Introduction
Human trafficking is a crime involving the use of force, coercion, or fraud to exploit a person into slave labor or sexual exploitation; generally, women are often used for sexual exploitation and men are used for forced labor. Victims of human trafficking often forgo help due to many reasons, usually for fear of traffickers or law enforcement and language barriers. However, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime has published a list of indicators to help identify victims of human trafficking. Indicators displayed by victims include belief they must work against their will, fear they cannot leave, not knowing their home or work address, limited social interaction, and an inability to freely communicate with others.In preparation of its 2020 data report, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received over 50,000 communications regarding human trafficking tips (including phone calls, texts, email, and online communications, but excluding hang-ups, missed calls, and wrong numbers).
| # | State | Human Trafficking Incidents | Human Trafficking Signals | Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests | Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,334 | 497 | ||
| 2 | Texas | 987 | 3,559 | 31 | 56 |
| 3 | Florida | 738 | 2,539 | ||
| 4 | New York | 414 | 1,739 | ||
| 5 | Georgia | 338 | 955 | 1 | 36 |
| 6 | Ohio | 310 | 1,087 | 8 | |
| 7 | Michigan | 295 | 845 | 19 | |
| 8 | Missouri | 267 | 750 | 5 | |
| 9 | North Carolina | 260 | 1,103 | 2 | |
| 10 | Illinois | 252 | 933 | ||
| 11 | Washington | 238 | 815 | 1 | 15 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 221 | 909 | ||
| 13 | Arizona | 193 | 608 | 78 | 1 |
| 14 | Mississippi | 187 | 710 | ||
| 15 | Nevada | 186 | 417 | 1 | 21 |
| 16 | Tennessee | 165 | 419 | 11 | |
| 17 | New Jersey | 146 | 615 | 6 | 23 |
| 18 | Indiana | 140 | 514 | 4 | |
| 19 | Oregon | 139 | 539 | ||
| 20 | Colorado | 137 | 625 | 5 | |
| 21 | Maryland | 136 | 529 | 1 | |
| 22 | South Carolina | 121 | 769 | 4 | |
| 23 | Virginia | 119 | 578 | 2 | 9 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 111 | 384 | 27 | |
| 25 | Kentucky | 104 | 305 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | Louisiana | 100 | 339 | 5 | 4 |
| 27 | Arkansas | 99 | 295 | ||
| 28 | Wisconsin | 97 | 337 | 23 | 20 |
| 29 | Alabama | 89 | 252 | ||
| 30 | Kansas | 89 | 390 | ||
| 31 | Minnesota | 86 | 356 | 1 | 14 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | 81 | 232 | 2 | 3 |
| 33 | Iowa | 78 | 285 | ||
| 34 | Nebraska | 72 | 212 | 2 | |
| 35 | Utah | 64 | 182 | 1 | 25 |
| 36 | New Mexico | 51 | 367 | 2 | |
| 37 | Connecticut | 47 | 188 | 1 | |
| 38 | West Virginia | 41 | 96 | 12 | |
| 39 | Hawaii | 39 | 108 | 2 | |
| 40 | Idaho | 29 | 97 | ||
| 41 | Montana | 29 | 462 | ||
| 42 | Delaware | 27 | 127 | ||
| 43 | Maine | 26 | 87 | 1 | |
| 44 | South Dakota | 25 | 58 | ||
| 45 | North Dakota | 21 | 70 | ||
| 46 | Alaska | 20 | 56 | ||
| 47 | New Hampshire | 16 | 43 | ||
| 48 | Vermont | 13 | 31 | ||
| 49 | Wyoming | 11 | 47 | 3 | 12 |
| 50 | Rhode Island | 10 | 86 |
Human Trafficking Incidents by State
Alabama
Human Trafficking Incidents
89
Ranked in the US
#29
Human Trafficking Signals
252
Ranked in the US
#34
Alaska
Human Trafficking Incidents
20
Ranked in the US
#46
Human Trafficking Signals
56
Ranked in the US
#47
Arizona
Human Trafficking Incidents
193
Ranked in the US
#13
Human Trafficking Signals
608
Ranked in the US
#16
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
78
Ranked in the US
#1
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#24
Arkansas
Human Trafficking Incidents
99
Ranked in the US
#27
Human Trafficking Signals
295
Ranked in the US
#32
California
Human Trafficking Incidents
1,334
Ranked in the US
#1
Human Trafficking Signals
497
Ranked in the US
#21
Colorado
Human Trafficking Incidents
137
Ranked in the US
#20
Human Trafficking Signals
625
Ranked in the US
#14
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
5
Ranked in the US
#16
Connecticut
Human Trafficking Incidents
47
Ranked in the US
#37
Human Trafficking Signals
188
Ranked in the US
#37
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#25
Delaware
Human Trafficking Incidents
27
Ranked in the US
#42
Human Trafficking Signals
127
Ranked in the US
#39
Florida
Human Trafficking Incidents
738
Ranked in the US
#3
Human Trafficking Signals
2,539
Ranked in the US
#2
Georgia
Human Trafficking Incidents
338
Ranked in the US
#5
Human Trafficking Signals
955
Ranked in the US
#6
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#12
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
36
Ranked in the US
#2
Hawaii
Human Trafficking Incidents
39
Ranked in the US
#39
Human Trafficking Signals
108
Ranked in the US
#40
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#21
Idaho
Human Trafficking Incidents
29
Ranked in the US
#40
Human Trafficking Signals
97
Ranked in the US
#41
Illinois
Human Trafficking Incidents
252
Ranked in the US
#10
Human Trafficking Signals
933
Ranked in the US
#7
Indiana
Human Trafficking Incidents
140
Ranked in the US
#18
Human Trafficking Signals
514
Ranked in the US
#20
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
4
Ranked in the US
#6
Iowa
Human Trafficking Incidents
78
Ranked in the US
#33
Human Trafficking Signals
285
Ranked in the US
#33
Kansas
Human Trafficking Incidents
89
Ranked in the US
#30
Human Trafficking Signals
390
Ranked in the US
#25
Kentucky
Human Trafficking Incidents
104
Ranked in the US
#25
Human Trafficking Signals
305
Ranked in the US
#31
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#8
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#26
Louisiana
Human Trafficking Incidents
100
Ranked in the US
#26
Human Trafficking Signals
339
Ranked in the US
#29
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
5
Ranked in the US
#5
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
4
Ranked in the US
#18
Maine
Human Trafficking Incidents
26
Ranked in the US
#43
Human Trafficking Signals
87
Ranked in the US
#43
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#27
Maryland
Human Trafficking Incidents
136
Ranked in the US
#21
Human Trafficking Signals
529
Ranked in the US
#19
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#28
Massachusetts
Human Trafficking Incidents
81
Ranked in the US
#32
Human Trafficking Signals
232
Ranked in the US
#35
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#9
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
3
Ranked in the US
#20
Michigan
Human Trafficking Incidents
295
Ranked in the US
#7
Human Trafficking Signals
845
Ranked in the US
#9
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
19
Ranked in the US
#8
Minnesota
Human Trafficking Incidents
86
Ranked in the US
#31
Human Trafficking Signals
356
Ranked in the US
#28
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#13
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
14
Ranked in the US
#10
Mississippi
Human Trafficking Incidents
187
Ranked in the US
#14
Human Trafficking Signals
710
Ranked in the US
#13
Missouri
Human Trafficking Incidents
267
Ranked in the US
#8
Human Trafficking Signals
750
Ranked in the US
#12
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
5
Ranked in the US
#17
Montana
Human Trafficking Incidents
29
Ranked in the US
#41
Human Trafficking Signals
462
Ranked in the US
#22
Nebraska
Human Trafficking Incidents
72
Ranked in the US
#34
Human Trafficking Signals
212
Ranked in the US
#36
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#22
Nevada
Human Trafficking Incidents
186
Ranked in the US
#15
Human Trafficking Signals
417
Ranked in the US
#24
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#14
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
21
Ranked in the US
#6
New Hampshire
Human Trafficking Incidents
16
Ranked in the US
#47
Human Trafficking Signals
43
Ranked in the US
#49
New Jersey
Human Trafficking Incidents
146
Ranked in the US
#17
Human Trafficking Signals
615
Ranked in the US
#15
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
6
Ranked in the US
#4
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
23
Ranked in the US
#5
New Mexico
Human Trafficking Incidents
51
Ranked in the US
#36
Human Trafficking Signals
367
Ranked in the US
#27
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#23
New York
Human Trafficking Incidents
414
Ranked in the US
#4
Human Trafficking Signals
1,739
Ranked in the US
#3
North Carolina
Human Trafficking Incidents
260
Ranked in the US
#9
Human Trafficking Signals
1,103
Ranked in the US
#4
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#10
North Dakota
Human Trafficking Incidents
21
Ranked in the US
#45
Human Trafficking Signals
70
Ranked in the US
#45
Ohio
Human Trafficking Incidents
310
Ranked in the US
#6
Human Trafficking Signals
1,087
Ranked in the US
#5
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
8
Ranked in the US
#15
Oklahoma
Human Trafficking Incidents
111
Ranked in the US
#24
Human Trafficking Signals
384
Ranked in the US
#26
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
27
Ranked in the US
#3
Oregon
Human Trafficking Incidents
139
Ranked in the US
#19
Human Trafficking Signals
539
Ranked in the US
#18
Pennsylvania
Human Trafficking Incidents
221
Ranked in the US
#12
Human Trafficking Signals
909
Ranked in the US
#8
Rhode Island
Human Trafficking Incidents
10
Ranked in the US
#50
Human Trafficking Signals
86
Ranked in the US
#44
South Carolina
Human Trafficking Incidents
121
Ranked in the US
#22
Human Trafficking Signals
769
Ranked in the US
#11
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
4
Ranked in the US
#19
South Dakota
Human Trafficking Incidents
25
Ranked in the US
#44
Human Trafficking Signals
58
Ranked in the US
#46
Tennessee
Human Trafficking Incidents
165
Ranked in the US
#16
Human Trafficking Signals
419
Ranked in the US
#23
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
11
Ranked in the US
#13
Texas
Human Trafficking Incidents
987
Ranked in the US
#2
Human Trafficking Signals
3,559
Ranked in the US
#1
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
31
Ranked in the US
#2
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
56
Ranked in the US
#1
Utah
Human Trafficking Incidents
64
Ranked in the US
#35
Human Trafficking Signals
182
Ranked in the US
#38
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#15
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
25
Ranked in the US
#4
Vermont
Human Trafficking Incidents
13
Ranked in the US
#48
Human Trafficking Signals
31
Ranked in the US
#50
Virginia
Human Trafficking Incidents
119
Ranked in the US
#23
Human Trafficking Signals
578
Ranked in the US
#17
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
2
Ranked in the US
#11
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
9
Ranked in the US
#14
Washington
Human Trafficking Incidents
238
Ranked in the US
#11
Human Trafficking Signals
815
Ranked in the US
#10
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
1
Ranked in the US
#16
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
15
Ranked in the US
#9
West Virginia
Human Trafficking Incidents
41
Ranked in the US
#38
Human Trafficking Signals
96
Ranked in the US
#42
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
12
Ranked in the US
#11
Wisconsin
Human Trafficking Incidents
97
Ranked in the US
#28
Human Trafficking Signals
337
Ranked in the US
#30
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
23
Ranked in the US
#3
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
20
Ranked in the US
#7
Wyoming
Human Trafficking Incidents
11
Ranked in the US
#49
Human Trafficking Signals
47
Ranked in the US
#48
Human Trafficking Servitude Arrests
3
Ranked in the US
#7
Human Trafficking Commercial Arrests
12
Ranked in the US
#12