The personal finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2023’s Most and Least Ethnically Diverse Cities in light of immigration reform remaining a contentious issue and senators attempting to craft a bipartisan bill.
WalletHub compared over 500 of the largest U.S. cities across three key metrics, including ethno-racial diversity, linguistic diversity, and birthplace diversity, to determine America’s most ethnically diverse places.
“Rapid racial population change typically changes and shapes numerous major areas of urban life. That population shifts usually change, to take a critical example, the racial composition of major local politicians such as mayors and city council members. Mostly, in the U.S. case, this means a significant increase in politicians of color. In turn, this brings an inevitable diversification of political views and goals,” Joe R. Feagin, PhD, Professor at Texas A&M University told Wallet Hub.
The report found that Germantown, MD, was the most ethnically diverse city in the United States, followed by Jersey City, New Jersey, and Gaithersburg, MD. The least diverse cities were identified as Hialeah, FL; Parkersburg, WV; and Clarksburg, WV.
The report analyzed data on race and ethnicity from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. It revealed that Germantown had a population where no single racial or ethnic group made up a majority.
Germantown, MD
Data USA says that the 5 largest ethnic groups in Germantown, MD are White (non-Hispanic) (28.5%), Black or African American (non-Hispanic) (23%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (20%), White (Hispanic) (12.7%), and Other (Hispanic) (5.42%).
None of the homes in Germantown said that their main language at home was something other than English. This doesn’t take into account the fact that some households may have members who speak more than one language. Instead, it only looks at the main language that everyone in the household says they speak.
Jersey City, NJ
Jersey City ranked as the second most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. with a population of 262,000 people.
According to the American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2019) from the U.S. Census Bureau, Jersey City’s racial and ethnic makeup is 34.8% white, 24.1% Black or African American, 27.4% Asian, and 4.4% have two or more races. 4.3% are of some other race. 33.6% are Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
Gaithersburg, MD
Gaithersburg, Maryland, which comes in at number 3 on the list, is a city with a population of about 71,000 people.
The U.S. Census Bureau report shows that Gaithersburg’s population is made up of the following races and ethnicities: 28.2% are white, 15.7% are Black or African American; 28.7% identify as Asian and 3.9% have two or more races. 23.5% are of some other race. 28.5% are Hispanic or Latino.
New York, NY
With a population of over 8.3 million, New York City is one of the most populous cities in the world. It is the first major American city to make Wallet Hub’s list, and it ranked fourth for ethnic diversity.
As of the year 2020, the American Community Survey (ACS) of the United States Census Bureau reports the following breakdown of the city’s ethnic composition: 32.1% are white; 22.3% are single-race Black or African-Americans; single-race Asians account for 12.9%. Individuals of a different race make up 0.6%, while 2.6% claim two or more racial groups. While 30.1% are Hispanic or Latino.
RELATED: How To Navigate A Short Stay In New York City
Least Ethnically Diverse Cities
Another aspect that the Wallet Hub study highlighted was the ethnic concentration that is still prevalent in many areas of the United States.
At 95.82%, the population of Hispanic or Latino origin is most heavily concentrated in the city of Hialeah in the state of Florida.
With 94.34% white residents, Brattleboro, Vermont, has the nation’s highest concentration of white residents. At 82.59%, Jackson, Mississippi, has the highest concentration of Black people in any city in the state of Mississippi.
| Most Ethnically Diverse Cities | Least Ethnically Diverse Cities |
| 1. Germantown, MD | 492. Laconia, NH |
| 2. Jersey City, NJ | 493. Bennington, VT |
| 3. Gaithersburg, MD | 494. Wheeling, WV |
| 4. Silver Spring, MD | 495. Butte-Silver Bow, MT |
| 5. New York, NY | 496. Laredo, TX |
| 6. Kent, WA | 497. Rutland, VT |
| 7. Spring Valley, NV | 498. Barre, VT |
| 8. Rockville, MD | 499. Hialeah, FL |
| 9. San Jose, CA | 500. Clarksburg, WV |
| 10. Oakland, CA | 501. Parkersburg, WV |
RELATED: Dr. Velma Trayham Discusses The Importance Of Diversity In The Travel Industry
