, thousands of Irish, Cornish, English and Welsh Quakers plus many Germans sympathetic to Quaker ideas, led by William Penn, settled the Delaware Valley. This resulted in the formation of the General American culture, although, according to Fischer, this is really a "regional culture", even if it does today encompass most of the US from the mid-Atlantic states to the Pacific Coast.[106] Finally, a huge number of settlers from the borderlands between England and Scotland, sometimes by way of northern Ireland, migrated to Appalachia between 1717 and 1775. This resulted in the formation of the Upland South regional culture, which has since expanded to the west to West Texas and parts of the American Southwest.[107]

In his book, Fischer brings up several points. He states that the US is not a country with one "general" culture and several "regional" cultures, as is commonly thought. Rather, there are only four regional cultures as described above, and understanding this helps one to more clearly understand American history as well as contemporary American life. Fischer asserts that it is not only important to understand where different groups came from, but when. All population groups have, at different times, their own unique set of beliefs, fears, hopes and prejudices. When different groups moved to America and brought certain beliefs and values with them, these ideas became, according to Fischer, more or less frozen in time, even if they eventually changed in their original place of origin.[108]

Admixture

Summarize
Perspective

Admixture in non-Hispanic whites

Thumb
Population pyramid of Non-Hispanic Whites in 2020.

White Americans have a mean of 98.6% European, 0.19% sub-Saharan African, and 0.18% Native American ancestry according to a study specifically focusing on customers who took a 23andMe DNA test.[109] However, non-European ancestry in White Americans is highly variable; for example, Black ancestry (2% or greater) is found in over five percent of European Americans in Louisiana and South Carolina, and Native American ancestry (2% or greater) is found in over three percent of European Americans in Louisiana and North Dakota. African ancestry is most common in the South and least common in the Midwest; Native American ancestry is more common in Western states than Eastern states.[110]

Older studies have also been performed. DNA analysis on White Americans by geneticist Mark D. Shriver showed an average of 0.7% sub-Saharan African admixture and 3.2% Native American admixture.[111] The same author, in another study, claimed that about 30% of all White Americans, approximately 66 million people, have a median of 2.3% of Black African admixture.[112] Shriver discovered his ancestry is 10 percent African, and Shriver's partner in DNA Print Genomics, J.T. Frudacas, contradicted him two years later stating "Five percent of European Americans exhibit some detectable level of African ancestry."[113]

In a 2007 study, Gonçalves et al. reported sub-Saharan and Amerindian mtDNA lineages at a frequency of 3.1% (respectively 0.9% and 2.2%) in a sample of 1387 American Caucasians as compared to 62% in white Brazilians (respectively 29% and 33%), 98% for white Colombians (respectively 8% and 90%) and 96% for white Costa Ricans (respectively 7% and 89%).[114] A 2003 study on Y-chromosomes and mtDNA found African admixture in European Americans to be "below the limits of detection".[115]

Admixture in Hispanic whites

Thumb
Population pyramid of Hispanic Whites in 2020.

In contrast to non-Hispanic or Latino whites, whose average European ancestry is 98.6%,[116][117] genetic research has found that the average European admixture among White Hispanic and Latino Americans is 73%, while the average European admixture for Hispanic Americans overall (regardless of their self-identified race) is 65.1%. However, this study only obtained its genetic data from people who took a paid ancestry test from 23andMe, and as such may not be fully representative of the general Hispanic population in the US.[118]

See also

Notes

  1. Of the foreign-born population from Europe (4,817 thousand), in 2010, 62% were naturalized.[61]

References

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