10 States Where the Number of Immigrants Is Growing Fastest




  • December 08, 2016



These 10 states saw the greatest percentage change in their immigrant populations between 2010 and 2015, according to the Migration Policy Institute.

10. Tennessee

Downtown Nashville, Tennessee | iStock.com/Sean Pavone

Change in immigrant population since 2010: +14.7%
Current immigrant population: 332,000

Tennessee’s foreign-born population increased 14.7% from 2010 to 2015, going from 289,000 to 332,000. Immigrants now make up 5% of the state’s total population. That’s a significant increase from 1990, when the state’s 59,000 immigrants made up just 1.2% of the population.

9. District of Columbia

The skyline of Washington, DC, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, US Capitol and National Mall | SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +16.4%
Current immigrant population: 95,000

The District of Columbia’s 95,000 immigrants make up 14.1% of the area’s total population. In 2011, 41% of all immigrants in D.C. were naturalized citizens, more than half of whom had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

8. Mississippi

Welcome to Mississippi | iStock.com/Meinzahn
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +17.6%
Current immigrant population: 72,000

Mississippi’s foreign-born population grew nearly 18% in the past few years. Immigrants now make up 2.4% of the state’s total population. More than one-third are from Mexico, according to the MPI, while Vietnam, India, and China are also common countries of origin.

7. Alaska

Denali in Alaska | iStock.com/mbarrettimages
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +18.7%
Current immigrant population: 59,000

Alaska’s immigrant population was 59,000 in 2015, roughly a 19% increase from 2010, when 49,000 immigrants lived in the state. As of 2013, just under 30% were from the Philippines, which has a long history of sending immigrants to the state. Many others come from Mexico, Korea, and Canada.

6. Minnesota

Minneapolis downtown skyline | iStock.com/RudyBalasko
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +20.8%
Current immigrant population: 457,000
Minnesota has nearly half a million foreign-born residents who make up 8.3% of the total population.

The number of immigrants in the state has increased nearly 21% since 2010. Mexico, Laos, India, and Vietnam are the top countries of origin. Roughly 6% of business owners in Minnesota are foreign-born, according to Project for a New American Economy (PNAE).

5. Delaware

Capitol building in Dover in Delaware | iStock.com/prosiaczeq
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +21.8%
Current immigrant population: 88,000

Delaware’s immigrant population jumped from 72,000 in 2010 to 88,000 in 2015, an increase of roughly 22%. People born in other countries make up 9.3% of the state’s total population. Mexico, India, China, and Guatemala are the most common countries of origin.

4. South Dakota

South Dakota road sign | iStock.com/wellesenterprises
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +25.2%
Current immigrant population: 28,000

South Dakota doesn’t have a lot of immigrants. Only two states – Montana and Wyoming – have fewer than the state’s 28,000 foreign-born residents. But the immigrant community is growing and they now make up 3.2% of the state’s population. Mexico, Guatemala, and China are the most common countries of origin.

3. West Virginia

Downtown Morgantown, West Virginia | iStock.com/BackyardProduction
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +31.1%
Current immigrant population: 30,000

West Virginia’s immigrant population grew 31% between 2010 and 2015, as the state added 7,000 foreign-born residents. Despite the increase, immigrants still make up just 1.6% of the total population of West Virginia, the smallest share of any U.S. state.

2. Wyoming

Cowboy | iStock.com/alptraum
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +38.9%
Current immigrant population: 22,000
The number of immigrants in Wyoming increased from 16,000 in 2010 to 22,000 in 2015, a 38.9% increase. As of 2013, close to half of immigrants in the state were from Mexico, with smaller numbers coming from Canada, the Philippines, China, and the United Kingdom.

1. North Dakota

A street in Fargo, North Dakota | iStock.com/Ben Harding
Change in immigrant population since 2010: +72.2%
Current immigrant population: 29,000

North Dakota has fewer immigrants than all but four other states. Yet its immigrant population increased more dramatically than anywhere else in the country between 2010 and 2015, rising by 12,000, from 17,000 to 29,000, a 72% increase. Immigrants make up 3.8% of the state’s population overall. Canada, Mexico, and India are the top countries of origin for North Dakota’s immigrants.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/st...tml/?a=viewall