Jewish Population by State: Which Americans Have the Strongest Claim to Israeli Citizenship?
While it is true that Jewish Americans represent only a small fraction of the total U.S. population, their influence cannot be underestimated or overlooked.
If you are interested in learning more about Israeli citizenship and how it could apply to you, feel free to explore further.
History of Jewish migration to the US
Jews played an important role in shaping America, beginning in the colonial period. The first settlers (mainly Sephardic Jews) appeared in the USA in 1654 (mid-17th century): many of them engaged in trade and crafts, and some developed medicine, which later bore fruit. Somewhere in the early 19th century, laws restricting the rights of Jews were repealed in the U.S, and since then they have been also active in political matters.
And in general, at about this stage, America began to become a kind of a springboard and ark for Jewish culture: the number of individuals grew dramatically and significantly – around the same time a turning point occurred; the rubicon was crossed (in a political niche) when Oscar Solomon Strauss, the first Jewish cabinet member, serving as Secretary of Commerce and Labor (1906–1909), appeared.
Today, Jews are an important segment of the U.S. population – they work in all jobs from large to small, from nuclear technology to law!
Population demographics (most Jewish states)
| State | Jewish population | Percentage of Jews |
| New York | 1,785,727 | 8.8% |
| California | 1,234,540 | 3.1% |
| Florida | 672,465 | 3.1% |
| New Jersey | 626,220 | 6.7% |
| Pennsylvania | 434,165 | 3.3% |
| Illinois | 325,160 | 2.5% |
| Massachusetts | 301,880 | 4.3% |
| Maryland | 240,100 | 3.9% |
| Texas | 175,655 | 0.6% |
| Ohio | 151,640 | 1.3% |
| Virginia | 150,620 | 1.7% |
| Georgia | 141,020 | 1.3% |
| Arizona | 123,725 | 1.7% |
| Connecticut | 118,350 | 1.7% |
| Colorado | 98,400 | 1.7% |
| Michigan | 87,905 | 0.9% |
| Nevada | 79,800 | 2.6% |
| Washington | 75,350 | 1% |
| Missouri | 67,800 | 1.1% |
| Minnesota | 65,900 | 1.2% |
| North Carolina | 48,935 | 0.5% |
| Oregon | 40,650 | 1% |
| Wisconsin | 33,455 | 0.6% |
| Indiana | 26,045 | 0.4% |
| Tennessee | 22,800 | 0.3% |
| Rhode Island | 18,750 | 1.7% |
| Kentucky | 17,500 | 0.4% |
| Kansas | 16,825 | 0.6% |
| South Carolina | 16,820 | 0.3% |
| Delaware | 15,100 | 1.5% |
| Louisiana | 14,900 | 0.3% |
| New Mexico | 12,625 | 0.6% |
| Maine | 12,550 | 0.9% |
| Alabama | 10,325 | 0.2% |
| New Hampshire | 10,120 | 0.7% |
| Nebraska | 9,350 | 0.5% |
| Vermont | 7,865 | 1.2% |
| Hawaii | 7,100 | 0.5% |
| Utah | 5,650 | 0.2% |
| Iowa | 5,475 | 0.2% |
| Alaska | 5,300 | 0.7% |
| Oklahoma | 4,425 | 0.1% |
| West Virginia | 2,310 | 0.1% |
| Arkansas | 2,250 | 0.1% |
| Idaho | 2,125 | 0.1% |
| Mississippi | 1,525 | 0.1% |
| Montana | 1,495 | 0.1% |
| Wyoming | 1,350 | 0.2% |
| North Dakota | 400 | 0.1% |
| South Dakota | 250 | 0% |
US states with the most Jews
In terms of the number of Jews living in each state, the following ten hold the lead:
- New York – 1,7~ million
- California – 1,2~ million
- Florida – 650,000~
- New Jersey – 550,000~
- Pennsylvania – 440,000~
- Illinois – 300,000~
- Massachusetts – 290,000~
- Maryland – 240,000~
- Texas – 175,000~
- Ohio – 150,000~
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Lands with the fastest growing Jewish populations
The growth patterns are particularly noteworthy. While the Jewish population is expanding across the US, but in some places there is a dramatic increase. For example, in Pennsylvania. Like if you take the statistics for 2019 through 2020, you’ll see that the figure has increased from 298,240 to 434,165. That’s an increase of 45.8%!
Overall, the presence is expanding in Florida as well: Miami, Hollywood, Boca, etc. Large numbers of people are relocating there, and many new Jewish schools are opening. Significant growth is also visible in Northern Virginia and Las Vegas. Also, there is progress in Lakewood and Kiryas Joel.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to filter by Jewish individuals. But there are more of them anyway, and that’s the truth. Finally, Rhode Island is experiencing serious growth. Namely in Providence: the Jewish community there is very strong and interconnected. On the east side of the city alone, there are Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Conservative and Reform synagogues all within walking distance of each other.
What places do young Jews choose to live in the United States?
Members of Generation Z (18-24 years old) make up about 11% of the American Jewish population. Despite the fact that we have already found out that the most popular place of residence in general is New York, but the situation is somewhat different with the Zoomers. They prefer sunny Los Angeles – there they are about 40 thousand people, which is proportionally much more than in New York.
Shifts in population over the decades
There was very strong growth between 1970 and 2012. It is worth saying that the numbers are pretty telling: some states grew by a record 746.4%, while the lowest rate overall was 3.4%.
FAQ
South Dakota is the least one, with an estimated 250 persons living there. Interestingly, even Alaska has a much larger Jewish population – about five thousand, to be more precise. Figures vary. Based on the 2020 Pew Research survey, the confirmed minimum is approximately 7.2 million. But in reality there may be much more: up to 10 or even 15 million. The thing is, many of these communities are quite closed, so it is sometimes problematic to summarize any objective results. The Torah’s prescribed treatment of non-Jews is a huge and complex subject. The first obligation of Jews to the rest of humanity is to bring to the peoples of the world the knowledge that the world has a Creator, and that the Creator has commanded the peoples of the world the Seven Commandments and that these Commandments must be observed. As part of this duty, Jews are strictly forbidden to do anything that could compromise their mission and the one who entrusted it to them in the eyes of the peoples of the world. That is why they maintain peaceful and good neighborly relations with their non-Jewish surroundings. In other words: with members of other national groups in the United States, Jews keep a very clear distance. They are polite, friendly, but pretty firm and principled. France (440,000~), Canada (398,000~), Great Britain(312,000~), Argentina (170,000~), Russia (130,000~), Germany (125,000~), and Australia (110,000~). That’s as far as the largest concentrations go. Clearly, they also reside in other countries – pretty much any country, for that matter. But their numbers there are markedly and unequivocally inferior. By the way, there is even such a definition as Yerida. It is the opposite of Aliyah. That is, when Jews migrate to other countries from Israel. Unfortunately or fortunately, the statistics here speak in favor of the fact that Yerida is now gaining popularity again. For Jewish immigrants who arrived in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Yiddish was the primary language. Today it persists mainly among Hasidic communities. Among Persian Jews (notable centers are found everywhere in Los Angeles and New York) Persian language is somewhat preserved. Classical Hebrew is also there. But you don’t hear it very often. To be quite honest, it is even rarer than Russian, which is spoken throughout Brighton Beach, half of Sunny Isles and a quarter of Miami. Not for eligibility. The Law of Return is federal in nature — it applies to all American Jews regardless of state. Where you live affects logistics (nearest consulate, apostille requirements), not your right to citizenship.
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