Internet Explorer 11 is not supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Immigrant Population Growing Faster Than Natives in Many Metro Areas

New census estimates find international migration surpassed domestic population growth in 135 metro areas. View data showing which metro areas are welcoming the most immigrants.

immigration
Jim Witmer
The nation’s major metropolitan areas have long served as hubs attracting steady streams of immigrants from all over the world seeking opportunities. Now, as some cities lose residents and the native population ages, migration from abroad has overtaken homegrown and domestic population shifts in many urban areas.
 
A Governing analysis of new census estimates found that 135 metro areas experienced an increase in international migration surpassing domestic population growth. In each of these regions, net international migration exceeded the combined net domestic migration and natural change (births and deaths) between the 2010 Census and last summer.
 
As Americans moved out of the Rust Belt and other areas, those from outside the U.S. took their place. The Detroit metro area saw more than 50,000 residents move away since 2010, but added more than 21,000 via international migration. Similarly, the Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio, area recorded a net domestic migration loss of 27,000 residents, but attracted nearly 8,000 from abroad.
 
In fact, 37 growing metro areas would have lost total population had it not been for new residents from overseas. Such metro areas include New York City, Trenton, N.J., and Reading, Pa.
 
International migration has historically accounted for the bulk of the population growth in many of the nation’s coastal cities. The New York City, Los Angeles and Miami metro areas, for example, each welcomed more than 100,000 international residents over the two-year period.
 
But some regions not traditionally known as international destinations have attracted new groups of foreigners. Jeanne Batalova, a senior policy analyst with the Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute, said many such areas saw a noticeable uptick in their immigrant populations beginning in the 1990s.
 
Latino groups living in New York City boroughs began to branch out to other areas of the state, and across state borders to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those initially settling around Los Angeles also moved to Nevada or Arizona, lured by lower costs of living.
 
“A number of hot spots emerged,” Batalova said. “The primary driving forces were that immigrants were looking for new jobs, lower costs of living and educational opportunities for their children.”
 
Once immigrant communities in these areas established themselves, word got back to those living abroad, then international migration followed. These networks, according to Batalova, act as the “oil of the migration machine.”
 
Each metro area offers its own unique opportunities for immigrants.
 
Cities like Boston boast world-renowned colleges and universities, while Minneapolis and Detroit are home to large refugee populations.
 
Silicon Valley also continues to be a destination for college-educated immigrants working in the technology sector. The San Jose metro area, which includes Santa Clara and Silicon Valley, saw a net increase of about 30,400 immigrants since the 2010 Census, according to estimates.
 
Monica Limas, interim director at the San Jose-based Center for Employment Training, said the region’s high-tech companies recently jumpstarted hiring, so foreign employees likely account for much of the increase. Many of these educated workers migrated from India, and the center assists large numbers of Latino and Vietnamese immigrants as well.
 
The recession, coupled with stepped-up border enforcement efforts, slowed international migration in recent years, Batalova said. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. is slowly declining after reaching a peak of 12 million in 2007, mostly driven by a sharp decrease in the flow of immigrants from Mexico.

To lure immigrants, an increasing number of local governments have set up special offices or programs specifically targeting them.
 
Officials in Dayton, Ohio, established a Welcome Dayton plan in 2011 that’s since evolved to include programs such as grants for new business owners and an international soccer tournament. In Baltimore, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed an order requesting social service and law enforcement agencies not to ask anyone about their immigration status.
 
Earlier this month, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter created an Office of Immigrant and Multi-Cultural Affairs, slated to provide immigrants with access to city services, local nonprofits and educational programs. The office is likely to stay busy once it's up and running, given that the surrounding metro area has added more than twice the number of residents from international migration than net domestic migration and natural changes since the 2010 Census.
 
Michigan, the only state losing population in the 2010 Census, has also rolled out the red carpet for immigrants.
 
“Welcoming Michigan,” a project of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, focuses on making four communities in the state more immigrant-friendly. Susan Reed, a supervising attorney for the center, says local officials need to first communicate the benefits of immigrants, especially to those who fear they'll take their jobs.
 
In a state like Michigan – with severe job losses -- this can be a difficult task.
 
“Some people just feel a sense of loss of what the Michigan economy has been through and that we can’t afford to be welcoming,” Reed said.
 
Immigrants, though, often use their unique skill sets to start up businesses and create employment opportunities. What’s more, these groups help to subsidize agriculture and other industries with low-wage jobs.
 
“It’s really engaging the community in a dialogue about the tensions, such as tensions around language, delivery of service or religion,” Reed said.
 
Data

The international migration data represents estimates, not hard population counts. The Census Bureau, according to its methodology, bases its estimates on immigration/emigration of the foreign born, net migration between Puerto Rico and the U.S., migration of natives in and out of the country and movement of those serving in the Armed Forces. So, not all residents included in the census migration estimates are foreigners.
 
Nearly every metro area across the country recorded positive net international in-migration, with only three experiencing declines since 2010. Of 381 metro areas, 187 registered negative net domestic migration and 139 reported more deaths than births, according to estimates.
 
Not surprisingly, major urban hubs home to large minority communities welcomed that largest numbers of international residents. The following 10 metro areas had the largest net international migration since the 2010 Census:

  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA: 269,067
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 112,503
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 111,181
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 79,564
  • Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX: 54,391
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI: 52,120
  • Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 50,950
  • San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: 49,077
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 42,805
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 40,013
The following table shows estimated population changes for each metro area occurring between the 2010 Census and July 2012. The second column refers the difference between net international migration and domestic population changes, which take into account residents relocating, births and deaths. A total of 135 of these areas recorded faster international migration than domestic growth, led by New York City.



         
Metro Area Net Inter. Minus Native Change Net Inter. Migration Net Domestic Migration and Natural Change 2012 Population Estimate
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 271675 269,067 -2,608 19,831,858
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 47971 21,689 -26,282 4,292,060
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 42494 52,120 9,626 9,522,434
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 29153 7,791 -21,362 2,063,535
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 23494 111,181 87,687 5,762,717
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 22121 38,380 16,259 6,018,800
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 19541 10,908 -8,633 1,214,400
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 18024 9,416 -8,608 1,601,374
New Haven-Milford, CT 13637 7,080 -6,557 862,813
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 11708 50,950 39,242 4,640,802
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY 11462 5,370 -6,092 1,134,210
St. Louis, MO-IL 9500 8,999 -501 2,795,794
Trenton, NJ 8747 5,242 -3,505 368,303
Flint, MI 8573 597 -7,976 418,408
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 8228 464 -7,764 558,206
Springfield, MA 7588 5,958 -1,630 625,718
Syracuse, NY 7513 3,066 -4,447 660,934
Rochester, NY 7105 4,975 -2,130 1,082,284
Worcester, MA-CT 6608 6,834 226 923,762
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 6444 11,913 5,469 933,835
Pittsburgh, PA 5837 5,789 -48 2,360,733
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 5447 4,750 -697 874,646
Norwich-New London, CT 5188 2,698 -2,490 274,170
Akron, OH 5127 2,209 -2,918 702,262
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 5033 2,989 -2,044 275,422
Lansing-East Lansing, MI 4982 3,281 -1,701 465,732
Rockford, IL 4724 673 -4,051 346,009
Binghamton, NY 4651 770 -3,881 248,538
Toledo, OH 4412 1,481 -2,931 608,711
Urban Honolulu, HI 4359 13,987 9,628 976,372
Champaign-Urbana, IL 4328 3,125 -1,203 233,788
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 3845 2,028 -1,817 563,629
Utica-Rome, NY 3727 1,230 -2,497 298,064
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 3513 13,334 9,821 1,699,925
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 3499 4,838 1,339 827,171
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 3408 785 -2,623 363,627
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 3245 768 -2,477 151,364
Pine Bluff, AR 2999 78 -2,921 97,451
Wichita Falls, TX 2814 1,163 -1,651 150,829
Dayton, OH 2495 2,291 -204 800,972
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 2423 30,419 27,996 1,894,388
Reading, PA 2416 2,334 -82 413,491
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 2416 879 -1,537 318,586
Barnstable Town, MA 2315 1,037 -1,278 215,423
Ithaca, NY 2279 1,629 -650 102,554
Saginaw, MI 2279 267 -2,012 198,353
Muskegon, MI 2237 128 -2,109 170,182
Johnstown, PA 2196 87 -2,109 141,584
Homosassa Springs, FL 2121 185 -1,936 139,360
Manchester-Nashua, NH 2119 2,231 112 402,922
Kingston, NY 2077 676 -1,401 181,791
Yuba City, CA 1986 1,524 -462 167,948
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 1980 50 -1,930 122,547
Pittsfield, MA 1978 436 -1,542 130,016
East Stroudsburg, PA 1936 484 -1,452 168,798
Battle Creek, MI 1932 452 -1,480 135,099
Joplin, MO 1907 241 -1,666 174,327
Mansfield, OH 1900 52 -1,848 122,673
Canton-Massillon, OH 1874 519 -1,355 403,455
Fayetteville, NC 1865 4,979 3,114 374,585
Jacksonville, NC 1814 3,605 1,791 183,263
Sebring, FL 1649 538 -1,111 98,128
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 1608 411 -1,197 156,067
Ocean City, NJ 1559 334 -1,225 96,304
Mobile, AL 1555 1,314 -241 413,936
Wheeling, WV-OH 1545 46 -1,499 146,420
State College, PA 1543 1,395 -148 155,171
Farmington, NM 1503 -16 -1,519 128,529
Lima, OH 1446 126 -1,320 105,141
Charleston, WV 1427 161 -1,266 225,954
Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL 1423 100 -1,323 117,296
Springfield, OH 1417 154 -1,263 137,206
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA 1406 1,045 -361 178,933
Erie, PA 1396 803 -593 280,646
Cumberland, MD-WV 1362 40 -1,322 101,968
Ann Arbor, MI 1348 3,781 2,433 350,946
Rocky Mount, NC 1289 278 -1,011 151,662
Monroe, MI 1231 122 -1,109 151,048
Racine, WI 1198 311 -887 194,797
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 1106 1,026 -80 157,785
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 1101 1,079 -22 404,180
Bay City, MI 1047 107 -940 106,935
Danville, IL 1033 74 -959 80,727
Gainesville, FL 980 2,514 1,534 268,232
Sheboygan, WI 931 205 -726 115,009
Ames, IA 909 1,262 353 91,140
Decatur, IL 860 127 -733 110,122
Rome, GA 809 359 -450 96,177
New Bern, NC 767 1,000 233 128,119
Bangor, ME 752 294 -458 153,746
Roanoke, VA 748 1,014 266 310,118
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 748 281 -467 364,665
Grand Forks, ND-MN 712 573 -139 98,888
Muncie, IN 710 236 -474 117,364
Duluth, MN-WI 707 241 -466 279,452
Carbondale-Marion, IL 692 426 -266 126,745
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 684 175 -509 85,243
Macon, GA 683 488 -195 232,723
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 680 107 -573 309,006
Kankakee, IL 637 123 -514 113,040
Longview, WA 633 109 -524 101,996
Corvallis, OR 597 718 121 86,430
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 593 264 -329 107,609
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 588 483 -105 168,921
Glens Falls, NY 579 95 -484 128,472
Albany, GA 571 278 -293 157,399
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 554 237 -317 146,988
Bloomington, IN 540 1,712 1,172 162,399
Carson City, NV 525 57 -468 54,838
Sumter, SC 524 569 45 108,052
Terre Haute, IN 485 307 -178 172,493
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 462 2,591 2,129 553,980
Lawton, OK 450 1,328 878 132,545
Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 424 587 163 132,088
Fort Smith, AR-OK 340 240 -100 280,521
Jackson, MI 339 230 -109 160,309
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 335 2,213 1,878 547,307
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 304 51 -253 111,246
Peoria, IL 283 829 546 380,447
Decatur, AL 277 377 100 154,233
Gadsden, AL 242 135 -107 104,392
Janesville-Beloit, WI 202 145 -57 160,418
Kokomo, IN 196 131 -65 82,849
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA 189 118 -71 118,686
Midland, MI 182 205 23 83,822
Great Falls, MT 171 291 120 81,723
Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 136 15 -121 92,548
Beckley, WV 107 72 -35 124,890
Gettysburg, PA 104 63 -41 101,482
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 92 444 352 208,922
Fond du Lac, WI 78 182 104 101,843
Florence, SC 74 346 272 206,087
Topeka, KS 48 404 356 234,566
Jefferson City, MO 47 215 168 150,151
Altoona, PA 45 27 -18 127,121
Elmira, NY -2 63 65 88,911
Wausau, WI -24 304 328 134,735
Montgomery, AL -33 1,277 1,310 377,149
College Station-Bryan, TX -38 2,884 2,922 234,501
Grants Pass, OR -42 116 158 82,930
Alexandria, LA -48 268 316 154,441
Jackson, TN -85 187 272 130,450
St. Joseph, MO-KS -112 198 310 127,927
Dalton, GA -126 206 332 142,751
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN -160 7,042 7,202 2,128,603
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY -179 903 1,082 150,413
Rochester, MN -272 1,186 1,458 209,607
Texarkana, TX-AR -288 142 430 149,701
Walla Walla, WA -338 88 426 63,399
Lawrence, KS -339 848 1,187 112,864
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA -378 319 697 168,747
Bloomington, IL -404 1,120 1,524 188,715
Goldsboro, NC -412 632 1,044 124,246
Brunswick, GA -413 328 741 113,448
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN -416 2,118 2,534 206,412
Lewiston, ID-WA -416 68 484 61,419
Lebanon, PA -422 651 1,073 135,251
Eugene, OR -494 1,218 1,712 354,542
Sherman-Denison, TX -495 317 812 121,935
Chico, CA -504 575 1,079 221,539
Hot Springs, AR -527 133 660 96,903
Mankato-North Mankato, MN -536 378 914 98,020
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA -543 384 927 118,222
Grand Island, NE -551 548 1,099 83,472
Abilene, TX -583 540 1,123 166,963
Morristown, TN -600 185 785 114,937
Redding, CA -614 341 955 178,586
St. Cloud, MN -627 364 991 190,471
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL -631 67 698 97,080
York-Hanover, PA -664 1,160 1,824 437,846
Madera, CA -692 343 1,035 152,218
Burlington-South Burlington, VT -704 880 1,584 213,701
Pocatello, ID -717 133 850 83,800
Charlottesville, VA -724 1,597 2,321 222,860
Monroe, LA -735 340 1,075 177,782
Fairbanks, AK -738 953 1,691 100,272
Hinesville, GA -767 1,341 2,108 81,519
Columbus, IN -828 760 1,588 79,129
Grand Junction, CO -902 134 1,036 147,848
Santa Fe, NM -908 687 1,595 146,375
Williamsport, PA -923 96 1,019 117,168
Panama City, FL -977 956 1,933 187,621
Lake Charles, LA -998 334 1,332 201,195
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL -1021 2,127 3,148 595,309
Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA -1028 311 1,339 151,275
Springfield, IL -1085 389 1,474 211,993
Owensboro, KY -1102 96 1,198 116,030
Prescott, AZ -1109 234 1,343 212,637
Lynchburg, VA -1117 716 1,833 255,342
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN -1118 260 1,378 135,298
Elkhart-Goshen, IN -1142 460 1,602 199,619
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA -1145 3,156 4,301 420,757
Flagstaff, AZ -1149 206 1,355 136,011
Napa, CA -1172 701 1,873 139,045
Evansville, IN-KY -1212 393 1,605 313,433
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI -1251 1,114 2,365 158,316
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI -1302 257 1,559 168,794
Dubuque, IA -1337 70 1,407 95,097
Ocala, FL -1343 1,300 2,643 335,125
Bowling Green, KY -1354 1,126 2,480 162,231
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL -1355 842 2,197 382,630
Harrisonburg, VA -1366 776 2,142 128,372
Albany, OR -1398 139 1,537 118,360
Missoula, MT -1481 116 1,597 110,977
Longview, TX -1500 420 1,920 216,679
Johnson City, TN -1508 247 1,755 200,684
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA -1509 1,564 3,073 532,253
Portland-South Portland, ME -1523 1,303 2,826 518,117
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL -1528 474 2,002 140,567
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA -1549 1,161 2,710 254,991
Dothan, AL -1561 208 1,769 147,620
Cleveland, TN -1565 231 1,796 117,820
Kalamazoo-Portage, MI -1577 975 2,552 330,034
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY -1687 1,131 2,818 120,262
Pueblo, CO -1705 78 1,783 160,852
Tuscaloosa, AL -1813 733 2,546 233,389
Athens-Clarke County, GA -1844 989 2,833 196,425
Punta Gorda, FL -1876 383 2,259 162,449
Burlington, NC -1938 465 2,403 153,920
Wenatchee, WA -1946 100 2,046 113,037
Appleton, WI -1973 411 2,384 228,450
Manhattan, KS -2004 1,537 3,541 97,810
Eau Claire, WI -2013 240 2,253 163,599
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA -2030 2,749 4,779 431,249
Wichita, KS -2054 1,592 3,646 636,105
Winchester, VA-WV -2057 202 2,259 130,907
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI -2080 4,651 6,731 1,566,981
Hammond, LA -2131 113 2,244 123,441
Victoria, TX -2140 251 2,391 96,620
San Angelo, TX -2209 417 2,626 114,854
Bellingham, WA -2211 991 3,202 205,262
Logan, UT-ID -2222 305 2,527 128,306
Cheyenne, WY -2223 269 2,492 94,483
El Centro, CA -2246 88 2,334 176,948
Waco, TX -2345 629 2,974 256,317
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA -2393 112,503 114,896 13,052,921
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL -2419 4,135 6,554 332,427
Medford, OR -2528 347 2,875 206,412
Idaho Falls, ID -2532 123 2,655 136,108
Spartanburg, SC -2540 635 3,175 316,997
Iowa City, IA -2587 1,512 4,099 158,231
Cedar Rapids, IA -2593 612 3,205 261,761
Lancaster, PA -2599 2,436 5,035 526,823
Jonesboro, AR -2675 155 2,830 124,042
Winston-Salem, NC -2845 2,147 4,992 647,697
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC -2923 1,910 4,833 193,882
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA -2940 764 3,704 266,776
California-Lexington Park, MD -2951 399 3,350 108,987
Birmingham-Hoover, AL -2953 2,828 5,781 1,136,650
Fort Wayne, IN -2991 1,147 4,138 421,406
Morgantown, WV -3016 703 3,719 134,164
Yuma, AZ -3043 605 3,648 200,022
Casper, WY -3111 8 3,119 78,621
Hattiesburg, MS -3163 314 3,477 146,766
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ -3242 -78 3,164 203,334
Green Bay, WI -3343 818 4,161 311,098
Tallahassee, FL -3358 1,597 4,955 375,371
Dover, DE -3376 928 4,304 167,626
Port St. Lucie, FL -3420 2,474 5,894 432,683
Columbia, MO -3428 1,243 4,671 168,535
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV -3451 617 4,068 256,278
Yakima, WA -3475 159 3,634 246,977
Coeur d'Alene, ID -3512 143 3,655 142,357
Rapid City, SD -3572 294 3,866 138,738
Greenville, NC -3591 406 3,997 172,554
Salem, OR -3624 1,014 4,638 396,338
Billings, MT -3690 101 3,791 162,848
Gainesville, GA -3701 889 4,590 185,416
Amarillo, TX -3775 920 4,695 257,578
Salisbury, MD-DE -3808 2,092 5,900 381,868
Valdosta, GA -3868 417 4,285 144,343
Warner Robins, GA -3979 863 4,842 185,478
Modesto, CA -3982 1,689 5,671 521,726
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL -4053 5,164 9,217 616,158
Bend-Redmond, OR -4219 103 4,322 162,277
Merced, CA -4318 1,098 5,416 262,305
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA -4348 440 4,788 274,804
Olympia-Tumwater, WA -4491 810 5,301 258,332
Tyler, TX -4643 245 4,888 214,821
Killeen-Temple, TX -4660 5,173 9,833 420,375
Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS -4661 2,051 6,712 379,582
Reno, NV -4933 1,745 6,678 433,843
Las Cruces, NM -4998 130 5,128 214,445
Auburn-Opelika, AL -5032 938 5,970 147,257
Tucson, AZ -5042 3,658 8,700 992,394
Santa Rosa, CA -5064 1,464 6,528 491,829
Greensboro-High Point, NC -5078 3,690 8,768 736,065
Bismarck, ND -5098 55 5,153 120,060
Lubbock, TX -5104 858 5,962 297,669
Asheville, NC -5191 1,158 6,349 432,406
Lincoln, NE -5316 1,448 6,764 310,342
Lafayette, LA -5395 1,182 6,577 474,415
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA -5461 986 6,447 447,193
Fargo, ND-MN -5699 888 6,587 216,312
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD -5776 18,618 24,394 2,753,149
Corpus Christi, TX -6011 1,427 7,438 437,109
St. George, UT -6106 210 6,316 144,809
Anchorage, AK -6320 2,660 8,980 392,535
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA -6496 3,157 9,653 835,981
Springfield, MO -6608 630 7,238 444,617
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC -6705 2,109 8,814 575,898
Knoxville, TN -6797 2,075 8,872 848,350
Lexington-Fayette, KY -6808 3,068 9,876 485,023
Sioux Falls, SD -6822 1,067 7,889 237,251
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN -6908 4,518 11,426 1,251,351
Wilmington, NC -7039 735 7,774 263,429
Jackson, MS -7047 1,234 8,281 576,800
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC -7063 5,347 12,410 522,826
The Villages, FL -7158 102 7,260 101,620
Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL -7163 595 7,758 190,790
Odessa, TX -7269 -80 7,189 144,325
Boulder, CO -7378 1,629 9,007 305,318
Chattanooga, TN-GA -7470 1,107 8,577 537,889
Baton Rouge, LA -7513 2,631 10,144 815,298
Salinas, CA -7689 2,138 9,827 426,762
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL -7785 2,243 10,028 461,227
Laredo, TX -7822 562 8,384 259,172
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL -7928 1,890 9,818 247,665
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX -8113 673 8,786 415,557
Clarksville, TN-KY -8193 2,690 10,883 274,342
Visalia-Porterville, CA -8776 555 9,331 451,977
Madison, WI -8909 3,104 12,013 620,778
Memphis, TN-MS-AR -8959 3,988 12,947 1,341,690
Fort Collins, CO -9558 557 10,115 310,487
Midland, TX -9708 45 9,753 151,662
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL -9731 4,025 13,756 720,042
Columbia, SC -9821 3,649 13,470 784,745
Greeley, CO -9904 408 10,312 263,691
Tulsa, OK -10021 2,156 12,177 951,880
Fresno, CA -10192 3,672 13,864 947,895
Huntsville, AL -10365 1,347 11,712 430,734
Richmond, VA -10662 6,564 17,226 1,231,980
Savannah, GA -10662 1,829 12,491 361,941
Albuquerque, NM -10941 1,898 12,839 901,700
Stockton-Lodi, CA -11126 3,112 14,238 702,612
Bakersfield, CA -11554 2,551 14,105 856,158
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI -11863 2,570 14,433 1,005,648
Columbus, GA-AL -12017 1,752 13,769 310,531
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC -12562 3,117 15,679 842,853
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR -12600 2,597 15,197 717,666
Ogden-Clearfield, UT -12603 1,337 13,940 612,441
Kennewick-Richland, WA -13440 648 14,088 268,243
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL -13498 6,300 19,798 645,293
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA -13521 2,840 16,361 588,999
Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA -13681 3,413 17,094 885,624
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO -14260 2,259 16,519 482,200
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC -14621 1,424 16,045 394,542
Colorado Springs, CO -15240 3,730 18,970 668,353
Kansas City, MO-KS -16159 6,668 22,827 2,038,724
Boise City, ID -16637 2,181 18,818 637,896
Jacksonville, FL -17207 7,537 24,744 1,377,850
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA -18577 14,322 32,899 2,196,482
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV -18709 15,481 34,190 2,000,759
Provo-Orem, UT -19840 2,098 21,938 550,845
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL -20495 19,909 40,404 2,842,878
Columbus, OH -21577 10,308 31,885 1,944,002
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA -23297 49,077 72,374 4,455,560
El Paso, TX -24228 1,291 25,519 830,735
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN -24426 8,231 32,657 1,928,982
Salt Lake City, UT -25101 5,514 30,615 1,123,712
New Orleans-Metairie, LA -25106 5,701 30,807 1,227,096
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL -25142 31,894 57,036 2,223,674
Charleston-North Charleston, SC -25803 3,149 28,952 697,439
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX -27213 2,245 29,458 806,552
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI -27773 23,007 50,780 3,422,264
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA -31310 25,700 57,010 3,177,063
Oklahoma City, OK -33319 4,767 38,086 1,296,565
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA -39036 12,208 51,244 2,289,800
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN -39196 8,071 47,267 1,726,693
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA -39727 36,418 76,145 3,552,157
Raleigh, NC -41968 7,775 49,743 1,188,564
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC -54360 12,267 66,627 2,296,569
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV -63971 79,564 143,535 5,860,342
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX -74754 8,021 82,775 2,234,003
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO -80795 9,840 90,635 2,645,209
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA -88711 40,013 128,724 5,457,831
Austin-Round Rock, TX -92811 11,697 104,508 1,834,303
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ -96780 19,384 116,164 4,329,534
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA -99169 12,833 112,002 4,350,096
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX -147581 54,391 201,972 6,177,035
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX -187241 42,805 230,046 6,700,991

Mike Maciag is Data Editor for GOVERNING.
From Our Partners