The 10 States With the Most Union Members — How Do They Compare to States With the Fewest? 

Membership in unions varies from state to state across the country. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report on union membership in 2023 that included a comparison of key economic factors.

GOBankingRates took their report as a starting point and combined 2023 salary and wage info from Forbes Advisor with the latest cost of living figures against national averages from World Population Review for a closer look at economic conditions in the 10 states with the highest and lowest union membership.

Here are how union numbers compare among the top and bottom states in terms of membership percentage.

• Average Salary: $63,640
• Average Hourly Wage: $30.60 
• Cost of Living Index: 94.1
• Groceries: 97.2
• Housing: 82.3

• Average Salary: $62,680
• Average Hourly Wage: $30.14
• Cost of Living Index: 115.1
• Groceries: 107.6
• Housing: 139.9

• Average Salary: $59,190
• Average Hourly Wage: $28.46
• Cost of Living Index: 114.9
• Groceries: 103.1
• Housing: 131.4

• Average Salary: $66,130
• Average Hourly Wage: $31.79
• Cost of Living Index: 124.4
• Groceries: 127.4
• Housing: 118.1

• Average Salary: $73,220
• Average Hourly Wage: $35.20
• Cost of Living Index: 134.5
• Groceries: 112.3
• Housing: 186.5

• Average Salary: $69,310
• Average Hourly Wage: $33.32
• Cost of Living Index: 113.1
• Groceries: 99.8
• Housing: 122.7

• Average Salary: $70,890
• Average Hourly Wage: $34.08
• Cost of Living Index: 114.1
• Groceries: 103.9
• Housing: 136.8

• Average Salary: $72,350
• Average Hourly Wage: $34.79
• Cost of Living Index: 115.1
• Groceries: 109.7
• Housing: 129.4

• Average Salary: $74,870
• Average Hourly Wage: $36.00
• Cost of Living Index: 148.2
• Groceries: 118.4
• Housing: 230.1

• Average Salary: $61,420
• Average Hourly Wage: $23.35
• Cost of Living Index: 193.3
• Groceries: 152.9
• Housing: 315

According to the Economic Policy Institute, “RTW laws — and the phrase “right to work” itself — are intended to deceive and confuse. The misleadingly named policy is designed to make it more difficult for workers to form and sustain unions and negotiate collectively for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.”

• Average Salary: $58,000
• Average Hourly Wage: $27.88
• Cost of Living Index: 91.0
• Groceries: 98.9
• Housing: 78.5

• Average Salary: $51,350
• Average Hourly Wage: $24.69
• Cost of Living Index: 106.1
• Groceries: 103.7
• Housing: 113.8

• Average Salary: $57,300
• Average Hourly Wage: $27.55
• Cost of Living Index: 93.0
• Groceries: 94.8
• Housing: 84.2

• Average Salary: $50,940
• Average Hourly Wage: $24.49
• Cost of Living Index: 92.0
• Groceries: 95.1
• Housing: 84.7

• Average Salary: $66,590
• Average Hourly Wage: $31.54
• Cost of Living Index: 103.1
• Groceries: 100.6
• Housing: 107.7

• Average Salary: $58,620
• Average Hourly Wage: $28.18
• Cost of Living Index: 107.2
• Groceries: 101.8
• Housing: 125.3

• Average Salary: $57,360
• Average Hourly Wage: $27,58
• Cost of Living Index: 101.5
• Groceries: 98.3
• Housing: 106.5

• Average Salary: $49,890
• Average Hourly Wage: $23.99
• Cost of Living Index: 93.8
• Groceries: 98.0
• Housing: 93.9

• Average Salary: $56,220
• Average Hourly Wage: $27.03
• Cost of Living Index: 96.1
• Groceries: 99.0
• Housing: 92.1

• Average Salary: $50,650
• Average Hourly Wage: $24.35
• Cost of Living Index: 96.5
• Groceries: 100.1
• Housing: 89.4