New American Community Survey Data Highlight Population and Immigration Trends in US Metro Areas
Despite divergent immigration stances the candidates described at this week’s presidential debate, local places are charting their own path. The US immigration story often centers on national narratives, along the southern border, or on traditional gateway cities. Yet, as highlighted by Welcoming Week this September, a dynamic landscape exists where cities across the country cultivate innovative initiatives and best practices for immigrant integration.
In our new edited book, Integration and Receptivity in Immigrant Gateway Metro Regions in the United States (edited by Paul N. McDaniel and Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez at Kennesaw State University, and published in July 2024 by Lexington Books, an Imprint of Rowman & Littlefield), we and our chapter author contributors explore how Sunbelt metro areas, such as Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville, have become emerging hubs for newcomers, how Rustbelt metros, such as Detroit and Pittsburgh, welcome growing immigrant populations, and how smaller metro areas, such as Birmingham, Burlington, Des Moines, and Reno, also influence immigrant integration. Our exploration reveals a different story from the national level narrative ahead of the presidential election.
Amid the national level discourse on immigration leading into the presidential election in November, Welcoming Week — a nationwide initiative of Welcoming America aimed at fostering inclusive communities for all — is taking place September 13–22, 2024. As we approach this important event, it is timely to examine the latest data on immigrant integration in select metro areas across the United States.
The 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, which were released today (September 12), provides insights into demographic trends across the United States. This article explores total population and foreign-born population trends in the 2023 ACS data. First, we’ll take a look at overall trends for metro areas in the United States. Then, we’ll take a closer look at the metro areas featured among the chapters in our edited book, Integration and Receptivity in Immigrant Gateway Metro Regions in the United States: Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Burlington, VT; Charlotte NC; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Greensboro, NC ; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; Minneapolis, MN; Nashville, TN; Pittsburgh, PA; Reno, NV; and Washington, DC.
Total Population
To begin, let’s take a look at total population. In the following table, we see the top 25 largest metro areas in the U.S. by total population in 2023. No surprise here to see that New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago remain the top three largest metro areas in the U.S. by total population size. The next three, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Atlanta, are part of the fast-growing Sunbelt region of the U.S. Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Phoenix, round out the top ten.
Foreign-Born Population
The table below charts the top 25 largest metro areas in the U.S. by overall foreign-born population size in 2023.
In the following table, we see the top 25 largest metro areas in the U.S. by foreign-born population percent of total population in 2023. 2 out of every 5 residents in the Miami, Florida, and San Jose, CA, metro areas are foreign-born. 1 in 3 residents in the Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas are immigrants. One-quarter of residents in metro areas such as McAllen, Texas, Merced, California, Naples, Florida, and Laredo and Houston, Texas, are immigrants.
The following charts visualize the place of birth region for the foreign-born population in the top 25 largest metro areas in the United States. These examples illustrate the diversity of world region of origin for the foreign-born population across different metro areas in the U.S.
Case Study Metro Areas
Our edited book, Integration and Receptivity in Immigrant Gateway Metro Regions in the United States, ventures beyond the well-known and well-researched gateway cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. We have assembled an interdisciplinary team of contributors, ranging from highly regarded senior scholars in the field, to emerging scholars and early career faculty, from across the U.S., to examine various immigration and immigrant integration processes, programs, and practices in 14 fascinating case study metropolitan regions. These cases range from former and established immigrant gateways like Detroit, Washington DC, and Miami, to the emerging and fast-growing destinations of Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Nashville, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, and to the lesser-known immigrant gateway metro areas of Burlington, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Birmingham, Des Moines, and Reno.
Below, let’s examine some visual data for each of these fourteen case study metro areas.
In Conclusion
The newly released 2023 ACS data provide valuable insights for organizers of Welcoming Week events in these metro areas. By understanding the specific needs and challenges of immigrant populations, local communities can tailor their immigrant integration and receptivity programs and initiatives to foster greater inclusion and belonging.
