Biggest sources of immigrants to Charleston

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

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

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 128
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 54,231
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #81 most common country of origin

#49. Ethiopia

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 129
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#48. Iran

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 131
- 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. Sudan

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 133
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#46. Pakistan

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 138
- 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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#45. Sweden

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 139
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 47,286
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #85 most common country of origin

#44. Ireland

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 154
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#43. Cambodia

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 167
- 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

#41 (tie). Dominican Republic

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 168
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#41 (tie). Egypt

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 168
- 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

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#39 (tie). Czechoslovakia (includes Czech Republic and Slovakia)

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 174
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 66,818
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #76 most common country of origin

#39 (tie). Ecuador

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 174
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#38. Greece

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 184
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#37. Panama

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 185
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 103,299
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #58 most common country of origin

#35 (tie). Ukraine

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 200
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

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#35 (tie). Belgium

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 200
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 35,220
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #98 most common country of origin

#34. Costa Rica

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 204
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 88,084
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #66 most common country of origin

#33. Afghanistan

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 211
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 101,548
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #59 most common country of origin

#32. Australia

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 218
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 92,483
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #64 most common country of origin

#31. Israel

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 223
- 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

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#30. Spain

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 265
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#29. Japan

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 291
- 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

#28. Thailand

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 314
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

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

#27. Portugal

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 325
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

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

#26. Romania

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 349
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

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

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#25. Poland

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 357
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

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

#24. Cuba

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 367
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

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

#23. Italy

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 386
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%

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

#22. Taiwan

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 427
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%

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

#21. South Africa

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 431
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%

National
- Number of residents: 104,022
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #56 most common country of origin

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#20. France

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 481
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%

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

#19. Trinidad and Tobago

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 489
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%

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

#18. Venezuela

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 491
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%

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

#17. South Korea

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 539
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%

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

#16. El Salvador

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 558
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%

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

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#15. Russia

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 590
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%

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

#14. Peru

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 604
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%

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

#13. Jamaica

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 685
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%

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

#12. Colombia

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 778
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%

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

#11. Vietnam

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,056
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%

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

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#10. Canada

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,473
- 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

#9. Honduras

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,519
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.7%

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

#8. Germany

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,621
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.9%

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

#7. Guatemala

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,685
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.1%

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

#6. United Kingdom

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,698
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.1%

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

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#5. Brazil

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,741
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.2%

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

#4. China

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,796
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.3%

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

#3. India

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,847
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.4%

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

#2. Philippines

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 3,584
- Percent of foreign born residents: 8.6%

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

#1. Mexico

Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metro Area
- Number of residents: 8,423
- Percent of foreign born residents: 20.3%

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

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