Biggest sources of immigrants to Boston

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April 21, 2022
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Biggest sources of immigrants to Boston

Nearly 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 countries most immigrants to Boston come from, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by highest number of foreign-born residents who lived in Boston as of 2019's five-year estimates.

Keep reading to find out more about the immigrant community in your home city.

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#50. Argentina

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 3,186
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 194,435
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #39 most common country of origin

#49. Egypt

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 3,718
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 191,452
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #40 most common country of origin

#48. Pakistan

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 3,929
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 376,127
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #25 most common country of origin

#47. Thailand

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,138
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 255,345
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #32 most common country of origin

#46. Turkey

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,254
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 119,380
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #54 most common country of origin

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#45. Venezuela

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,273
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 349,720
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #27 most common country of origin

#44. Israel

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,439
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 135,672
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #50 most common country of origin

#43. Uganda

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,485
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 31,366
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #105 most common country of origin

#42. Ecuador

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,669
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 438,474
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #19 most common country of origin

#41. Spain

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,739
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 115,113
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #55 most common country of origin

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#40. Ethiopia

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,861
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 249,777
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #34 most common country of origin

#39. Lebanon

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,046
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 121,697
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #52 most common country of origin

#38. Kenya

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,060
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 141,751
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #48 most common country of origin

#37. Nepal

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,167
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 140,904
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #49 most common country of origin

#36. Iran

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,307
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 382,260
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #23 most common country of origin

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#35. Trinidad and Tobago

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,382
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 230,035
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #37 most common country of origin

#34. Poland

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,498
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 410,841
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #21 most common country of origin

#33. Peru

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 5,681
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 451,076
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #18 most common country of origin

#32. Morocco

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 6,201
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

National
- Number of residents: 78,439
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #73 most common country of origin

#31. Japan

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 6,517
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

National
- Number of residents: 345,140
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #29 most common country of origin

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#30. Albania

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 6,978
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 89,911
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #65 most common country of origin

#29. France

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,106
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 181,554
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #41 most common country of origin

#28. Ukraine

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,250
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 345,250
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #28 most common country of origin

#27. Taiwan

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,384
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 381,098
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #24 most common country of origin

#26. Nigeria

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,487
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 350,272
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #26 most common country of origin

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#25. Hong Kong

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,518
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

National
- Number of residents: 231,275
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #36 most common country of origin

#24. Greece

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 8,351
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

National
- Number of residents: 129,765
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #51 most common country of origin

#23. Germany

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 9,820
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

National
- Number of residents: 560,368
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%
- #17 most common country of origin

#22. Honduras

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 10,111
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

National
- Number of residents: 651,123
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #16 most common country of origin

#21. Philippines

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 10,354
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

National
- Number of residents: 1,983,939
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.5%
- #4 most common country of origin

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#20. Mexico

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 10,440
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

National
- Number of residents: 11,250,541
- Percent of foreign born residents: 25.6%
- #1 most common country of origin

#19. Cambodia

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 12,146
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%

National
- Number of residents: 151,066
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #46 most common country of origin

#18. Ireland

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 12,438
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%

National
- Number of residents: 121,469
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #53 most common country of origin

#17. Jamaica

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 13,776
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%

National
- Number of residents: 741,386
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
- #13 most common country of origin

#16. Italy

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 14,638
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%

National
- Number of residents: 332,857
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #30 most common country of origin

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#15. South Korea

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 15,235
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%

National
- Number of residents: 1,044,634
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
- #9 most common country of origin

#14. Portugal

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 15,395
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%

National
- Number of residents: 171,118
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #44 most common country of origin

#13. Russia

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 15,663
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%

National
- Number of residents: 391,641
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #22 most common country of origin

#12. United Kingdom

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 20,545
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%

National
- Number of residents: 698,612
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
- #14 most common country of origin

#11. Colombia

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 21,110
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%

National
- Number of residents: 761,374
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
- #12 most common country of origin

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#10. Canada

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 23,201
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%

National
- Number of residents: 808,566
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
- #11 most common country of origin

#9. Cabo Verde

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 23,831
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.6%

National
- Number of residents: 41,085
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #93 most common country of origin

#8. Guatemala

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 24,887
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.7%

National
- Number of residents: 979,098
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%
- #10 most common country of origin

#7. Vietnam

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 30,135
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.3%

National
- Number of residents: 1,336,988
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.0%
- #6 most common country of origin

#6. El Salvador

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 36,616
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.0%

National
- Number of residents: 1,381,008
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #5 most common country of origin

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#5. Haiti

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 53,396
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.8%

National
- Number of residents: 672,655
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #15 most common country of origin

#4. Brazil

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 57,153
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.3%

National
- Number of residents: 433,479
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #20 most common country of origin

#3. India

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 60,643
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.6%

National
- Number of residents: 2,561,906
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.8%
- #2 most common country of origin

#2. Dominican Republic

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 80,601
- Percent of foreign born residents: 8.8%

National
- Number of residents: 1,118,147
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%
- #8 most common country of origin

#1. China

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Metro Area
- Number of residents: 85,497
- Percent of foreign born residents: 9.4%

National
- Number of residents: 2,162,395
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.9%
- #3 most common country of origin

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