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New Hampshire
11.5%
Alaska
12.7%
Vermont
12.8%
Montana
13.1%
Minnesota
13.1%
North Dakota
13.4%
Maine
13.4%
Wyoming
13.6%
Utah
14.5%
South Dakota
14.9%
Iowa
14.9%
Wisconsin
15.3%
Nevada
15.3%
Hawaii
15.9%
Washington
16.1%
Nebraska
16.4%
Idaho
16.4%
Colorado
16.6%
Oregon
16.8%
Kansas
16.9%
Connecticut
17.2%
Massachusetts
17.3%
Michigan
17.6%
Ohio
17.7%
Pennsylvania
18.1%
Indiana
18.7%
Virginia
18.8%
Missouri
18.9%
Maryland
20%
Oklahoma
20.1%
Delaware
20.3%
Rhode Island
20.4%
Illinois
20.4%
New Jersey
20.7%
West Virginia
20.9%
North Carolina
21.3%
Tennessee
21.7%
Kentucky
21.9%
South Carolina
22.4%
Arkansas
23.1%
Arizona
23.4%
Georgia
23.6%
Florida
23.7%
Alabama
23.9%
New York
24.4%
Louisiana
27.1%
Mississippi
28%
Texas
28.2%
California
28.4%
New Mexico
29.1%

U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2024

U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2024

The literacy rate is the total number of literate persons (people able to both read and write) in a given age group, expressed as the percentage of that age group. The adult literacy rate measures literacy among persons age 15 and older.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about four out of five U.S. adults (79%) have medium to high English literacy skills. These literacy levels are sufficient to compare and contrast information, paraphrase, and make low-level inferences. This means that about one in five U.S. adults (21%) have low literacy skills, translating to about 43.0 million adults.

Of those who have low English literacy skills, 35% are White, 2% of whom are born outside of the U.S.; 23% are Black, 3% of whom are born outside of the U.S.; 34% are Hispanic, 24% of whom are born outside of the U.S.; 8% are of other races/ethnicities. Non-U.S.-born adults comprise 34% of the U.S. population with low literacy skills.

Literacy rates vary greatly by state and are affected by several factors.

States with the High Literacy Rates

1. New Hampshire

New Hampshire has the lowest percentage (5.8%) of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills, making New Hampshire's literacy rate of 94.2%. About 36.6% of adults in New Hampshire have a Bachelor's degree or higher, the seventh-highest rate in the country, and 60.8% of the population are registered library users, also the seventh-highest in the country.

2. Minnesota

Minnesota has the second-highest literacy rate of 94.0%, with only 6% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. About 69.9% of Minnesota residents are registered library users, the second-highest in the country.

3. North Dakota

North Dakota has the third-highest literacy rate of 93.7%, with 6.3% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. North Dakota, however, has the lowest percentage of registered library users of 35.9%.

4. Vermont

Vermont has the fourth-highest literacy rate of 93.4%, with 6.6% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. Vermont is also the fourth-most educated state in the U.S.. Vermont has the highest number of libraries per 100,000 people of 29.8 and has the eighth-highest Bachelor's degree or higher attainment of 36.4%.

5. South Dakota

South Dakota has the fifth-highest literacy rate of 93.0%, with 7.0% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. South Dakota has 16.4 public libraries per 100,000 residents, the fifth-highest in the country.

States with the Lowest Literacy Rates

1. California

California's 23.1% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills make California have the lowest literacy rate of 76.9%. The state of California and the state Department of Education are being blamed and sued for the failing literacy rate, as families and students believe that they are not receiving a quality education in reading and writing.

2. New York

New York has the second-highest percentage of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills of 22.1%, equaling a literacy rate of 77.9%. Despite this, New York has the ninth-highest percentage of adults with Bachelor's degrees or higher of 35.7%.

3. Florida

Florida has the third-highest percentage of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills of 19.7%, equaling a literacy rate of 80.3%. Florida has the lowest number of public libraries per 100,000 residents of 2.6.

4. Texas

Texas has the fourth-lowest literacy rate of 81.0%, with 19.0% of adults lacking basic prose literacy skills. Texas has the fourth-lowest number of libraries of 3.2 per 100,000 residents.

5. New Jersey

The fifth-lowest literacy rate in the United States is in New Jersey, where 16.9% of adults lack basic prose literacy skills, and 83.1% are literate. Despite this, 38.6% of New Jersey adults have a Bachelor's degree or higher, the country's fifth-highest. Additionally, New Jersey also has the third-best public schools.

U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2024

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State
Population With Low Literacy
4th Graders Below Basic Reading Level
New Hampshire11.5%33%
Alaska12.7%49%
Vermont12.8%38%
Minnesota13.1%39%
Montana13.1%35%
Maine13.4%40%
North Dakota13.4%35%
Wyoming13.6%29%
Utah14.5%33%
Iowa14.9%36%
South Dakota14.9%35%
Nevada15.3%43%
Wisconsin15.3%37%
Hawaii15.9%36%
Washington16.1%39%
Idaho16.4%39%
Nebraska16.4%35%
Colorado16.6%32%
Oregon16.8%44%
Kansas16.9%40%
Connecticut17.2%36%
Massachusetts17.3%30%
Michigan17.6%42%
Ohio17.7%35%
Pennsylvania18.1%36%
Indiana18.7%37%
Virginia18.8%40%
Missouri18.9%40%
Maryland20%44%
Oklahoma20.1%45%
Delaware20.3%47%
Illinois20.4%38%
Rhode Island20.4%38%
New Jersey20.7%33%
West Virginia20.9%48%
North Carolina21.3%39%
Tennessee21.7%41%
Kentucky21.9%38%
South Carolina22.4%39%
Arkansas23.1%42%
Arizona23.4%39%
Georgia23.6%39%
Florida23.7%29%
Alabama23.9%41%
New York24.4%42%
Louisiana27.1%43%
Mississippi28%37%
Texas28.2%42%
California28.4%42%
New Mexico29.1%52%
showing: 50 rows

U.S. Literacy Rates by State 2024

Sources