- Americans come from everywhere, and every family has a story about where they come from.
- Self-reported ancestries in America include Italian, German, and Mexican heritage.
- Using Census Bureau data assembled by the Minnesota Population Center, we found the most common self-reported ancestry in every state.
Americans come from all over the world, and have countless stories about where they and their families come from.
The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey asks millions of Americans every year several questions about their economic, social, and demographic situations. One of those questions asks respondents to report their families’ ancestries, from Italian to German to Mexican.
Using that self-reported ancestry data from the Minnesota Population Center’s 2016 American Community Survey Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, we were able to find the most commonly self-reported ancestries in each state.
Here’s the most common self-reported ancestry in each state and DC:
And here are the three most common self-reported ancestries in each state:
Alabama
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Alaska
Most common self-reported ancestry: American Indian
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Arizona
Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: English
Arkansas
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian
California
Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Colorado
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Mexican
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Connecticut
Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Puerto Rican
Delaware
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: United States
District of Columbia
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: Other
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Florida
Most common self-reported ancestry: United States
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: German
Georgia
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: English
Hawaii
Most common self-reported ancestry: Filipino
Second most-common ancestry: Japanese
Third most-common ancestry: Hawaiian
Idaho
Most common self-reported ancestry: English
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian
Illinois
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: Mexican
Indiana
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Iowa
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: English
Kansas
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: English
Kentucky
Most common self-reported ancestry: United States
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Louisiana
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: French
Third most-common ancestry: United States
Maine
Most common self-reported ancestry: English
Second most-common ancestry: French
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Maryland
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Massachusetts
Most common self-reported ancestry: Irish
Second most-common ancestry: Italian
Third most-common ancestry: English
Michigan
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Minnesota
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Mississippi
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian
Missouri
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: United States
Montana
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: American Indian
Nebraska
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Mexican
Nevada
Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: African-American
New Hampshire
Most common self-reported ancestry: Irish
Second most-common ancestry: English
Third most-common ancestry: French
New Jersey
Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: African-American
New Mexico
Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican
Second most-common ancestry: American Indian
Third most-common ancestry: Hispanic
New York
Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: African-American
North Carolina
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: English
North Dakota
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian
Third most-common ancestry: American Indian
Ohio
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Oklahoma
Most common self-reported ancestry: American Indian
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: White/Caucasian
Oregon
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: English
Pennsylvania
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Italian
Rhode Island
Most common self-reported ancestry: Italian
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Portuguese
South Carolina
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: German
South Dakota
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Norwegian
Third most-common ancestry: American Indian
Tennessee
Most common self-reported ancestry: United States
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Texas
Most common self-reported ancestry: Mexican
Second most-common ancestry: African-American
Third most-common ancestry: German
Utah
Most common self-reported ancestry: English
Second most-common ancestry: German
Third most-common ancestry: Mexican
Vermont
Most common self-reported ancestry: English
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: United States
Virginia
Most common self-reported ancestry: African-American
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: German
Washington
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Mexican
West Virginia
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: United States
Third most-common ancestry: Irish
Wisconsin
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: Irish
Third most-common ancestry: Polish
Wyoming
Most common self-reported ancestry: German
Second most-common ancestry: English
Third most-common ancestry: Irish