At Home in the Nation s Capital: Immigrant Trends in Metropolitan Washington

Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy Brookings Greater Washington Research Program At Home in the Nation s Capital: Immigrant Trends in Metropolitan Washington Audrey Singer June 12, 2003

Metropolitan Washington ranks 7th in number of immigrant residents Top Ten Immigrant Populations by Metropolitan Area, 2000 Foreign Born Population Percent Foreign Born 1 Los Angeles 3,449,444 36.2 2 New York 3,139,647 33.7 3 Chicago 1,425,978 17.2 4 Miami 1,147,765 50.9 5 Houston 854,669 20.5 6 Orange County 849,899 29.9 7 Washington DC 832,016 16.9 8 Riverside-San Bernardino 612,359 18.8 9 San Diego 606,254 21.5 10 Dallas 591,169 16.8

Data and Methodology Study uses 1980, 1990 and 2000 Census data. Define foreign-born as: * All persons born outside the United States * Census 2000 did not ask about immigration status * Includes legal permanent residents, temporary migrants (e.g., students), refugees and asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants.

Washington Metropolitan Area in 2000 BERKELEY FREDERICK JEFFERSON CLARKE LOUDOUN MONTGOMERY WARREN FAUQUIER ARLINGTON ALEXANDRIA FAIRFAX PRINCE WILLIAM DC PRINCE GEORGE'S CULPEPER STAFFORD CHARLES CALVERT SPOTSYLVANIA KING GEORGE

Metropolitan Washington s foreign-born population grew by 70 percent in the 1990s, or nearly 350,000 immigrants Immigrants in the Washington Metropolitan Region 1970-2000 900,000 800,000 832,016 700,000 600,000 500,000 489,668 400,000 300,000 256,535 200,000 100,000 127,579 0 1970 1980 1990 2000

Share of Foreign Born by Jurisdiction, 1970 and 2000 1970 Total Foreign Born 127,579 2000 Total Foreign Born 832,016 Outer Suburbs 2% 13% Far Suburbs 0% DC 26% Arlington 9% Outer Suburbs 9% Far Suburbs 1% DC 9% Arlington 6% Alexandri 4% Montgomery 28% Alexandria 4% 30% Montgomery 28% Prince George's 18% Prince George's 13%

More than one-quarter of the population of Arlington, Alexandria and Montgomery counties are immigrants Share Foreign Born by Jurisdiction, Washington Metropolitan Area, 2000 Washington DC PMSA 16.9% District of Columbia 12.9% Arlington County 27.8% Alexandria city 25.4% Montgomery County 26.7% Prince George's County 13.8% County 24.4% Outer Suburbs 7.6% Far Suburbs 2.8% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%

New immigrants made up nearly half of the overall population growth in the region in the 1990s 110 100 90 80 70 % Change Total Population % Change in Native Born Population Percent Change 60 50 40 30 20 10 0-10 -20 Washington DC PMSA District of Columbia Arlington County Alexandria city Montgomery County Prince George's County County Outer Suburbs Far Suburbs

In 1990, immigrants resided close to the core of the region Berkeley Jefferson Frederick I 270 I 70 Percent Foreign Born (By Census Tract) Less than 5% 5% - 15% 16% - 25% 26% - 35% Clarke Loudoun Montgomery I 95 Greater than 35% I 495 Route 50 Warren I 66 Arlington Alexandria DC Prince George's Fauquier Manassas Prince William Charles Calvert Culpeper Stafford Fredericksburg King George Spotsylvania I 95

In 2000, the core of the region became more densely settled, while the suburban areas increased their shares Berkeley Frederick Percent Foreign Born (by Census Tract) I 70 Less than 5% Jefferson I 270 5% - 15% 16% - 25% Clarke Loudoun Montgomery I 495 I 95 26% - 35% Greater than 35% Route 50 Warren I 66 Arlington Alexandria DC Prince George's Fauquier Manassas Prince William Charles Calvert Culpeper Stafford Fredericksburg King George Spotsylvania I 95

In 2000, nearly half of metropolitan Washington s immigrants had arrived in the United States in the 1990s Entered 1990-2000 Entered 1980-1990 Entered 1970-1980 1965-1969 Before 1965 District of Columbia Arlington County Alexandria city Montgomery County Prince George's County County Outer Suburbs Far Suburbs 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

Region of Birth of the Foreign-Born in the Washington Metropolitan Area, 2000 Africa 11% Other 2% Latin America/ Caribbean 39% Europe 12% Asia 36% Europe Asia N. Europe 3.1 E. Asia 11.6 W. Europe 3.7 S. Central Asia 11.4 S. Europe 1.8 S.E. Asia 10.4 E. Europe 3.5 W. Asia 2.5 Other 0.0 Other 0.2 Latin America and Africa Caribbean E. Africa 3.2 Caribbean 6.2 M. Affrica 0.6 Central America 22.4 N. Africa 1.6 South America 10.1 S. Africa 0.3 W. Africa 5.1 Other 0.4

Washington has the second largest Salvadoran community in the United States, however, they constitute only 13 percent of the region s immigrants Other 35% El Salvador 13% Korea 6% India 5% Vietnam 4% Mexico 4% China 3% Peru 2% Guatemala 2% Bolivia 2% United Kingdom 2% Jamaica 2% Philippines 4% Eastern Africa 1% Nigeria 2% Honduras 2% Ethiopia 2% Pakistan 2% Germany 2% Iran 2% Canada 1%

Many neighborhoods across the region have high shares of immigrant residents Largest Share Foreign-Born, by Selected Place, 2000 Seven Corners 61.2 Bailey's Crossroads 54.0 Lincolnia 47.7 Jefferson 37.8 Langley Park 64.5 Adelphi 40.9 Wheaton-Glenmont 39.6 Chillum 38.0 Columbia Heights West & Forest Glen 58.8 Buckingham 52.7 Mt. Pleasant & Columbia Heights 32.6 Kalorama Heights & Adams Morgan 25.2

Percent of the Total Population that is Foreign Born in Selected Places, 2000 Centreville Herndon Reston Chantilly Germantown Gaithersburg Oakton North Potomac Potomac Tysons Corner Montgomery Village McLean Redland Idylwood Arlington Jefferson Seven Corners Bailey's Crossroads Annandale Lincolnia Alexandria West Springfield Burke Springfield GAITHERSBURG (34.4%) El Salvador SILVER 17.1SPRING (35.2%) China 6.8 India El Salvador 6.6 22.5 Ethiopia 5.6 Vietnam 5.4 Other Western Africa 3.8 Guatemala 3.7 Aspen Hill Mexico Rockville Fairland 5.2 Iran Wheaton-Glenmont 4.2 North Bethesda White Oak Bethesda Silver Spring Adelphi Langley Park Greenbelt Takoma Park Chillum East Riverdale LOGAN CIRCLE/SHAW (23.9%) BUCKINGHAM (52.7%) El Salvador 25.2 ANNANDALE El Salvador Guatemala (34.5%) 11.6 25.9 Bolivia Mexico 10.1 24.9 Vietnam Guatemala China 15.6 7.4 9.5 Groveton Korea Mexico Vietnam 15.2 4.0 5.5 Bolivia 8.4 Mount Vernon Pakistan 4.1 El Salvador 7.9 India 4.0 Percent Foreign Born 20% - 30% 31% - 40% > 40%

English Language Proficiency 17 percent of region s foreign-born speak only English 62 percent report they speak English well or very well 21 percent report they cannot speak English well or at all Higher shares of immigrants in Arlington, Alexandria and the District cannot speak English well or at all Larger numbers living in Montgomery and are not proficient in English

Linguistic Isolation in the Washington Metropolitan Area, 2000 I270 Montgomery Loudoun I 495 Route 50 Arlington DC I66 Prince George's Alexandria I495 Linguistic Isolation- Households Where No One Over 14 Speaks English 'Very Well' Manassas Park Percent of the Foreign Born who Entered in the 1990s Tracts Greater than 47.5% Prince William Charles Percent Linguistically Calvert Isolated Tracts Greater than 20%

Linguistic Isolation in the Washington Metropolitan Area, 2000 I270 Montgomery Loudoun I 495 Route 50 Arlington DC I66 Prince George's Alexandria I495 Linguistic Isolation- Households Where No One Over 14 Speaks English 'Very Well' Manassas Park Percent of the Foreign Born who Entered in the 1990s Tracts Greater than 47.5% Percent Linguistically Calvert Isolated Prince William Charles Tracts Greater than 20%

Compared with other immigrant gateways, Washington s poverty rates for foreign-born residents is lower 25.0 20.0 19.0 20.3 21.3 18.5 % Native Born in Poverty Percent Foreign Born in Poverty 19.8 Percent Growth 15.0 10.0 14.7 12.7 10.7 10.6 5.0 0.0 Atlanta Chicago Dallas Houston Los Angeles Miami New York San Francisco Washington, DC

The share of poor immigrants varies across jurisdictions; the core has higher shares, inner suburbs have larger numbers District of Columbia Arlington County Alexandria city Montgomery County Prince George's County County Outer Suburbs Average 10.6% for foreign-born Far Suburbs 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0 Percent in Poverty

Median Household Income and Areas of Immigrant Residential Concentration, 2000 Montgomery Loudoun District of Columbia Falls Church Arlington Manassas Park Manassas Manassas Park Prince William Alexandria Charles Prince George's Median Household Income Less than 50% of Median Income 50% - 100% of Median Income 101% - 150% of Median Income Greater than 150% of Median Income Percent of Total Population that is Foreign Born Greater than 17% Poverty Rate of Foreign Born Population Greater than 25%

Median Household Income and Areas of Immigrant Residential Concentration, 2000 Montgomery Loudoun District of Columbia Falls Church Arlington Manassas Park Manassas Manassas Park Prince William Alexandria Charles Prince George's Median Household Income Less than 50% of Median Income 50% - 100% of Median Income 101% - 150% of Median Income Greater than 150% of Median Income Percent of Total Population that is Foreign Born Greater than 17% Poverty Rate of Foreign Born Population Greater than 25%

Median Household Income and Areas of Immigrant Residential Concentration, 2000 Montgomery Loudoun District of Columbia Falls Church Arlington Manassas Park Manassas Manassas Park Prince William Alexandria Charles Prince George's Median Household Income Less than 50% of Median Income 50% - 100% of Median Income 101% - 150% of Median Income Greater than 150% of Median Income Percent of Total Population that is Foreign Born Greater than 17% Poverty Rate of Foreign Born Population Greater than 25%

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