New York Ranks Surprisingly Low For Helping Immigrants In 2026

A new report says New York might not be as welcoming to immigrants as many people think.

New York is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the United States, but a new report suggests the Empire State might not be as welcoming as many people assume

Report: New York Ranks Surprisingly Low For Immigrants In 2026

Smilehub reached out to Hudson Valley Post about its new analysis, which ranked the best states for immigrants in 2026, and New York landed right in the middle of the pack.

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According to SmileHub, New York ranked 18th overall in the nation when it comes to being a good state for immigrants.

Researchers compared all 50 states using 16 different factors, including the size of the immigrant population, job opportunities, cost of living, and hate crime statistics.

While New York performed well in a few categories, it struggled in several others.

What New York Does Well

New York finished 2nd in the country for community support charities per capita, meaning there are many organizations focused on helping immigrants and vulnerable populations.

The state also ranked 3rd for the share of immigrants, which isn’t surprising given the long history of immigration in places like New York City and communities across the Hudson Valley.

Where New York Struggles

Despite its large immigrant population, the report suggests immigrants in New York may face some challenges.

The state ranked:

• 44th for the share of employed foreign-born residents
• 37th for the income gap between immigrants and non-immigrants
• 37th for cost of living
• 43rd for hate crime incidents per capita

Those rankings helped push New York down toward the middle of the national list.

Over 53 million immigrants now live in the United States, and researchers say the rankings highlight which states are doing the most to support those communities, and which still have work to do.

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