Biggest sources of immigrants to Iowa
Over 14% of the United States population is composed of immigrants. But in reality, the vast majority of Americans today are here because of relatives who immigrated from other countries some time in the last several hundred years.
And while the distinctive American culture and spirit is the result of blending many diverse cultures and histories, the United States has for centuries had an up-and-down relationship with immigration.
Each era of immigration has been met with reductive ideas and resistance, whether the backlash was directed toward the Chinese, Irish, Italians, or Mexicans. Immigration laws have targeted specific groups at various times, stoking intolerance and preventing people from truly joining American society. Over time, however, as laws changed to be more equitable and immigrants found their footings, we have reaped the rewards of innovation in business, music, art, literature, dance, food, societal norms, entertainment, and sports—all while realizing a greater understanding of and respect for different cultures, religions, and ideas.
Stacker compiled a list of the biggest sources of immigrants to Iowa using data from the "U.S. Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest number of residents according to 2020 5-year estimates. Keep reading to find out more about the immigrant community in your home state.
#50. Jordan
Iowa
- Number of residents: 394
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
National
- Number of residents: 83,160
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #72 most common country of origin
#49. Netherlands
Iowa
- Number of residents: 401
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
National
- Number of residents: 83,275
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #71 most common country of origin
#48. Cambodia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 403
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
National
- Number of residents: 149,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #47 most common country of origin
#47. Croatia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 432
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 37,645
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #99 most common country of origin
#46. Ghana
Iowa
- Number of residents: 442
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 180,675
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #43 most common country of origin
#45. Venezuela
Iowa
- Number of residents: 449
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 394,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #22 most common country of origin
#44. Bangladesh
Iowa
- Number of residents: 512
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 240,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #36 most common country of origin
#43. Peru
Iowa
- Number of residents: 544
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 451,666
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #18 most common country of origin
#42. Eritrea
Iowa
- Number of residents: 557
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 49,710
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #89 most common country of origin
#41. South Africa
Iowa
- Number of residents: 569
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 108,650
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #58 most common country of origin
#40. Egypt
Iowa
- Number of residents: 579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 202,049
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #40 most common country of origin
#39. Haiti
Iowa
- Number of residents: 596
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 667,432
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #14 most common country of origin
#38. Spain
Iowa
- Number of residents: 601
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 118,177
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #56 most common country of origin
#37. Somalia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 602
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 96,898
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #63 most common country of origin
#36. Micronesia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 622
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 30,841
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #110 most common country of origin
#35. Taiwan
Iowa
- Number of residents: 632
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 378,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #25 most common country of origin
#34. Kenya
Iowa
- Number of residents: 702
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 145,272
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #49 most common country of origin
#33. Ukraine
Iowa
- Number of residents: 738
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 358,823
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #27 most common country of origin
#32. Cuba
Iowa
- Number of residents: 763
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 1,314,570
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.0%
- #7 most common country of origin
#31. Lebanon
Iowa
- Number of residents: 765
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 127,239
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #52 most common country of origin
#30. Saudi Arabia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 797
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 76,837
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #74 most common country of origin
#29. Nigeria
Iowa
- Number of residents: 861
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 366,534
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #26 most common country of origin
#28. Malaysia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 873
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 78,179
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #73 most common country of origin
#27. Japan
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,029
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 346,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #28 most common country of origin
#26. Iraq
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,107
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 229,309
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #39 most common country of origin
#25. Pakistan
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,156
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 385,873
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #24 most common country of origin
#24. Colombia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,159
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 792,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
- #12 most common country of origin
#23. Ethiopia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,248
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 260,577
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #33 most common country of origin
#22. Russia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,289
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 397,214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #21 most common country of origin
#21. Republic of the Congo
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,317
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 31,671
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #109 most common country of origin
#20. Brazil
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,359
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 474,723
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
- #17 most common country of origin
#19. Nepal
Iowa
- Number of residents: 1,697
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
National
- Number of residents: 142,749
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #50 most common country of origin
#18. Honduras
Iowa
- Number of residents: 2,017
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 649,209
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #15 most common country of origin
#17. Germany
Iowa
- Number of residents: 2,400
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%
National
- Number of residents: 549,073
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
- #16 most common country of origin
#16. Liberia
Iowa
- Number of residents: 2,749
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
National
- Number of residents: 92,283
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #68 most common country of origin
#15. Canada
Iowa
- Number of residents: 2,793
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
National
- Number of residents: 817,885
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%
- #11 most common country of origin
#14. Thailand
Iowa
- Number of residents: 3,168
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%
National
- Number of residents: 256,436
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #34 most common country of origin
#13. Laos
Iowa
- Number of residents: 3,353
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.0%
National
- Number of residents: 179,004
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #44 most common country of origin
#12. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Iowa
- Number of residents: 3,607
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.1%
National
- Number of residents: 50,221
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #88 most common country of origin
#11. Sudan
Iowa
- Number of residents: 3,951
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%
National
- Number of residents: 52,433
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #86 most common country of origin
#10. El Salvador
Iowa
- Number of residents: 4,114
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 1,370,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #5 most common country of origin
#9. Burma
Iowa
- Number of residents: 4,306
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%
National
- Number of residents: 147,834
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #48 most common country of origin
#8. Philippines
Iowa
- Number of residents: 4,762
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.8%
National
- Number of residents: 1,967,140
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.5%
- #4 most common country of origin
#7. Guatemala
Iowa
- Number of residents: 4,935
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.9%
National
- Number of residents: 964,528
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%
- #10 most common country of origin
#6. South Korea
Iowa
- Number of residents: 5,433
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.2%
National
- Number of residents: 1,048,588
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
- #9 most common country of origin
#5. Bosnia and Herzegovina
Iowa
- Number of residents: 5,547
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.3%
National
- Number of residents: 102,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #59 most common country of origin
#4. Vietnam
Iowa
- Number of residents: 7,889
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.6%
National
- Number of residents: 1,354,391
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #6 most common country of origin
#3. China
Iowa
- Number of residents: 9,933
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.8%
National
- Number of residents: 2,184,189
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.9%
- #3 most common country of origin
#2. India
Iowa
- Number of residents: 10,615
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.2%
National
- Number of residents: 2,618,558
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.9%
- #2 most common country of origin
#1. Mexico
Iowa
- Number of residents: 41,522
- Percent of foreign born residents: 24.4%
National
- Number of residents: 10,924,662
- Percent of foreign born residents: 24.8%
- #1 most common country of origin
