TEXAS, USA — As a cultural "melting pot," the United States is well-known for its diversity, serving as home to a wide range of racial, ethnic and religious groups.
A recent WalletHub study analyzed all 50 states to determine which are the most diverse – and Texas came in at No. 2, second only to California.
Texas' total score was 70.48, compared to California's 70.77. In terms of diversity, the Lone Star State was placed at third for religion, fourth for socioeconomics, sixth for culture, 12th in economy, 27th in household differences and 39th in politics.
The analysis highlighted Texas' unique range of industrial job options, such as agriculture, wholesale, food services and more.
It also focused on the state's racial and ethnic differences, finding that around 40% of the population is white, nearly 40% is Hispanic, nearly 12% is Black and 5% is Asian.
Not only that, but approximately 35% of Texans speak a language besides English in their households.
Following Texas on the list were Florida, New Mexico and Hawaii closing out the top five. Meanwhile, WalletHub shows the least diverse states are Montana at 46 and Vermont at 47, followed by New Hampshire at 48, Maine at 49 and, finally, West Virginia in 50th place.
How were these rankings chosen?
WalletHub compared each state based on six main categories and several subcategories: socioeconomics, culture, economy, households, religion and politics.
More specifically, the socioeconomic diversity category looked at average home earnings and level of education, ranging from no high school degree to a graduate's degree.
Cultural diversity focused on race and ethnicity, language differences and whether a resident was born in Texas, another region of the U.S. or a different country.
Economic diversity highlighted industrial jobs, occupational roles (such as management and transportation) and class of employees.
Household differences included marriage status, generations, home types and the number of residents per home/whether they are related.
Finally, religious and political parties considered different belief systems.