Who Builds, Cleans and Landscapes: Immigrant Workers by Trade and State (2026)

Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 · ICE arrest records via the Deportation Data Project (through Aug. 5, 2026) · NFIB September 2026 · Last updated October 2, 2026

About 25% of U.S. construction workers, 35% of landscaping workers and 39% of building cleaning and services workers were born outside the U.S. For all jobs the share is 18%. The shares vary a lot by state, from over 60% in some trades in California to under 5% in states like Vermont, Montana and West Virginia.

Key findings

  • 2,845,679 of 11,187,560 construction workers (25.4%) were born outside the U.S., based on the 2020-2024 survey average.
  • Building cleaning and services has the highest share of the three: 39.2%. Landscaping is 35.4%. All jobs together: 17.8%.
  • In construction, the highest shares are in California (41%), Texas (39%), Florida (38%), New Jersey (38%), New York (36%). The lowest are Maine (3.1%), West Virginia (2.6%), Montana (2.4%), Vermont (2.4%).
  • In building cleaning, Massachusetts (64%), Rhode Island (62%), California (60%), New Jersey (59%) are highest among states with enough survey records.
  • In landscaping, California (64%), Nevada (64%), Texas (54%), Arizona (53%) are highest among states with enough survey records.
  • ICE recorded 375,544 administrative arrests from October 1, 2025 to August 5, 2026, compared with 177,394 in the same dates a year earlier. Texas (94,123), Florida (40,002) and California (32,706) had the most.
  • Small businesses report labor trouble. In NFIB’s September 2026 survey, 26% of owners named labor quality or availability as their single most important problem, 14 points above the survey’s historical average. The survey does not ask about immigration.

By industry, nationwide

Bar chart of the share of U.S. workers born outside the U.S.: all jobs 17.8 percent, construction 25.4 percent, landscaping 35.4 percent, building cleaning and services 39.2 percent
Employed civilians by the industry of their main job.

Construction, state by state

Bar chart of the share of construction workers born outside the U.S. in each state, highest in California at 40.9 percent and lowest in Vermont at 2.4 percent
Every state’s construction share is based on at least 300 survey records.

Landscaping, state by state

Tile map of the share of landscaping workers born outside the U.S. in each state
A star means fewer than 100 survey records.

All 50 states and D.C.

Click a column heading to sort. Worker counts are survey estimates averaged over 2020 to 2024. A star (*) means fewer than 100 survey records, so the share is rough.

Download the full table (CSV)

State All jobs: born outside U.S. Construction workers Construction: born outside U.S. Building cleaning and services workers Building cleaning: born outside U.S. Landscaping workers Landscaping: born outside U.S. ICE arrests, Oct. 1, 2025 to Aug. 5, 2026 ICE arrests, same dates a year earlier
United States 17.8% 11,187,560 25.4% 1,609,798 39.2% 1,288,599 35.4% 375,544 177,394
Alabama 5.3% 154,366 13.2% 21,030 12.4% 16,566 13.7% 7,700 3,129
Alaska 11.6% 22,799 4.1% 2,940 24.0% * 1,285 0.0% * 132 47
Arizona 16.4% 266,690 25.6% 42,626 36.5% 34,186 52.7% 13,628 4,492
Arkansas 7.8% 98,460 19.1% 12,161 21.7% 9,138 19.8% 3,454 2,355
California 33.2% 1,246,593 40.9% 208,695 60.3% 180,056 64.3% 32,706 12,291
Colorado 11.9% 247,119 20.3% 25,572 38.8% 21,632 21.7% 3,745 2,568
Connecticut 19.4% 112,807 27.4% 18,584 55.6% 19,483 35.8% 824 473
Delaware 14.0% 33,528 18.5% 5,759 37.0% 5,226 28.8% 681 423
District of Columbia 17.6% 8,135 34.2% 3,981 71.0% * 1,141 82.2% * 906 97
Florida 27.5% 861,390 38.1% 162,175 47.7% 124,737 41.8% 40,002 15,950
Georgia 15.1% 363,417 28.4% 58,740 27.5% 48,126 31.6% 14,259 5,972
Hawaii 22.5% 48,957 15.6% 6,121 31.7% 5,980 36.3% 240 161
Idaho 8.1% 84,563 10.4% 9,178 18.8% 9,260 22.3% 1,589 496
Illinois 18.5% 337,155 25.4% 56,721 47.2% 40,786 38.9% 5,425 1,841
Indiana 8.4% 219,009 10.6% 24,584 13.8% 23,074 14.2% 5,543 2,333
Iowa 7.6% 113,956 8.4% 10,079 14.8% 9,443 4.1% 1,685 817
Kansas 9.7% 92,763 17.8% 11,156 33.5% 8,889 10.5% 2,332 1,278
Kentucky 6.0% 131,672 8.2% 15,536 9.5% 13,019 10.0% 3,136 1,810
Louisiana 6.3% 169,031 17.0% 18,548 13.1% 14,196 18.9% 5,917 3,340
Maine 4.8% 54,311 3.1% 4,982 5.9% 6,231 2.7% 596 183
Maryland 21.5% 232,679 35.0% 36,820 52.8% 22,345 45.7% 6,151 2,640
Massachusetts 21.7% 228,257 26.5% 37,409 64.2% 26,535 28.4% 4,903 3,215
Michigan 9.0% 282,925 8.3% 43,174 10.5% 39,788 8.4% 4,248 1,802
Minnesota 11.0% 193,527 7.2% 18,998 28.2% 17,260 8.7% 5,349 1,394
Mississippi 3.2% 86,775 8.5% 11,593 5.3% 8,790 7.0% 3,230 1,770
Missouri 5.8% 202,683 6.1% 26,649 10.6% 20,633 10.7% 3,592 1,480
Montana 2.9% 50,577 2.4% 4,137 4.1% 3,864 3.0% 253 51
Nebraska 9.8% 73,549 16.5% 8,519 27.7% 6,228 13.6% 1,916 990
Nevada 24.5% 116,441 35.8% 15,552 52.4% 12,164 63.5% 2,813 1,637
New Hampshire 7.3% 55,988 6.6% 5,903 15.7% 7,861 6.5% 485 200
New Jersey 29.8% 286,644 38.1% 47,738 59.4% 29,363 51.7% 12,238 4,330
New Mexico 12.2% 68,761 22.4% 7,806 33.5% 6,342 36.5% 4,679 712
New York 27.6% 540,811 36.5% 93,697 57.1% 46,643 37.2% 12,566 5,707
North Carolina 12.0% 375,442 26.7% 54,541 27.5% 52,148 26.5% 6,948 2,785
North Dakota 5.8% 30,164 3.7% 3,255 10.0% 2,596 1.3% * 361 120
Ohio 6.4% 342,478 6.2% 47,453 10.6% 38,581 8.6% 4,785 1,816
Oklahoma 9.0% 136,434 20.6% 14,563 24.9% 14,313 35.2% 6,449 2,595
Oregon 13.0% 140,370 14.9% 16,984 30.2% 17,311 31.3% 1,961 385
Pennsylvania 9.6% 380,657 8.6% 50,952 17.5% 42,440 12.5% 8,306 3,615
Rhode Island 17.7% 35,415 20.0% 5,273 62.1% 4,983 45.7% 425 420
South Carolina 7.8% 174,698 18.2% 27,567 19.5% 25,560 25.2% 5,075 2,521
South Dakota 5.1% 35,330 3.8% 3,019 5.0% 2,093 0.8% 663 182
Tennessee 7.8% 236,409 18.3% 32,583 19.3% 26,806 23.1% 9,709 4,402
Texas 22.3% 1,231,428 38.9% 156,190 50.1% 120,542 54.0% 94,123 36,742
Utah 11.9% 137,729 20.1% 14,924 28.3% 11,200 35.2% 4,858 2,408
Vermont 5.3% 26,293 2.4% 2,229 3.5% 2,983 0.5% 134 21
Virginia 16.9% 275,997 26.3% 40,727 39.1% 33,566 30.5% 9,429 4,924
Washington 20.1% 274,736 18.3% 31,291 38.5% 25,271 34.3% 4,681 1,256
West Virginia 2.5% 50,561 2.6% 5,940 1.7% 4,669 1.0% 2,366 433
Wisconsin 6.5% 193,383 5.6% 22,897 17.5% 21,695 11.4% 1,723 799
Wyoming 4.6% 23,698 8.9% 2,247 23.1% * 1,572 3.5% * 1,385 303

About the ICE arrest data

  • These are ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations administrative arrests, as released by ICE to the Deportation Data Project. The latest release runs through early August 2026.
  • The arrests are counted by the state field in ICE’s records. 4,142 recent arrests and 24,850 arrests in the earlier period had no state, so state totals can run low, more so for the earlier period.
  • ICE changed how it labels arrest types between the two years, so we show totals only.
  • The records do not show a person’s job or industry. Nothing here links arrests to any trade.

Cite or share this data

Source: StartBusinessByState.com, Immigrant workers by trade and state (updated October 2, 2026). https://startbusinessbystate.com/immigrant-workers-by-trade-by-state/

Sources and methods

  • Workers. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year Public Use Microdata Sample, 2020-2024, through the Census microdata API, fetched October 2, 2026. Employed civilians (ESR 1 or 2), weighted with PWGTP. Industries: construction (INDP 0770), services to buildings and dwellings (7690) and landscaping services (7770). “Born outside the U.S.” is ACS NATIVITY = foreign born. These are survey estimates with sampling error; we flag cells with fewer than 100 records.
  • Arrests. “Government data provided by ICE in response to a FOIA request to the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by StartBusinessByState.com.” Files: ERO Administrative Arrests FY2025 and FY2026 year to date (October 1, 2025 to August 5, 2026), from the Deportation Data Project ICE data page, release of August 24, 2026. We counted records by the State field.
  • Labor survey. NFIB, Jobs Report, September 2026 (411 respondents, surveyed through September 28, 2026).
  • What this page does not do. It does not estimate legal status, predict hiring effects or link arrests to industries. The two data sets cover different people and different years.

FAQ

Where do these worker numbers come from?

From the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. We used the 5-year sample covering 2020 to 2024 and counted employed people by the industry they work in and whether they were born in the U.S. “Born outside the U.S.” includes naturalized citizens, green card holders and others. The survey does not say whether someone has legal status.

What counts as building cleaning and services?

The Census industry “services to buildings and dwellings.” It covers janitorial and cleaning companies, carpet and upholstery cleaning, pest control and similar services. Landscaping is counted separately.

What do the ICE arrest numbers count?

Administrative arrests by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, by the state ICE recorded. The data came from ICE through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Deportation Data Project. The arrests are of all people, not only workers, and the data does not show anyone’s job.

Why are some numbers marked with a star?

A star means fewer than 100 survey records sit behind that number. Small samples can swing a lot, so treat those values as rough.

Can I use this data?

Yes. Please credit StartBusinessByState.com and link to this page. The full table is free to download as a CSV.



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