Census ACS 5-Year · 500 counties
US Counties With Most Foreign-Born Residents
Counties with the highest foreign-born population shares are immigration gateways: Miami-Dade (FL), Queens (NY), Hudson (NJ), Los Angeles (CA), and Santa Clara (CA) all have over 30% foreign-born residents. These counties combine established immigrant communities, international airports, employment networks, and family-reunification flows. Foreign-born populations reshape county economies through entrepreneurship rates exceeding native-born averages, plus distinctive demand for language access, credential recognition, and culturally specific services.
Key Findings
- 1Currituck County, NC leads with a foreign-born population percentage of 75.7%, followed by Douglas County, NV (74.3%) and Mohave County, AZ (74.2%).
- 2The gap between #1 Currituck County, NC and #500 Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT (40.8%) is 34.9 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 49.7% (Belmont County, OH at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: Currituck County, NC, Douglas County, NV, Mohave County, AZ, Crook County, WY, Asotin County, WA, Sumter County, FL, Storey County, NV, Hinsdale County, CO, Bonner County, ID, Esmeralda County, NV.
Full Ranking: US Counties With Most Foreign-Born Residents
Source: Census ACS 5-Year Estimates
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Currituck County, NC has the highest foreign-born population percentage at 75.7%, according to latest Census ACS data. Douglas County, NV and Mohave County, AZ round out the top three.
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT has the lowest foreign-born population percentage at 40.8%. Maury County, TN is second-lowest at 40.8%.
The median across all 500 states is 49.7%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently, the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS 5-Year estimates. The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.