What do Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas, and Washington D.C. all have in common? They’re all part of the top 10 cities with the highest number of immigrant homeowners. Other things they share include being hubs for culture, cuisine, and tourism, which is perhaps why they’ve become homes to the United States’ most diverse and thriving economies.
What does this show us? Immigrants are pursuing higher-level jobs in urban areas and laying roots. Consequently, these areas are flourishing in part due to increased competition in every industry.
But it’s not just those cities, here is the full top 10 list of cities with the highest number of foreign-born homeowners:
- San Jose, CA
- Miami, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- New York, NY
- Riverside, CA
- Houston, TX
- Las Vegas, NV
- San Diego, CA
- Washington, DC
Why is this important?
Given that so many of us immigrated or are children of those who did (shout out to my great-grandparents and their courage), the result is clear. While some consider immigration to be invasive and detrimental to the American way of life, here is the truth: people of other cultures are here; through contributing to a wide variety of industries, they are finding success (enough to buy a home), and we’re better off because of it.
Cities with the lowest foreign-born homeownership (Pittsburgh, PA; Birmingham, AL; Cincinnati, OH; Louisville, KY; St. Louis, MO; Memphis, TN; Buffalo, NY; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Columbus, OH) reflect a different result. Cincinnati, Louisville, and St. Louis aren’t as strong economically as the booming economies in Texas and California.
Why is this immigrant homeownership cause for celebration? In an over-simplified example, consider food. Think of the least diverse city you’ve visited. Now think of the dining options regularly available there. How many of them are mediocre, boring, or flat-out unimpressive? In a diverse and dynamic area, the dining options are LIMITLESS. The competition is fierce and as a result, restaurants, and vendors produce incredible work. No one in L.A. has ever said “There are no good places to eat.” Scale that up to every industry and the proof is in the pudding – immigrants are lifting up economies, and we are better for it.
To all the immigrants about whom this article is written — a tip of the cap. Keep living your dream.
