Elizabeth (Liz) Grieco is a Senior Science Research Analyst at the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES). She previously worked as a Senior Writer/Editor at Pew Research Center, writing about newsroom employment trends and the characteristics of newsroom employees. Liz has also held positions at the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Migration Policy Institute, authoring publications on the characteristics of the foreign born, migration data, remittances, the second generation/children of immigrants, and race. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology and demography from Florida State University, a master’s in anthropology from the University of Kansas, a bachelor’s in anthropology from the University of Cincinnati, and a master’s in Interactive Journalism from American University. The content on this site reflects Liz’s personal research and writing and is separate from her work at the National Science Foundation.
Featured Article
Over Half of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population Lives in Just Four States
The foreign-born population in the United States is highly concentrated in a small number of states, though the pattern shifts when measured as a share of each state’s population. In 2024, over half (53%) of the nation’s 50.2 million foreign-born residents lived in just four states: California (10.9 million), Texas (5.8 million), Florida (5.4 million), and New York (4.6 million). California alone accounted for 22%—or more than 1-in-5—of the U.S. foreign-born population. When measured as a share of state population, California leads (28%), followed by New Jersey (25%), New York and Florida (23% each), and Nevada (20%), where at least 1-in-5 residents are foreign born. Nationally, nearly 15% of the population was foreign born in 2024, with nine other states meeting or exceeding this share: Massachusetts, Hawaii, Texas, Maryland, Washington, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the District of Columbia, and Illinois.
Featured Article
Foreign-Born Population Surges After 2020
The foreign-born population grew from 38.5 million in 2009 to 50.2 million in 2024, an increase of roughly 11.7 million people. The largest share of that growth—about 42%—occurred between 2021 and 2024, while the previous four years accounted for only 13%. This recent surge was driven by a rebound in the number of noncitizens after 2020, coupled with the steady increase in naturalized citizens, marked by a dramatic turnaround in noncitizen growth rates between 2017–2020 and 2021–2024.
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Foreign Stock Now Makes Up Over a Quarter of the U.S. Population
A growing share of the U.S. population has ties to immigration. Over a quarter—28%—was comprised of foreign stock in 2024, up from about 23% in 2005. In 2024, this included 15% first-generation immigrants and 13% second-generation children of immigrants, compared with 12% and 10%, respectively, in 2005.