Maine Ranks as One of America’s Least Diverse States, Shocking Nobody

The latest diversity rankings are in, and let’s just say it’s not exactly pretty for Maine and Northern New England which, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly surprising.

WalletHub.com, a personal finance website, recently published its annual report on the most and least diverse states.

Maine came in as the 49th most diverse state, just sneaking past last-place West Virginia. However, that means Maine is the second-least diverse state in America...not ideal.

Maine’s actual score was 60.49. The scoring is based on a 100-point system and six major categories: Socioeconomic Diversity, Economic Diversity, Cultural Diversity, Religious Diversity, Political Diversity, and Household Diversity. These categories were broken down into subcategories to make the analysis as detailed as possible. You can read more about the methodology here.

Getty Images

Where is Maine Lacking in Diversity?

Maine’s highest ranking was in political diversity. The state finished 8th, which, honestly, is quite impressive. The lowest rankings were a tie between religious diversity and cultural diversity, with Maine finishing second to last in both. Maine also ranked 49th in the racial and ethnic diversity subcategory. This isn’t exactly surprising, considering Maine routinely ranks among the whitest states in the country.

While the ranking is low, diversity in the state has technically increased. According to USAFacts.org, Maine is more diverse than it was a decade ago. Maine’s non-white population has grown by 2% since 2010. However, the state still has a long way to go before moving away from the bottom of reports like this one.

Getty Images

How Bad is the Diversity in Northern New England?

Maine also has a few neighbors in the bottom five. New Hampshire (48th) and Vermont (47th) are also lagging well behind the rest of the country. Quite a triumvirate here in the Northeast.

READ MORE: Maine’s Acadia National Park Ranks 7th in the Nation with Over 4 Million Visits

According to WalletHub, the most diverse states are California, Texas, New Mexico, Florida, and Nevada. The highest-ranked New England state is Connecticut, which comes in at No. 15. Good for them, considering nobody really likes living in Connecticut.

You can find the entire ranking here.