Florida overtook California as the leading destination for new green card holders in 2024, as the number of people obtaining permanent U.S. residency climbed to its highest level in a decade. A total of 1.36 million people obtained lawful permanent resident status nationwide in fiscal 2024, according to data from the Office of Homeland Security Statistics based on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services records.
That was up from 1.17 million in 2023 and was the highest figure in the 2015-2024 table. Newsweek has created a map showing the number of people who obtained lawful permanent resident status in each state in 2024. Florida recorded 219,470 new lawful permanent residents in 2024, narrowly exceeding California's 217,420.
Texas ranked third with 160,400, followed by New York with 136,750. The figures predate a series of moves by the Trump administration to tighten scrutiny of legal immigration, including pathways to permanent residency. New Jersey recorded 58,180 new lawful permanent residents, while Illinois had 44,650, Virginia 37,850, Massachusetts 36,180, Georgia 35,100 and Pennsylvania 34,850.
At the other end of the spectrum, Wyoming recorded 510, Vermont 630, and Montana 650. Alaska had 1,100, and South Dakota recorded 1,070. Several states experienced particularly large increases from 2023 to 2024.
Florida's total rose by 63,970, or about 41 percent, from 155,500. Texas increased by 33,470, or about 26 percent, from 126,930. Kentucky rose from 7,830 to 12,120, an increase of about 55 percent.
California's total increased more modestly, from 205,040 in 2023 to 217,420 in 2024. New York rose from 127,980 to 136,750. The state figures represent where people lived after obtaining lawful permanent resident status, rather than necessarily showing where they first entered the United States.
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