North Dakota tops list of fastest-growing migrant population in the US

Immigration grew 48 percent in North Dakota from 2010-2016 – faster than anywhere else in the country, according to a new report.

West Virginia (41 percent) followed, as did South Dakota (39 percent) and Delaware (24 percent).

The overall number of immigrants living in the United States grew 9 percent from 2010-2016 – the most recent data available – putting the share of foreign-born people at the highest level the country has seen since 1910, according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis of U.S. Census data.

Fifteen U.S. states saw increases in immigration at rates of 15 percent or more from 2010-2016, with North Dakota topping the list – largely because it had an influx after prior years of comparatively minimal immigration 

Nationwide, the number of migrants grew by 15 percent or more in 15 states, including: Nebraska (20 percent), Minnesota (20 percent), Wyoming (20 percent), Pennsylvania (18 percent), Alaska (16 percent), Indiana (16 percent), Florida (16 percent), Nevada (15 percent), Washington (15 percent), Iowa (15 percent), and Maryland (15 percent).

An estimated 44 million immigrants now live in America, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total population.

The increase in migration, combined with fertility rates hitting a historic a low, has experts now projecting that immigration will be the primary factor driving U.S. population growth from 2027-2038.

As new migrants come to the U.S. they are increasingly settling more evenly across the country instead of just in a handful of clusters in a few states or region – as they have historically.

These immigrants are boosting population growth in some states while offsetting a population drop in other states.

Collectively, these states are home to 9 million immigrants, or one five foreign-born people living in the U.S. Total population grew in all of those states except for West Virginia.

The top states were home to 1.6 million immigrants with a green card, 1.7 million immigrants living in the country illegally and 120,100 refugees. In addition, 51 percent of all immigrants living in those states were naturalized citizens.

Some states – such as North Dakota, West Virginia and South Dakota – saw major growth because their immigration populations had previously been small.

Mexico remains the top source nation for immigrants settling in the United States. This chart compares national trends in source countries to those in the 15 states that experienced the highest levels of immigration from 2010-2016

Mexico remains the top source nation for immigrants settling in the United States. This chart compares national trends in source countries to those in the 15 states that experienced the highest levels of immigration from 2010-2016

Other states, meanwhile, already had large immigration populations, and in some cases saw immigration numbers rise faster than the rest of the country, including Florida, Washington, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In Maryland, half of the total population growth from 2010-2016 was due to immigration, while it accounted for roughly a third of total growth in Minnesota, Indiana, Delaware, Nevada and Florida.

During the same period, Pennsylvania had a decline of 57,200 in its native population that was offset by a net gain of 131,800 immigrants.

In addition, some of the U.S.-born population are babies born to immigrants – and immigrants have higher rates of births than native-born Americans.

In 2014, roughly 84 babies were born per 1,000 immigrant women of child-bearing age, compared to about 58 babies per 1,000 U.S.-born women, according to the Pew Research Center.

Mexico was the largest source country in the top 15 states, accounting for 13 percent of foreign-born people living in the U.S. Mexico was followed by Cubans (11 percent) and Indians (5 percent), while Haiti, the Philippines and China/Hong Kong each had 4 percent.  



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