American Muslim Awareness & Appreciation Month
american Muslims 101
A Deep Dive into Diversity, History & Identity
3.5M+ Muslims
Most Diverse Faith Group
Young Population
All 50 States
Muslim Population in the U.S.
The Muslim population in the U.S. varies widely from state to state, with the largest communities usually found near metropolitan areas.
States With the Largest Muslim Populations
Source: Launchgood
Diversity of American Muslims
Muslims are one of the most racially diverse groups in the U.S. with no single majority group.
2025 American Muslim Demographics
Source: ISPU
Source: ISPU
A Global Community
American Muslims are shaped by global migration as well as U.S.-born communities. For those who have immigrated to the U.S., the largest communities have come from the following regions.
Origins of Foreign-Born Muslims
Generations in America
Nearly one in four Muslims are multi-generational Americans, with families that have lived here for decades. Muslim identity is both rooted in immigration and deeply woven into the American experience.
Family History
Source: Pew Research Center
Muslim Immigration Waves
NOTE: Not all American Muslims are immigrants, and not all American Muslim growth came from immigration. Black American Muslim communities, converts, and multigenerational U.S.-born Muslims are a central part of the story.
Early Presence
1500s
African Muslims were an integral part of creating America from mapping its borders to fighting against British rule. Muslims first came to North America in the 1500s as part of colonial expeditions. One of these explorers, Mustafa Azemmouri (also known as Estevanico), was sold by the Portuguese into slavery in 1522.
Large-Scale Migration
Late 19th - Early 20th Century
Large-scale migration from Muslim-majority regions began more substantially in the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially from Ottoman-controlled regions and broader Southwest Asia/North Africa. Arab communities have been settling in sizable numbers since the 1880s.
Restriction Era
1920s
Growth was sharply constrained by nativist immigration laws in the early 20th century. The Arab American Institute notes that immigration from Arab countries was effectively made illegal for decades, and specifically points to the 1920s restriction era as a period when the “Arab East” was added to heavily restricted or banned regions.
Immigration Reform Wave
Post-1965
A major turning point came after the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which reopened immigration from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East more broadly. This helped drive the modern expansion of Muslim communities in the U.S., especially among students, professionals, physicians, engineers, and academics, as well as families reuniting through chain migration. Pew’s data on today’s foreign-born Muslim population shows how much of the community’s growth came from South Asia, MENA, Asia-Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa.
Refugee & Asylum-Era
2000s
Later decades added new Muslim populations through refugee and humanitarian migration from countries affected by war and instability, including parts of Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia, Syria, and elsewhere. Pew’s origin data supports this broader story even though it is not a “waves” timeline by itself.