Biggest sources of immigrants to Knoxville

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April 21, 2022
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Biggest sources of immigrants to Knoxville

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

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 105
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#48 (tie). Bolivia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 111
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

National
- Number of residents: 78,927
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #72 most common country of origin

#48 (tie). Turkey

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 111
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#47. Greece

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 115
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#46. Netherlands

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 118
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

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#45. Nepal

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 119
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#44. Egypt

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 120
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%

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

#42 (tie). Israel

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 131
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#42 (tie). Syria

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 131
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#41. Uganda

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 132
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

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#40. Australia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 148
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#39. Malaysia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 152
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 76,521
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #74 most common country of origin

#38. Poland

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 153
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#36 (tie). Argentina

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 154
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

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

#36 (tie). Jordan

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 154
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%

National
- Number of residents: 81,155
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #71 most common country of origin

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#35. France

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 158
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

#34. Saudi Arabia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 161
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

National
- Number of residents: 85,000
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #70 most common country of origin

#33. Peru

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 166
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

#32. Czechoslovakia (includes Czech Republic and Slovakia)

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 168
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%

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

#31. Kenya

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 175
- 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

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#30. Bangladesh

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 192
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#29. South Africa

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 204
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#28. Moldova

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 210
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

National
- Number of residents: 45,661
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #89 most common country of origin

#27. Pakistan

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 221
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

#26. Thailand

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 223
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%

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

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#25. Ethiopia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 243
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

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

#24. Ukraine

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 246
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

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

#23. Brazil

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 248
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%

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

#22. Iran

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 271
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

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

#21. Sweden

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 290
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%

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

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#20. Venezuela

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 370
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%

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

#19. Colombia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 503
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%

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

#18. Taiwan

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 518
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%

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

#17. Japan

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 551
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%

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

#16. Cuba

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 569
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%

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

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#15. Romania

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 582
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%

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

#14. Russia

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 709
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.0%

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

#13. El Salvador

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 811
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%

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

#12. Iraq

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 817
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%

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

#11. Honduras

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 882
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%

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

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#10. Vietnam

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 883
- 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

#9. Philippines

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,069
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%

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

#8. Canada

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,102
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.2%

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

#7. South Korea

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,185
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.4%

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

#6. Germany

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,315
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.8%

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

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#5. United Kingdom

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,404
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.0%

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

#4. Guatemala

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,471
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.2%

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

#3. China

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 1,891
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.4%

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

#2. India

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 2,239
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.4%

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

#1. Mexico

Knoxville, TN Metro Area
- Number of residents: 7,559
- Percent of foreign born residents: 21.8%

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

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