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 worked on several iDod reports on relatively less-explored immigrant groups and geographies. This included national-level analysis of immigrants from Europe and Central Asian countries as well as immigrants in smaller geographies, including New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, New Haven County, Connecticut and the Roanoke metro area in Virginia.
European Immigrants in the United States
Despite the dominance of European ancestries in the U.S. population, first-generation European immigrants comprised only 6 percent of the immigrant population in 2020. While the immigrant population has increased steadily in the last fifty years, the European immigrant population has declined in recent times.
European Immigrants in the United States at the County Level
By comparing origin countries of European immigrants and all other immigrants at the national level, we find that the share of European immigrants among all immigrants is higher in many counties where non-European immigrants are less likely to reside. Our detailed fact sheet shows that European immigrants are quite different from all other immigrants both in terms of demography and labor market outcomes.
Immigrants in New Mexico
New Mexico, due to its geographical proximity, has traditionally been home to many Mexican immigrants. In 2020, two out of three immigrants in New Mexico were from Mexico. New Mexico is one of the few states across the country, however, where the immigrant population has decreased in the last decade. This trend parallels the decline in the Mexican immigrant population at the national level during the same period.
Countries of Birth Among Immigrants
While the majority of immigrants in New Mexico are still in their prime working age (25-54 years old), the declining and aging immigrant population in the state may pose challenges for policymakers in the future. Find out more about immigrants in New Mexico.
Immigrants in North Dakota
North Dakota has not been home to many immigrants in the past, but the immigrant population there has more than doubled in the last decade. The growth of the immigrant population in the state coincides with its post-2000 economic boom. Despite the recent rise in the flow of immigrants to North Dakota, the state still remains one of the bottom ten states in terms of immigrant population as a percentage of the state population.
Year of Immigration
The immigrant population in North Dakota is very diverse. In contrast to the rest of the United States, in North Dakota, the top countries of birth are relatively evenly dispersed among immigrants. Mexico (9%) and the Philippines (9%) are the top countries of birth in the state. Eight percent of immigrants in North Dakota are from Liberia, whereas less than one percent of all other immigrants in the United States are from Liberia. Find out more about the diverse immigrant community in North Dakota.
Immigrants in the Roanoke Metro Area
The Roanoke metro area in Virginia is a relatively less common destination among immigrants, with only 5 percent of its population being immigrants. Immigrants in the Roanoke metro area are more likely to be from Asia and Europe compared to the rest of the United States.
Region of Birth Among Immigrants
Find out more about immigrants in the Roanoke metro area and other parts of Virginia.
Immigrants in New Haven County, CT
New Haven County in Connecticut is similar to the national average in terms of the percentage of immigrants in the total population. Our analysis finds that immigrants in the county, which hosts several post-secondary educational institutes, are more likely to have advanced degrees and be proficient in English than the rest of the United States.
Educational Attainment Among Immigrants
Find out more about immigrants in New Haven County and the rest of Connecticut.
Immigrants in Montana
Montana ranks 50th among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. in terms of the share of the population who are immigrants; only West Virginia has a smaller share of the population who are immigrants. The origin countries of immigrants in Montana are quite different from the rest of the United States. Several counties in the state have a relatively higher share of European immigrants (see the map about European immigrants above).
Country of Birth Among Immigrants
Immigrants from Central Asia
There are just over a hundred thousand immigrants from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan living in the United States. But like any other immigrant group, this immigrant community contributes to various sectors of the U.S. economy, and each immigrant brings with them their own stories of struggle and success.
Educational Attainment Among Central Asian and Other Immigrants
Central Asian immigrants are more likely to be college-educated than all other immigrants and native-born populations. This demographic feature is also true for all other Asian immigrants in the United States. Stay tuned for our upcoming report on immigrants from Asian countries.
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.
Click here to learn about iDod methodology.
Data Source: All analyses in iDod reports are based on source data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.