FILE-Parents watch as children run through sprinklers August 15, 2015 in a park near the waterfront in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)
Read more Mexican national pleads guilty to operating cartel smuggling tunnel beneath Texas-Mexico border
The nation is becoming more diverse through an array of characteristics like cultures and religion, which in part represents the changing landscape of the country.
RELATED: LEGO pivots brand toward push for diversity and inclusion with revamped ‘Friends’ product line for all kids
To determine which states have the most and least diversity, WalletHub ranked these locales in a new report comparing 50 states across six categories: socio-economic diversity, cultural diversity, economic diversity, household diversity, religious diversity and political diversity.
Which states are the most diverse?
Local perspective:
WalletHub assessed each state using 14 data points with each metric graded on a 100-point scale, with a perfect score representing the most diverse state.
- California
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Florida
- Nevada
- New York
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Hawaii
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- Connecticut
- Washington
- Alaska
- Delaware
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
To see the complete list of state rankings, click here.
States with the least diversity
The other side:
WalletHub ranked these states as the least diverse, which are listed below:
- West Virginia
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Montana
An analysis of the most diverse states
Dig deeper:
California, Texas, and New Mexicorank as the top three states for the most diversity, and WalletHub provides data supporting its findings.
California
Californiaranks as the most diverse state in the United States, according to WalletHub. The state has the most diversity in the nation regarding the languages individuals speak. Almost 56% of residents in the state speak only English at home, while 28% also speak Spanish and nearly 10% speak Asian or Pacific Islander languages.
WalletHub noted that the state has the second-highest diversity among racial and ethnic groups, with almost 34% of residents are white, and more than 40% are Hispanic, over 15% are Asian and roughly 5% are Black.
The state also has the second-most diversity in educational attainment, the second-most household size diversity and the fourth-most industry diversity.
Read more Texas horse tests positive for New World screwworm
Texas
WalletHub ranks Texas as the second-most diverse state in the nation in terms of industrial diversity, though, leading the U.S. in terms of the range of jobs residents in states can choose from.
Texas has plenty of racial and ethnic diversity, which is the fifth-most in the nation. Roughly 39% of the population is white, nearly 40% is Hispanic, almost 12% is Black and more than 5% is Asian.
Moreover, the state also has the third-most language diversity, with more than 35% of residents speaking a non-English language at home. Texas also has the third-most religious diversity and the fourth-most household size diversity, according to WalletHub.
New Mexico
New Mexicois listed as the third-most diverse state in the U.S. in part because it has the 13th-most birthplace diversity, with more than 9% of the population born in a foreign country.
Roughly 52% of residents were born in New Mexico, while the highest percentage of U.S.-born residents moved from the South and West regions.
WalletHub reported that New Mexico has the highest household diversity, and the fifth-most language diversity, with over 31% of residents speaking a non-English language at home.
Furthermore, New Mexico also has the 10th-most racial and ethnic diversity. Almost 36% of the population is white, 48% are Hispanic, 2% are Black and 2% are Asian.
Read more Training accident at Fort Hood leaves one soldier dead and another injured