Biggest sources of immigrants to Tennessee
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 Tennessee 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. Malaysia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 922
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 78,179
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #73 most common country of origin
#49. Panama
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 960
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 101,520
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #61 most common country of origin
#48. Lebanon
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 986
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 127,239
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #52 most common country of origin
#47. Jordan
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,017
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 83,160
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #72 most common country of origin
#46. Yemen
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,036
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 57,475
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #83 most common country of origin
#45. Argentina
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 193,056
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #41 most common country of origin
#44. Saudi Arabia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,178
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 76,837
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #74 most common country of origin
#43. Ghana
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,198
- 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
#42. Italy
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,232
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 326,407
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
- #30 most common country of origin
#41. Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,286
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 50,221
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #88 most common country of origin
#40. Sudan
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,337
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 52,433
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #86 most common country of origin
#39. Cambodia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,355
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 149,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #47 most common country of origin
#38. Poland
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,443
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 411,750
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #20 most common country of origin
#37. Haiti
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,487
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 667,432
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #14 most common country of origin
#36. South Africa
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,514
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 108,650
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #58 most common country of origin
#35. France
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,532
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 181,242
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #42 most common country of origin
#34. Dominican Republic
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,632
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 1,125,208
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.6%
- #8 most common country of origin
#33. Nepal
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,742
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 142,749
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #50 most common country of origin
#32. Romania
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,847
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 163,817
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #46 most common country of origin
#31. Somalia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,930
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 96,898
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #63 most common country of origin
#30. Taiwan
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 1,969
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 378,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #25 most common country of origin
#29. Jamaica
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,073
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 760,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
- #13 most common country of origin
#28. Burma
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,082
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 147,834
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #48 most common country of origin
#27. Brazil
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,192
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 474,723
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
- #17 most common country of origin
#26. Pakistan
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,367
- 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
#25. Peru
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,581
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 451,666
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #18 most common country of origin
#24. Thailand
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,677
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 256,436
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #34 most common country of origin
#23. Ukraine
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 2,763
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 358,823
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #27 most common country of origin
#22. Russia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,017
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 397,214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #21 most common country of origin
#21. Iran
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,058
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 389,383
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #23 most common country of origin
#20. Colombia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,249
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 792,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
- #12 most common country of origin
#19. Venezuela
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,355
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
National
- Number of residents: 394,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #22 most common country of origin
#18. Nigeria
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,773
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 366,534
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #26 most common country of origin
#17. Japan
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,861
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 346,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #28 most common country of origin
#16. Laos
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 3,886
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 179,004
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #44 most common country of origin
#15. Cuba
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 4,436
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%
National
- Number of residents: 1,314,570
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.0%
- #7 most common country of origin
#14. Ethiopia
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 4,440
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%
National
- Number of residents: 260,577
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #33 most common country of origin
#13. Germany
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 7,165
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.1%
National
- Number of residents: 549,073
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
- #16 most common country of origin
#12. Canada
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 8,004
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%
National
- Number of residents: 817,885
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%
- #11 most common country of origin
#11. Iraq
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 8,077
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%
National
- Number of residents: 229,309
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #39 most common country of origin
#10. Vietnam
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 8,091
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%
National
- Number of residents: 1,354,391
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #6 most common country of origin
#9. South Korea
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 8,502
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 1,048,588
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
- #9 most common country of origin
#8. El Salvador
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 9,272
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.7%
National
- Number of residents: 1,370,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #5 most common country of origin
#7. Egypt
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 10,004
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.9%
National
- Number of residents: 202,049
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #40 most common country of origin
#6. Philippines
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 10,725
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
National
- Number of residents: 1,967,140
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.5%
- #4 most common country of origin
#5. Honduras
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 12,374
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.6%
National
- Number of residents: 649,209
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #15 most common country of origin
#4. China
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 13,631
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.9%
National
- Number of residents: 2,184,189
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.9%
- #3 most common country of origin
#3. Guatemala
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 15,359
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.4%
National
- Number of residents: 964,528
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%
- #10 most common country of origin
#2. India
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 23,182
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.7%
National
- Number of residents: 2,618,558
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.9%
- #2 most common country of origin
#1. Mexico
Tennessee
- Number of residents: 89,257
- Percent of foreign born residents: 25.7%
National
- Number of residents: 10,924,662
- Percent of foreign born residents: 24.8%
- #1 most common country of origin
