Where are the largest immigrant communities in the US?

More than 50 million people living in the United States were born somewhere else. Said that way, it's just a number, easy to read past. But spread that population across a map and the picture gets a lot more specific. California alone accounts for millions of immigrants. Texas, Florida, and New York aren't far behind. And in a place like Miami-Dade County, foreign-born residents aren't just a large group; they're the majority.

California has more immigrants than any other state, full stop. But "most immigrants" and "highest share of the population" aren't the same ranking. New Jersey, New York, and Florida all have more than one in five residents who were born abroad, putting them right up there with California on that measure, even if their totals are smaller.

None of this is really explained by a state-by-state list, though. Behind those numbers are decades of family networks, job markets, international ties, and migration patterns that built up over generations around specific cities. The closer you zoom in, down to individual counties and metro areas, the clearer that becomes.

How many immigrants live in the US?

As of June 2025, 51.9 million immigrants lived in the United States, representing 15.4% of the country's population, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. That figure came after an estimated record of 53.3 million in January 2025.

The Census Bureau defines "foreign-born" as anyone living in the U.S. who wasn't a citizen at birth. That's a broader group than it might sound: it includes naturalized citizens, green-card holders, people on temporary visas, humanitarian migrants, and people without legal status.

Which states have the most immigrants?

A small group of states accounts for most of the country's immigrant population. California had roughly 10.9 million² foreign-born residents in 2024. This is nearly double Texas's 5.8 million, with Florida at 5.4 million and New York at 4.6 million.

These come from the 2024 ACS state-level estimates³, ranked by total foreign-born population rather than percentage.

California's lead isn't close. Its immigrant population is nearly twice the size of Texas's and more than four times New Jersey's. Together, California, Texas, Florida, and New York form the top four by sheer numbers.

Which states have the highest percentage of immigrants?

Ask a different question, not "how many" but "what share." And the ranking changes.

California still tops the list in 2024, with 27.7% of its population foreign-born, followed by New Jersey (25.0%), New York (23.3%), and Florida (23.1%).

It's easy to conflate raw numbers with the population, but they tell different stories. Texas has more foreign-born residents than New Jersey in absolute terms, yet a smaller percentage of its population is foreign-born. Nevada, meanwhile, has fewer than 700,000⁴ foreign-born residents total. But they still make up nearly one in five Nevadans.

The same logic applies nationally. "What percent of Americans are immigrants" isn't the same question as "how many immigrants live here." In 2024, the answer to the percentage version was about 14.8%.

Where do most US immigrants come from?

Mexico is, by a wide margin, still the top country of origin¹. Pew's most recent detailed breakdown covering mid-2023 found more than 11 million Mexican-born residents in the U.S., or 22% of the entire immigrant population.

(Figures via Pew Research Center's August 21, 2025 analysis.)

Beyond the top ten, the geography broadens considerably. About 52% of U.S. immigrants in 2023 came from Latin America, and another 27% from Asia. Europe accounted for 10%, sub-Saharan Africa 5%, the Middle East and North Africa 4%, and Canada and the rest of North America 2%.

Where are the largest immigrant communities located?

State totals only give you the outline. County and metro-level data fill in what that actually looks like on the ground.

In California, that means major communities across Los Angeles, the Bay Area, and the Central Valley. New York and New Jersey together form one of the country's biggest cross-state immigrant corridors. Florida's largest communities cluster in South Florida. Texas spreads its immigrant population across Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and other big metros.

The same concentration shows up at a bigger scale on a metro level. Over 2020–2024⁶, the New York metro area was home to close to 6 million immigrants, Greater Los Angeles to about 4.2 million, Miami to roughly 2.6 million, Houston to about 1.8 million, and Chicago to around 1.7 million.

What are the largest immigrant communities by state?

The dominant immigrant-origin group isn't the same everywhere. Pew's state-level analysis found Mexican immigrants were the largest group in 29 states while Indian immigrants led in six.

A few standout examples include:

These patterns trace back to decades-old migration routes as much as recent arrivals. They're also a reminder that national totals can flatten real local differences. A state with a large foreign-born population might have several major origin groups rather than one that dominates.

Why are immigrants concentrated in certain states?

A lot of it comes down to where the connections already are. Established communities matter enormously. Someone arriving in a new country often already has relatives, old classmates, coworkers, or a religious community waiting in a specific city.

Jobs play a role too. Bigger metro areas offer more industries and a wider labor market, and some regions have long histories of recruiting workers into particular sectors.

Once a community takes root, it tends to pull in later arrivals for practical reasons: language support, cultural institutions, familiar food, community-run businesses, housing tips, and people who've already been through the process. Transportation matters as well. Cities with major international airports make it easier to travel back and forth.

And history doesn't fade quickly. Migration patterns built up over generations tend to stay geographically anchored even as new waves of immigrants settle elsewhere.

Staying connected with family abroad

Moving to the U.S. doesn't sever a family's ties to wherever they started. For a lot of immigrants, calls home, mobile top-ups, and money transfers are just part of everyday life.

For U.S. customers using BOSS Money, the available transfer options depend on where the money's headed: bank deposit, cash pickup, mobile wallet, or home delivery, depending on the country. The service currently reaches more than 50 countries, with options tailored to each destination.

For immigrants sending money home regularly, having calling and transfers in one ecosystem can make those routine tasks a lot less of a hassle.

How have US immigrant communities changed?

The geography and the countries of origin behind U.S. immigration look completely different than they did a century ago.

In 1920, Germany and Italy were among the top sources of immigrants. Today it's Mexico, India, China, and the Philippines.

Much of that shift traces back to changes in immigration policy after 1965, which opened the door to a larger and far more geographically diverse wave of immigration. Pew's historical research found that since then, roughly half of all immigrants have come from Latin America and about a quarter from Asia.

Even Mexico's share has shifted over time. It is still the single largest source, but down from 29% of the immigrant population in 2010 to 22% in 2023.

The population overall has also spread out more. California, New York, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey are still the biggest destinations, but immigrant communities have grown substantially in states well outside that traditional list. This leaves the U.S. with an immigrant population that's larger, more diverse, and more spread out than it was a generation ago.

Sources: all third party information obtained from applicable website as of September 22, 2026

1. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/08/21/key-findings-about-us-immigrants/

2. https://www.ppic.org/publication/immigrants-in-california/

3. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data-tool/us-immigrant-population-state-county

4. https://usafacts.org/answers/how-many-immigrants-are-in-the-us/state/nevada/

5. https://usafacts.org/articles/where-are-the-largest-immigrant-communities-in-the-us/

6. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/journal/spotlight/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states

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