Which US states have the largest and wealthiest Indian American populations?

The largest Indian American populations by state

About 5.09 million people in the US identified as Asian Indian alone in 2024, and about 5.56 million as Asian Indian alone or in combination with another group, according to the American Community Survey (ACS)⁴. The population is concentrated: California, Texas and New Jersey together account for about 2.1 million of the 5.09 million^1,4.

• California: 970,717 people, 2.5% of the state^1,2
• Texas: 668,034, 2.1%^1,2
• New Jersey: 448,588, 4.7%^1,2
• New York: 380,742, 1.9%^1,2
• Illinois: 282,471, 2.2%^1,2

These are ACS 2024 1-year estimates, the latest available as of October 2026. They carry margins of error, so small differences between states should not be over-read. For the national picture, see our analysis of Indian American median household income.

One definitional note: this analysis uses the "Asian Indian alone" group, people who report Asian Indian as their only race. Counting people who report Asian Indian together with another race adds roughly 465,000 people nationally⁴, so state totals on that broader basis run somewhat higher.

What HeyAlbert data shows

Where Indian American households earn the most

Asian Indian households out-earn the overall population in every state the Census Bureau publishes. Nationally, their median household income was $165,721 in 2024, compared with $81,604 for all US households⁴. The gap is widest where technology employment is concentrated:

• Washington: $230,380, against $99,389 for all households in the state^1,2
• California: $212,558, against $100,149^1,2
• Massachusetts: $200,787, against $104,828^1,2
• New Jersey: $188,317, against $104,294^1,2
• Virginia: $185,560, against $92,090^1,2

Washington's figure reflects the Seattle area's tech employers, which we cover in why Seattle has become a center of Indian American tech wealth. California's reflects the Bay Area, where Asian Indian household income in the San Jose and San Francisco metros exceeds the Census Bureau's top reporting band of $250,000⁵. See our Silicon Valley analysis; Southern California, by contrast, has a larger but more dispersed community, covered in our SoCal profile.

State-by-state table

State	Asian Indian population	Share of state	Median household income, Asian Indian households	Median household income, all households
California	970,717	2.5%	$212,558	$100,149
Texas	668,034	2.1%	$167,991	$79,721
New Jersey	448,588	4.7%	$188,317	$104,294
New York	380,742	1.9%	$124,215	$85,820
Illinois	282,471	2.2%	$142,116	$83,211
Florida	215,918	0.9%	$134,318	$77,735
Georgia	196,591	1.8%	$165,100	$79,991
Washington	187,700	2.4%	$230,380	$99,389
Virginia	174,137	2.0%	$185,560	$92,090
Pennsylvania	169,415	1.3%	$161,560	$77,545
North Carolina	161,417	1.5%	$178,169	$73,958
Michigan	148,509	1.5%	$135,624	$72,389
Massachusetts	142,759	2.0%	$200,787	$104,828
Ohio	111,815	0.9%	$123,404	$72,212
Maryland	109,438	1.7%	$181,533	$102,905
Arizona	78,256	1.0%	$135,740	$81,486
Connecticut	65,274	1.8%	$144,423	$96,049

Source: ACS 2024 1-year Selected Population Profiles, Asian Indian alone^1,2. Only states meeting the Census Bureau's publication threshold appear.

Concentration: New Jersey stands out

Size and concentration are different measures. California has the most Asian Indian residents, but they are 2.5% of its population. In New Jersey the share is 4.7%, the highest of any state^1,2. At the county level the pattern is sharper: Asian Indians were 16.9% of Middlesex County, New Jersey's population in 2024⁶. We explain how that came about in why New Jersey, and Middlesex County in particular, became a hub.

The fastest-growing states

Comparing the ACS 1-year estimates for 2019 and 2024 shows where the population is growing fastest^1,3:

• North Carolina: from 105,637 to 161,417, up 53%
• Washington: from 127,139 to 187,700, up 48%
• Texas: from 483,245 to 668,034, up 38%
• Georgia: from 152,164 to 196,591, up 29%

By contrast, New York (up 2%) and Maryland (up 2%) were roughly flat over the same period^1,3. Texas added more Asian Indian residents than any other state, about 185,000, and is on track to narrow the gap with California. Our post on Indian Americans in Dallas, Houston and Austin looks at where that growth is landing, and our piece on whether taxes are driving moves to Texas and Florida weighs the evidence.

What drives the map

The geography follows employment. Asian Indian workers are heavily concentrated in professional and technical work: 75.7% of employed Asian Indians worked in management, business, science and arts occupations in 2024, compared with 43.5% of all US workers⁴. Their states of residence map closely onto the big technology, finance, pharmaceutical and healthcare employment centers. Metro-level data, which we break down in the most affluent Indian American metro areas, make the link even clearer.

State medians also hide wide variation. New York's Asian Indian median household income, $124,215, is well below New Jersey's, partly because the New York figure includes a large, longer-established community in Queens with lower incomes than its suburban counterparts^1,6.