Biggest sources of immigrants to Grand Rapids

Written by:
April 21, 2022
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Biggest sources of immigrants to Grand Rapids

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 Grand Rapids come from, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by highest number of foreign-born residents who lived in Grand Rapids 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. Chile

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 188
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 98,945
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #61 most common country of origin

#49. Ghana

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 193
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 178,388
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #43 most common country of origin

#48. Iran

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 197
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#47. Taiwan

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 205
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#46. Israel

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 206
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

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#45. Eritrea

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 207
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 45,119
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #90 most common country of origin

#43 (tie). Italy

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#43 (tie). Uganda

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#42. Brazil

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 223
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#41. Pakistan

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 246
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

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#40. Cambodia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 280
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#39. Colombia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 298
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#38. Bangladesh

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 300
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 237,288
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #35 most common country of origin

#37. Democratic Republic of Congo

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 311
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 43,723
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #91 most common country of origin

#36. Somalia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 327
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 98,966
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #60 most common country of origin

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#35. Sudan

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 333
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 46,716
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #87 most common country of origin

#34. Syria

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 341
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 95,802
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #63 most common country of origin

#33. Congo

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 367
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 30,496
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #106 most common country of origin

#32. Kenya

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 370
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

#31. Jamaica

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 385
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

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#30. Haiti

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 405
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#29. Liberia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 414
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 87,991
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #67 most common country of origin

#27 (tie). Poland

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 428
- 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

#27 (tie). Russia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 428
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#26. Sierra Leone

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 430
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 40,991
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #94 most common country of origin

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#25. Honduras

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 472
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

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

#24. Japan

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 500
- 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

#23. Iraq

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 511
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

National
- Number of residents: 225,038
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #38 most common country of origin

#22. Thailand

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 529
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

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

#21. Romania

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 536
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

National
- Number of residents: 162,046
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #45 most common country of origin

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#20. Nepal

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 620
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

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

#19. El Salvador

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 648
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

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

#18. Albania

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 777
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

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

#17. Ethiopia

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 841
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%

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

#16. Burma

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,220
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%

National
- Number of residents: 147,573
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #47 most common country of origin

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#15. Laos

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,325
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%

National
- Number of residents: 181,546
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #42 most common country of origin

#14. United Kingdom

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,384
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%

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

#13. Germany

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,395
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%

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

#12. Philippines

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,526
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.1%

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

#11. Dominican Republic

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,536
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.1%

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

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#10. South Korea

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,838
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%

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

#9. Netherlands

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,947
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.7%

National
- Number of residents: 85,161
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #69 most common country of origin

#8. Cuba

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,969
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.7%

National
- Number of residents: 1,289,875
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.9%
- #7 most common country of origin

#7. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 2,257
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%

National
- Number of residents: 103,938
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #57 most common country of origin

#6. Canada

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 2,505
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.5%

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

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#5. China

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 2,688
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.7%

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

#4. India

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 3,034
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.2%

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

#3. Guatemala

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,610
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.4%

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

#2. Vietnam

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 4,739
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.6%

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

#1. Mexico

Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI Metro Area
- Number of residents: 18,997
- Percent of foreign born residents: 26.3%

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

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