Biggest sources of immigrants to West Virginia

Written by:
August 22, 2022
Tim Kiser // Wikicommons

Biggest sources of immigrants to West Virginia

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 West Virginia 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.

1 / 50
Ruslan Lytvyn // Shutterstock

#50. Ukraine

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 115
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 358,823
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #27 most common country of origin

2 / 50
SL-Photography // Shutterstock

#49. Panama

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 116
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 101,520
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #61 most common country of origin

3 / 50
mbrand85 // Shutterstock

#48. Cameroon

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 116
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 70,639
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #77 most common country of origin

4 / 50
Marianna Ianovska // Shutterstock

#47. Chile

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 117
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 100,875
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #62 most common country of origin

5 / 50
Focus and Blur // Shutterstock

#46. Iraq

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 120
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 229,309
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #39 most common country of origin

6 / 50
S-F // Shutterstock

#45. Belgium

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 120
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 34,824
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #101 most common country of origin

7 / 50
MEDIAIMAG // Shutterstock

#44. Austria

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 127
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 41,973
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #95 most common country of origin

8 / 50
Canva

#43. Venezuela

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 134
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 394,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #22 most common country of origin

9 / 50
Canva

#42. Greece

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 138
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 124,428
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #54 most common country of origin

10 / 50
Catarina Belova // Shutterstock

#41. Brazil

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 148
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 474,723
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
- #17 most common country of origin

11 / 50
Jack Bkk // Shutterstock

#40. Thailand

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 256,436
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #34 most common country of origin

12 / 50
Evgeniya Uvarova // Shutterstock

#39. Argentina

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 150
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 193,056
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #41 most common country of origin

13 / 50
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#38. Spain

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 169
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 118,177
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #56 most common country of origin

14 / 50
BlueIcePics // Shutterstock

#37. Trinidad and Tobago

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 174
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 233,024
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #37 most common country of origin

15 / 50
Olena Tur // Shutterstock

#36. Turkey

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 178
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 126,351
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #53 most common country of origin

16 / 50
diplomedia // Shutterstock

#35. Lebanon

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 178
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 127,239
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #52 most common country of origin

17 / 50
jvphoto.ca // Shutterstock

#34. Dominican Republic

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 184
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 1,125,208
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.6%
- #8 most common country of origin

18 / 50
Gianfranco Vivi // Shutterstock

#33. Costa Rica

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 194
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 89,462
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #69 most common country of origin

19 / 50
Taras Vyshnya // Shutterstock

#32. Australia

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 208
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 96,235
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #65 most common country of origin

20 / 50
Artush // Shutterstock

#31. Ethiopia

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 213
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 260,577
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #33 most common country of origin

21 / 50
Canva

#30. Ghana

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 226
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 180,675
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #43 most common country of origin

22 / 50
Canva

#29. Taiwan

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 230
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 378,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #25 most common country of origin

23 / 50
Tupungato // Shutterstock

#28. France

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 231
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 181,242
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #42 most common country of origin

24 / 50
Canva

#27. Cuba

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 234
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 1,314,570
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.0%
- #7 most common country of origin

25 / 50
Denys Yelmanov // Shutterstock

#26. Bangladesh

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 256
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 240,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #36 most common country of origin

26 / 50
Prin Adulyatham // Shutterstock

#25. Egypt

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 272
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 202,049
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #40 most common country of origin

27 / 50
Marek Poplawski // Shutterstock

#24. Honduras

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 299
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
National
- Number of residents: 649,209
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #15 most common country of origin

28 / 50
Viacheslav Lopatin // Shutterstock

#23. Russia

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 301
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
National
- Number of residents: 397,214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #21 most common country of origin

29 / 50
Kobby Dagan // Shutterstock

#22. Guatemala

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 317
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 964,528
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%
- #10 most common country of origin

30 / 50
Alexander Canas Arango // Shutterstock

#21. Colombia

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 332
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 792,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
- #12 most common country of origin

31 / 50
Fitria Ramli // Shutterstock

#20. Saudi Arabia

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 345
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 76,837
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #74 most common country of origin

32 / 50
Christian Vinces // Shutterstock

#19. Peru

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 353
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 451,666
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #18 most common country of origin

33 / 50
Andrew V Marcus // Shutterstock

#18. Iran

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 356
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 389,383
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #23 most common country of origin

34 / 50
Saqib Rizvi // Shutterstock

#17. Pakistan

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 356
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 385,873
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #24 most common country of origin

35 / 50
Vixit // Shutterstock

#16. Nepal

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 370
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%
National
- Number of residents: 142,749
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #50 most common country of origin

36 / 50
hanohiki // Shutterstock

#15. Syria

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 379
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.3%
National
- Number of residents: 102,884
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #60 most common country of origin

37 / 50
Anson Fernandez Dionisio // Shutterstock

#14. Kuwait

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 420
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%
National
- Number of residents: 33,602
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #105 most common country of origin

38 / 50
Canva

#13. Nigeria

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 455
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
National
- Number of residents: 366,534
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #26 most common country of origin

39 / 50
byvalet // Shutterstock

#12. Jamaica

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 478
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
National
- Number of residents: 760,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
- #13 most common country of origin

40 / 50
Canva

#11. Italy

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 615
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.1%
National
- Number of residents: 326,407
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
- #30 most common country of origin

41 / 50
Canva

#10. Japan

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 679
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.3%
National
- Number of residents: 346,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #28 most common country of origin

42 / 50
Canva

#9. Vietnam

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 692
- 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

43 / 50
Kellys Portillo/APHOTOGRAFIA //Getty Images

#8. El Salvador

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 726
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.5%
National
- Number of residents: 1,370,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #5 most common country of origin

44 / 50
Kampon // Shutterstock

#7. South Korea

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 989
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.3%
National
- Number of residents: 1,048,588
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
- #9 most common country of origin

45 / 50
Canva

#6. Germany

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 1,214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.1%
National
- Number of residents: 549,073
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
- #16 most common country of origin

46 / 50
Canva

#5. Canada

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 1,300
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.4%
National
- Number of residents: 817,885
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%
- #11 most common country of origin

47 / 50
Aleksandar Todorovic // Shutterstock

#4. Mexico

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 1,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 6.6%
National
- Number of residents: 10,924,662
- Percent of foreign born residents: 24.8%
- #1 most common country of origin

48 / 50
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#3. China

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 2,239
- Percent of foreign born residents: 7.6%
National
- Number of residents: 2,184,189
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.9%
- #3 most common country of origin

49 / 50
Joseph Oropel // Shutterstock

#2. Philippines

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 2,392
- Percent of foreign born residents: 8.1%
National
- Number of residents: 1,967,140
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.5%
- #4 most common country of origin

50 / 50
Kriangkrai Thitimakorn // Shutterstock

#1. India

West Virginia
- Number of residents: 2,451
- Percent of foreign born residents: 8.3%
National
- Number of residents: 2,618,558
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.9%
- #2 most common country of origin

Trending Now