California has highest share of new residents from foreign countries
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Nearly half of California's new residents last year came from foreign countries, new Census migration data shows.
Why it matters: Immigration is a pressing and divisive political issue across the U.S., but there are massive gaps between the states in terms of how many new arrivals are actually settling there.
State of play: California saw the country's highest share of new residents from foreign countries in 2023 at 42%.
- Other states with large shares of immigrants were New Jersey (37%), New York (35%), Illinois (32%), Massachusetts (31%), Florida (31%) and Texas (30%).
By the numbers: About 11 million people or 27% of California's 2023 population was foreign-born, compared to about 14% nationally.
- That's about the same share of the state's population as 10 years ago.
Zoom in: Internationally born-residents made up about 35% of San Francisco's residents last year, down from pre-pandemic levels.
- Nearly 63% were naturalized while roughly 37% were non-citizens.
- The majority were born in Asia (64%), followed by Latin America (18%) and Europe (12%).
Yes, but: Chinatown, Japantown, the Mission and North Beach have all experienced declines in the share of foreign-born residents, a 2023 San Francisco Chronicle analysis found.
- Bayview Hunters Point and the SoMa have seen some upticks, however.
The intrigue: Chinese-born residents remain the most common immigrant group in San Francisco, but Indian-born residents are among the fastest-growing.
The big picture: While most of California's immigrants are naturalized citizens, the state has the largest population of undocumented immigrants in America.
- Unlike other states, that number decreased in recent years.
- Non-citizens also include lawful permanent residents, students or workers on temporary visas and refugees.