Majority-minority state is a term used to describe a U.S. state in which a majority of the state's population differs from the national majority population of non-Hispanic whites. This data is usually derived from self-identification questions on United States Census questionnaire and extrapolated data (see race (United States Census).
Four states are majority-minority states: Hawaii (which has long been such a state, and is the only state that has never had a white majority) and more recently, New Mexico, California, and Texas
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005
The term majority-minority state almost always refers to ethnic/racial minorities but may also refer to another criteria, such as religion, disability, or age. For example, the majority of Utah residents are Mormons, a religious minority throughout the rest of the United States. However, no state has a majority composed of any non-Christian group.