The Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) provides the public, academics, and policy-makers with tailored analysis of U.S. Census data through its Immigration Data on Demand (iDod) service.
In recent months, the IIR iDod team responded to several requests for data on the foreign born across the United States. This included state-level analysis of immigrants in Massachusetts and county-level analysis of Osceola County, Florida and Franklin County, Ohio. The iDod team also completed analysis of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia Metro Area, the Dayton, Ohio Metro Area and the Roanoke and Lynchburg Metro Areas in Virginia.
You can search and view our most recent fact sheets on our website by state, or request your own customized fact sheet.
Immigrants in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area
This detailed fact sheet highlights 22 key characteristics about foreign-born individuals in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area in 2020. Interestingly, 23% of individuals in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area are immigrants to the United States, and the counties within the D.C. Metro Area with the highest shares of immigrants - as a percentage of the total county population - include:
- Montgomery County, MD (32%)
- Fairfax County, VA (31%)
- Fairfax City, VA (29%)
Notably, the top countries of birth among immigrants in the D.C. Metro Area are distinct from the top countries of birth for immigrants in the rest of the United States, with 14% of immigrants in the area coming from El Salvador.
Top Five Countries of Birth among Immigrants in the D.C. Metro Area Compared to All Other Immigrants in the United States
This data was prepared by the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR). 2023. Immigration Data on Demand (iDod). Source: IPUMS USA: Version 12.0 [American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-2020 5 year averages]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V12.0
Immigrants in Florida
Florida ranks 4th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of foreign-born residents as a percentage of the state's total population. This fact sheet specifically highlights immigrants in Osceola County, Florida as compared to immigrants in the rest of the United States. Osceola County has a unique demographic of immigrants, with the top countries of birth as Venezuela (12%), Colombia (12%), Dominican Republic (11%), Cuba (7%), and Jamaica (5%). Reflecting these origins, the county has a higher percentage of Hispanic immigrants compared to the rest of the United States.
Immigrants in Massachusetts
Immigrants in Massachusetts are concentrated around the Boston Metro Area, in Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, and Essex County. As detailed in the full fact sheet, approximately a quarter of immigrants in Massachusetts work in service occupations (24%), and 21 percent have a master's, professional, or doctorate degree.
Immigrants in Ohio
Overall, there are an estimated 543,133 immigrants in the State of Ohio, with Ohio ranking 39th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of immigrants as a percentage of the state's total population. Separate data requests about the Dayton Metro Area and Franklin County, Ohio illustrate that Franklin County has the highest percentage of immigrants as part of the total county population across the state (11%).
In the Columbus Metro Area, part of which is in Franklin County, the top four countries of birth among immigrants are India (14%), Mexico (8%), China (6%) and Somalia (6%). While a large portion of immigrants in the Dayton Metro Area are also from India (14%), Mexico (7%), and China (7%), the Dayton Metro Area has a higher percentage of immigrants born in the Philippines (5% compared to 2% in Columbus).
Immigrants in both metro areas have higher percentages of English proficiency (63% in both metro areas) compared to all immigrants in the rest of the United States, 53% of whom are proficient in English.
Immigrants in Virginia
This iDod fact sheet highlights foreign-born individuals in the Lynchburg and Roanoke Metro Areas in Virginia. In these two metro areas, the foreign-born population constituted 4 percent of the overall population. Within each metro area, Lynchburg City and Roanoke City have the highest percentages of immigrants, respectively, at 5 percent and 7 percent. Immigrants in the Lynchburg and Roanoke Metro Areas are actively engaged in diverse sectors, with manufacturing (16%), healthcare (14%), construction (10%), accommodation and food services (8%), and educational services (8%) leading the way.
Top Five Industries among Immigrants in the Lynchburg and Roanoke Metro Areas, VA
In the Labor Force, Employed, Ages 16-65
This data was prepared by the Institute for Immigration Research (IIR). 2023. Immigration Data on Demand (iDod). Source: IPUMS USA: Version 12.0 [American Community Survey (ACS) 2016-2020 5 year averages]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS, 2022. https://doi.org/10.18128/D010.V12.0
Interested in data on immigrants in your state, county, or metro area? Complete an iDod Request Form!
About iDod
Immigration Data on Demand (iDod) fact sheets demonstrate how immigrants contribute to the economy and society of the United States. Ultimately, the goal of iDod is to connect people with accurate data on immigrant populations.
In addition to providing a service to the community, iDod offers Graduate Research Assistants at the IIR the opportunity to refine their quantitative and geospatial research skills thorough fulfilling tailored data requests. In this way, the iDod service plays a key role in the IIR's goal to train and equip graduate students with the conceptual and methodological tools to be the next generation of migration researchers.
Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to support our work in training the next generation of migration researchers and continuing to offer our iDod service free of charge to the community.