CAHM 2023 – Where Are Caribbean Immigrants Largely Located In The United States?

By NAN Staff Writer

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. June 2, 2023: According to US Census data as of the 2015-19 period and the Migration Policy Center, two-thirds of immigrants from the Caribbean lived in just two states: Florida and New York.

Florida now accounts for the state with the most Caribbean immigrants at 41 percent.  Miami-Dade County in Florida was home to 845,200 Caribbean immigrants, the highest share among all U.S. counties, representing 20 percent of the total Caribbean foreign-born population. Much smaller numbers or 282,800, reside in Broward County in Florida.

Palm Beach County in Florida accounted for the 6^th largest estimated population of Caribbean immigrants in the US – at 146,400. Another 143,000 call the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sandford areas, also in Florida home while another 115,000 call the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater areas, also in Florida, home. Another 43,000 are in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers areas.

New York accounted for 25 percent of Caribbean immigrants. Most or an estimated 277,300 live in Brooklyn or Kings County while 274,700 live in the Bronx. Another 182,200 live in Queens. Manhattan, NY accounts for around 125,900.

The third largest state with Caribbean immigrants is Massachusetts with an estimated 165,000 living in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton areas while the fourth largest at an estimated 85,000 live in the Atlanta-Sandy Spring-Alpharetta, Georgia area.

The states of Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland combined accounted for the fifth largest bloc of Caribbean immigrants nationally, at an estimated 80,000 while the states of Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia accounted for 66,000, or the sixth largest bloc.

The seventh largest bloc according to limited Census data is in Houston, Woodlands and Sugarland, Texas, and is put at 57,000. 

These figures offer valuable insights into the distribution of Caribbean immigrant communities across the United States as the rich cultural contributions and diverse experiences of Caribbean individuals continue to shape the fabric of American society.