TACOMA — The United States has long been one of the most sought-after countries for people to immigrate to — the Pew Research Center found that more than a million people move to the U.S. each year. Because of this, the U.S. has rightfully earned its title as the world’s “melting pot” of different cultures.
A recent study by Wallethub compared and ranked over 500 cities around the U.S. in terms of key indicators of ethnic diversity such as residents’ ethnicity and race, language and birthplace.
The study listed 10 cities in Washington in the rankings as among the most ethnically diverse in the country. Kent came out as one of the most diverse cities at No. 5.
Three other cities in Western Washington, including Federal Way and Renton, ranked in the top 30. Four other Western Washington cities, including Vancouver, Tacoma and Seattle, and one Eastern Washington city ranked among the top 200 cities, while Spokane came in at No. 387.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Asians, Hispanics and people that are of two or more races are projected to be some of the fastest growing racial or ethnic groups due to increase in birthrates and migration over the next several decades.
“For Hispanics and people who are two or more races, high growth rates are largely the result of high rates of natural increase, given the relatively young age structure of these populations. For Asians, the driving force behind their growth is high net international migration,” according to the Census Bureau.
The U.S. is on the path of becoming more diverse than it has ever been by the year 2060, but if you’re wondering which cities are the most diverse now, we’ve got you covered.
The three main categories of the study used to determine the most ethnically diverse cities in the country were ethnoracial diversity, linguistic diversity and birthplace diversity.
Top five
The five most ethnically diverse cities in America, according to the study, are:
- No. 1: Gaithersburg, Md.
- No. 2: Jersey City, N.J.
- No. 3: Germantown, Md.
- No. 4: Silver Spring, Md.
- No. 5: Kent
Why is Kent one of the most ethnically diverse cities in America?
Kent was ranked among the most ethnically diverse cities in the country due to its population’s composition and linguistic diversity.
Diana Polk, the communications manager for Wallethub, said in an email that Kent ranked eighth in ethnoracial diversity and 13th in linguistic diversity, contributing to the city’s overall rank.
“Kent embraces various cultures and languages, fostering an environment where residents experience different viewpoints and learn from one another, contributing to its high ranking in the study,” Polk said.
What other cities in WA are ethnically diverse?
Nine more cities in Washington were also ranked among the most ethnically diverse cities in the country.
- No. 9: Federal Way
- No. 16: Renton
- No. 29: Bellevue
- No. 93: Everett
- No. 113: Seattle
- No. 116: Yakima
- No. 140: Tacoma
- No. 191: Vancouver
- No. 387: Spokane
