According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, over the past 20 years and since 2020, the eligible voting population of Asian Americans has grown by 15%, while the growth rate of all eligible voters in the United States during the same period was only 3%. The growth rate of eligible Hispanic voters was 12%. In other words, the population of Chinese Americans in the U.S. is increasing the fastest, as Chinese Americans have always been the largest group within the Asian community. So, where do these Chinese American populations reside?
First, let’s understand what constitutes an eligible voter in the United States. When evaluating a person’s eligibility to vote, factors such as age, length of residency, the ability to establish residency, and whether the person has been convicted of a felony are considered. Of course, elections are not the focus of our discussion here. The key point is to provide a general understanding that the Pew Research Center’s voter population survey has stringent screening mechanisms; for example, in the United States, the voting age is at least 18, which already eliminates many people, resulting in a smaller final number of eligible voters.
Looking at the survey results, Asian eligible voters are projected to reach about 15 million in the November election, accounting for only 6.1% of all eligible voters in the U.S. However, the growth in numbers from 2020 to 2024 is the fastest among all ethnic groups and continues to increase annually.
As of 2022, fifty-five percent of Asian eligible voters resided in just five states. The top state without a doubt is California, with 4.4 million eligible voters, followed by New York with 1.2 million, Texas with 1.1 million, Hawaii with 580,000, and the fifth spot goes to New Jersey with 575,000.
Looking at the percentage of Asian eligible voters in each state, the ranking changes. Hawaii leads with Asians accounting for 55% of eligible voters in the state. Following are California with 17%, Nevada with 11%, Washington with 10%, and New Jersey with 9%. New York falls to sixth place, with only 8% of Asian voters.
The data also shows that the majority of Asian populations in the U.S. obtain voting eligibility through naturalization, rather than being born in the U.S. Statistics reveal that 56% of Asian Americans acquire voter eligibility through naturalization, whereas at a national level, only 44% of the population gains voter eligibility through naturalization.
Last year, financial website Insider Monkey ranked the cities with the highest proportion of Asian American populations using 2021 census data. It was found that Asians make up 7% of the total U.S. population, totaling around 24 million people. Among them, Chinese Americans are the largest group with an estimated population of 5.2 million, followed by Indian Americans at 4.8 million, and Filipino Americans ranking third with 4.2 million.
Continuing with the cities with the highest Asian population ratios, at least one-third of the top 25 cities have a significant Asian presence, with the highest concentration exceeding 70%. Surprisingly, in the top ten, seven are located in the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, with only two cities in Southern California and one in Hawaii. Of all the cities in the top 25, Northern California accounts for 14, Southern California for 6, Washington state for 3, Texas and Hawaii each have one.
For example, in Honolulu, Hawaii, it is not surprising to see a high proportion of Asians, with over 50%, totaling nearly 350,000 people. Additionally, in Sugar Land, Texas, about 40% of the population, or around 110,000 people, are Asian.
In Redmond, Washington, Asians make up over 44% of the population, but in Bellevue within the greater Seattle area, the city with the highest Asian population boasts nearly 150,000 people, making up more than 42%.
Can you guess which city in California has the highest proportion of Asian residents? It’s Milpitas in the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area; also considered part of Silicon Valley, with over 70% of the population being Asian. However, in terms of actual numbers, it only accounts for about 80,000 residents.
Following Milpitas is Fremont, the second city with the highest proportion at 63%, totaling nearly 230,000 people. Following are Daly City, Dublin, and Union City, all with over 55% of the population being Asian, totaling approximately 550,000 Asian residents in the top five cities.
When combined, all the top cities in Northern California have nearly 3.8 million Asian residents. If you apply a 24% ratio, these Northern California cities would have around 910,000 Chinese residents.
In Southern California, Westminster ranks as the city with the highest proportion of Asians at 48%, followed by Alhambra, Garden Grove, Irvine, Chino Hills, and Torrance. These Southern California cities combined have nearly 900,000 Asian residents. If we include other unaccounted cities, the Asian population in Southern California is also substantial. According to the Los Angeles Times, Southern California holds half of California’s Asian population. Therefore, the number of Chinese residents in Southern and Northern California is likely comparable.
Expanding the scope, the Pew Center’s statistics show that the western U.S. has the highest proportion of Asian Americans at 45%, totaling 9.8 million people; the southern region follows with 24%, totaling 5.3 million; the northeastern region at 19%, totaling 4.2 million; and lastly, the midwest at 12%, totaling 2.7 million. Altogether, there are 22 million Asian Americans, with Chinese Americans estimated to range between 5.2 to 5.4 million.
Turning to 2019 Pew Center data, the top ten metropolitan areas with the largest Chinese American populations in the U.S. are led by New York City with 865,000 residents, followed by Los Angeles with 678,000, San Francisco with 582,000, and San Jose with 239,000. Further down the list are Boston, Seattle, Washington D.C., Chicago, Honolulu, and Houston, each with populations ranging between 100,000 to 200,000.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, the number of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. peaked at nearly 2.5 million in 2019 but dropped to under 2.4 million in 2021, breaking the long-term growth trend. The decline in Chinese immigration is largely due to pandemic-related restrictions. However, post-pandemic in 2023, following China’s stringent zero-COVID policy, there was a surge in Chinese immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Statistics show that in 2023, over 37,000 Chinese citizens were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border, fifty times more than in 2021.
Based on data from the Migration Policy Institute between 2017 and 2021, Chinese immigrants accounted for 32% of the population in California and 19% in New York. The four counties with the highest concentration during the same period were Los Angeles and Santa Clara in California, and Queens and Kings Counties in New York, together representing 26% of all Chinese immigrants.
From 2017 to 2021, nearly 43% of Chinese immigrants resided in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles alone. This ranking slightly differs from the 2019 data mentioned earlier, as this accounts only for Chinese immigrants and not all Asian groups combined.
When considering the entire Chinese American community, an updated list from 2018 to 2022 shows nearly 538,000 Chinese residents in the New York metropolitan area, comprising 2.7% of the total population; Los Angeles metropolitan area with 357,000 residents, making up 2.72% of the population; San Francisco with 301,000 residents, but with a higher percentage of 6.41%. In Northern California, if including the San Jose metropolitan area, the total Chinese population would reach 445,000. Following are Boston, Seattle, Chicago, Washington D.C., Houston, and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.
Finally, looking at the economic prowess of Chinese Americans in the U.S., the 2019 Pew Center data on median household income shows that all Asian Americans average $85,800, slightly lower for Chinese Americans at $81,600. Why is this lower?
The data indicates that foreign-born Chinese Americans, those not born in the U.S., have a median household income of $75,300, while U.S.-born Chinese households reach $100,000.
In terms of employment, 64% of all Asian Americans are employed, compared to 60% of Chinese Americans. This discrepancy is due to the lower employment rate of foreign-born Chinese Americans in the U.S., at only 58%, while U.S.-born Chinese Americans have a 65% employment rate.
However, an interesting phenomenon regarding housing statistics reveals that 59% of Asian Americans own their homes, while 41% rent. In contrast, 63% of Chinese Americans overall are homeowners, with foreign-born Chinese Americans at 64% and U.S.-born Chinese Americans at 61%.
Interestingly, it appears that foreign-born Chinese Americans are more inclined to buy their own homes, despite potentially lower employment and income levels. The deeply rooted real estate mindset among Chinese Americans, distinct from other ethnic groups, results in a preference for homeownership over renting. Additionally, there is a significant income disparity within the Chinese American community. The data from 2022 shows that top-tier Chinese Americans earn 19 times more than lower-income Chinese Americans, making it one of the largest income disparities among all ethnic groups.