Where South Asian Americans live

California has the most South Asian residents and New Jersey the largest South Asian share

South Asian Americans here are residents who report a single race of Asian Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Sri Lankan or Bhutanese, as in chapters 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7. Chapter 7 ranks states by their share of South Asian adult citizens; this chapter counts all residents. Profiles pool the 2022, 2023 and 2024 ACS samples; counts are annual averages.In 2022–24, California had 1.09 million South Asian residents a year, 18.0% of all South Asian Americans [1]. Texas followed with 771 thousand (12.7%), then New York with 613 thousand, New Jersey with 500 thousand and Illinois with 328 thousand. Together these five states held 54.6% of the group. South Asian Americans were 1.80% of all US residents. They were a larger share in New Jersey (5.35%), New York (3.11%), California (2.79%), Virginia, Illinois, Texas, Maryland, Washington and Massachusetts, all above 2.3%.

Figure 1

South Asian Americans were 5.3% of New Jersey's residents and 1.8% of all US residents

South Asian residents as a % of each state's residents, pooled ACS 2022–24. Each square is a state.

South Asian share of residentsUnder 1%1 to 2%2 to 3%3 to 4%4% or moreToo few sample cases†Small sample

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Texas's share of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Americans rose by 4.6 points since 2005–07, and New York's fell by 5.0

Comparing the same four origins, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan (Nepali and Bhutanese had no codes before 2012), the group grew from 2.75 million a year in 2005–07 to 5.80 million in 2022–24. Texas's share of the group rose from 8.1% to 12.7%, and smaller shares rose in Washington, North Carolina and Georgia. New York's share fell from 15.2% to 10.2%, and Illinois's and New Jersey's fell by about one point each. The five states with the most South Asian residents in 2005–07, California, New York, New Jersey, Texas and Illinois, held 58.2% of the group then and 55.4% in 2022–24.

South Asian Americans also move between states more often than other residents. In 2022–24, 3.4% of South Asian residents aged one and over had lived in another state a year earlier, against 2.4% of other Asian Americans and 2.3% of all residents [2]. Of the South Asian residents who had moved between states, 18% were living in Texas and 12% in California at the time of the survey.

Figure 2

Texas was home to 8% of all Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Americans in 2005–07 and 13% in 2022–24, while New York's share fell from 15% to 10%

Share of the four origins living in each state, the 14 states with the largest shares in 2022–24.

• 2005–07
• 2022–24

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Half of South Asian Americans live in 34 counties

The New York metro area had 958 thousand South Asian residents a year in 2022–24, 15.8% of the group and 4.7% of the area's residents [3]. Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, the San Francisco–Oakland area and Washington, DC followed, each with between 280 and 369 thousand. The ten largest metro areas held 53.6% of South Asian Americans. Among metro areas of at least 500,000 people, the South Asian share was highest in San Jose (11.8%), Stockton (7.2%) and San Francisco–Oakland (6.3%).

The Census Bureau's 5-year county tables show the concentration more finely [4]. In 2020–24, half of the 5.80 million South Asian residents in these tables lived in 34 counties, and South Asians were at least 10% of the population in 9 counties. Among counties of 250,000 or more, the share was highest in Middlesex, New Jersey (18.9%), Forsyth, Georgia (14.7%) and Loudoun, Virginia (14.3%). At the scale of a town, Asian Indian residents alone were 39.3% of Edison township in New Jersey and 29.9% of Fremont, California.

Figure 3

The New York metro area had 958 thousand South Asian residents, 16% of the national total; San Jose had the largest South Asian share, 11.8%

South Asian residents by origin, thousands, the 20 metro areas with the most South Asian residents, pooled ACS 2022–24.

IndianPakistaniBangladeshiNepaliSri LankanBhutanese

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Figure 4

South Asians were 18.9% of residents of Middlesex County, New Jersey, the highest share among counties of 250,000 or more in 2020–24

Large counties ranked by the South Asian share of residents, with the South Asian count, its margin of error and the county population, published ACS estimates

Table of the 15 counties of 250,000 or more residents with the highest South Asian share, ACS 2020 to 2024: Middlesex County, New Jersey 18.9 percent (164,948 South Asian residents of 871,290); Forsyth County, Georgia 14.7 percent (39,308 South Asian residents of 267,287); Loudoun County, Virginia 14.3 percent (62,077 South Asian residents of 432,998); Somerset County, New Jersey 12.0 percent (42,115 South Asian residents of 349,846); Collin County, Texas 11.5 percent (133,764 South Asian residents of 1,163,337); Santa Clara County, California 11.2 percent (212,106 South Asian residents of 1,902,047); Fort Bend County, Texas 10.9 percent (97,520 South Asian residents of 893,767); Alameda County, California 10.0 percent (165,371 South Asian residents of 1,649,473); Queens County, New York 9.3 percent (216,394 South Asian residents of 2,323,052); Hudson County, New Jersey 8.6 percent (61,565 South Asian residents of 718,323); Howard County, Maryland 8.2 percent (27,698 South Asian residents of 336,328); Mercer County, New Jersey 7.6 percent (29,371 South Asian residents of 385,864); DuPage County, Illinois 7.5 percent (70,014 South Asian residents of 930,024); Fairfax County, Virginia 6.8 percent (78,337 South Asian residents of 1,147,837); Williamson County, Texas 6.2 percent (41,567 South Asian residents of 672,688).

County, ACS 2020–24	South Asian residents	90% margin	All residents	% South Asian
Middlesex County, New Jersey	164,948	±3,788	871,290	18.9
Forsyth County, Georgia	39,308	±1,722	267,287	14.7
Loudoun County, Virginia	62,077	±3,030	432,998	14.3
Somerset County, New Jersey	42,115	±1,838	349,846	12.0
Collin County, Texas	133,764	±4,250	1,163,337	11.5
Santa Clara County, California	212,106	±5,385	1,902,047	11.2
Fort Bend County, Texas	97,520	±5,701	893,767	10.9
Alameda County, California	165,371	±4,676	1,649,473	10.0
Queens County, New York	216,394	±6,918	2,323,052	9.3
Hudson County, New Jersey	61,565	±2,874	718,323	8.6
Howard County, Maryland	27,698	±2,248	336,328	8.2
Mercer County, New Jersey	29,371	±1,591	385,864	7.6
DuPage County, Illinois	70,014	±3,131	930,024	7.5
Fairfax County, Virginia	78,337	±3,733	1,147,837	6.8
Williamson County, Texas	41,567	±2,356	672,688	6.2

Bangladeshi Americans are concentrated in New York, and Bhutanese Americans in Pennsylvania and Ohio

The origin groups settled in different places. 44% of Bangladeshi Americans lived in New York State and 42% in the New York metro area; metropolitan Detroit (7%) and Washington, DC (6%) came next; in the Detroit area Bangladeshi residents were 17% of the city of Hamtramck in 2020–24 [4, 5]. Pakistani Americans were spread across New York (19%), Houston (8%) and Washington, DC (8%), and Texas was their largest state (17%). Nepali and Indian Americans were the most dispersed: the three largest metro areas for each held 24% and 26% of the group, respectively. Ohio held 11% of Nepali Americans. Bhutanese Americans, most of whom arrived as refugees [6], were concentrated in Pennsylvania (33%) and Ohio (20%) (estimates based on 398 records over three years); some Bhutanese refugees first resettled in Texas have since moved to other states [7].

Figure 5

54% of Bangladeshi Americans lived in three metro areas, against 24% of Nepali Americans

Residents of each origin group in thousands, its three largest metro areas and states with their shares of the group, and sample records, pooled ACS samples

Table of six origin groups, pooled 2022 to 2024, with residents in thousands, the three largest metro areas and states and the share of the group in each: Indian: 4,845 thousand; metro areas New York 14%; Dallas 6%; San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco–Oakland) 5%; those three 25.9 percent; states California 20%; Texas 13%; New Jersey 9%; Pakistani: 603 thousand; metro areas New York 19%; Houston 8%; Washington 8%; those three 35.2 percent; states Texas 17%; New York 15%; California 13%; Bangladeshi: 285 thousand; metro areas New York 42%; Detroit 7%; Washington 6%; those three 54.4 percent; states New York 44%; Michigan 8%; Texas 7%; Nepali: 241 thousand; metro areas Dallas 9%; New York 8%; Washington 6%; those three 23.8 percent; states Texas 15%; Ohio 11%; California 11%; Sri Lankan: 63 thousand; metro areas New York 16%; Los Angeles 9%; Washington 7%; those three 32.2 percent; states California 20%; New York 13%; Texas 9%; Bhutanese: 17 thousand; metro areas Pittsburgh 19%; Atlanta 10%; Columbus 8%; those three 36.4 percent; states Pennsylvania 33%; Ohio 20%; Georgia 10%.

Origin, pooled 2022–24	Residents, thousands	Three largest metro areas, % of the origin group	Those three together, %	Three largest states, %	Records
Indian	4,845	New York 14%; Dallas 6%; San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco–Oakland) 5%	25.9	California 20%; Texas 13%; New Jersey 9%	138,835
Pakistani	603	New York 19%; Houston 8%; Washington 8%	35.2	Texas 17%; New York 15%; California 13%	17,282
Bangladeshi	285	New York 42%; Detroit 7%; Washington 6%	54.4	New York 44%; Michigan 8%; Texas 7%	7,860
Nepali	241	Dallas 9%; New York 8%; Washington 6%	23.8	Texas 15%; Ohio 11%; California 11%	6,098
Sri Lankan	63	New York 16%; Los Angeles 9%; Washington 7%	32.2	California 20%; New York 13%; Texas 9%	2,022
Bhutanese	17	Pittsburgh 19%; Atlanta 10%; Columbus 8%	36.4	Pennsylvania 33%; Ohio 20%; Georgia 10%	398

Most South Asian Americans whose location can be classified live outside principal cities

The ACS public-use files say whether a person lives in a metro area's principal city, elsewhere in the metro area or outside metro areas, but only where the small areas they identify fall entirely on one side of a city boundary [8]. That holds for 58% of South Asian Americans. Among them, 64.4% lived in a metro area outside its principal cities, against 61.9% of non-Hispanic white residents, 58.9% of all residents and 52.7% of other Asian Americans. 1.3% lived outside metro areas, against 15.2% of all residents who could be classified. Bangladeshi Americans were the exception: 65% of those who could be classified lived in a principal city.

Figure 6

64% of South Asian Americans whose location can be classified lived in suburbs, against 59% of all residents; 65% of Bangladeshi Americans lived in principal cities

Where people live, % of those whose location can be classified, pooled ACS 2022–24.

Principal cityMetro area, outside principal cityOutside metro areas

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What these data cannot show

The smallest areas in the ACS public-use files hold at least 100,000 people, so the microdata identify states and most large metro areas but not counties, towns or neighborhoods; the county and town figures here come from the Census Bureau's published 5-year tables, which count single-race Asian groups and cannot be split by nativity or age. Metro areas follow the 2013 delineations, and the classification of principal cities and suburbs leaves out about two in five South Asian Americans. The state comparison over time covers four of the six origins. Migration between states is measured only over the year before each survey.

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Data sources

• American Community Survey 1-year samples pooled over three years (IPUMS USA)American Community Survey 1-year samples, 2005–2007 and 2022–2024, each set of three years pooled, from IPUMS USA, with the supplementary extract that adds metropolitan area codes (MET2013) [1]Years: 2005 to 2007 and 2022 to 2024 · Weights: PERWT divided by three, with the 80 replicate weights REPWTP paired across years
• US Census Bureau published ACS tablesUS Census Bureau, tables B02015 and B01003, ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates, for all counties and places [4]Years: 2020 to 2024 · Weights: published weighted estimates with 90% margins of error

Methods

Groups. As in chapter 1: single-race RACED 610, 678 and 657 (Indian), 669 (Pakistani), 664 (Bangladeshi), 643 (Nepali, from 2012), 670 (Sri Lankan) and 641 (Bhutanese, from 2012). Other Asian American: single-race Asian outside these codes, with Afghan respondents included. Non-Hispanic white: RACE 1 and HISPAN 0.

Geography. States are STATEFIP. Metro areas are MET2013; code 0 (not identifiable) covers people outside metro areas and people in metro areas the public-use geography does not identify. Principal city, suburb and outside metro areas are METRO 5, 3 and 1; codes 2 and 4 cannot be classified. Interstate movers are MIGRATE1 3 among people aged one and over.

Change over time. Shares of the group living in each state compare the pooled 2005–2007 samples with the pooled 2022–2024 samples for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Americans. Differences treat the two periods as independent samples.

County table. Counties of 250,000 or more residents ranked by the sum of the Asian-alone counts for Asian Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Bhutanese and Sikh in table B02015, divided by the county population in table B01003. The 34-county figure ranks all 3,144 counties by that sum.

Uncertainty. Intervals use the 80 successive-difference replicate weights, Var = 4/80 × Σ(θᵣ − θ)², pairing replicate r across pooled years [9]. Intervals are 90%. All-resident and non-Hispanic white rows are computed without replicates. Cells with fewer than 50 records are suppressed and those with fewer than 200 are marked †.

Reproduction. south-asian-voters/chapters/09-where-they-live/build_data.py computes the microdata numbers and writes data.json; build_counties.py reads the saved Census Bureau county tables in census/ and writes counties.json; build_page.py and charts.js assemble this page; refs.json holds the references and published place counts.

References

1. Ruggles, S.; Flood, S.; Sobek, M.; Backman, D.; Cooper, G.; Rivera Drew, J. A.; Richards, S.; Rodgers, R.; Schroeder, J.; Williams, K. C. W. (2025). IPUMS USA: Version 16.0 [dataset]. Minneapolis, MN: IPUMS. doi:10.18128/D010.V16.0
2. IPUMS USA (2026). MIGRATE1: Migration status, 1 year, variable description. IPUMS USA. usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/MIGRATE1
3. IPUMS USA (2026). MET2013: Metropolitan area (2013 delineations), variable description. IPUMS USA. usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/MET2013
4. US Census Bureau (2026). Asian Alone by Selected Groups (Table B02015) and Total Population (Table B01003), 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, all counties and places. data.census.gov, accessed November 7, 2026. data.census.gov/table/ACSDT5Y2024.B02015
5. Im, C. (2025). Facts about Bangladeshis in the U.S.. Pew Research Center fact sheet, May 1, 2025. www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/fact-sheet/asian-americans-bangladeshis-in-the-u-s/
6. The Kathmandu Post (2016). US ambassador bids farewell to 90,000th refugee to resettle in the US. The Kathmandu Post, September 20, 2016. kathmandupost.com/valley/2016/09/20/us-ambassador-bids-farewell-to-90000th-refugee-to-resettle-in-the-us
7. Donham, M. (2021). After initially settling in Texas, Bhutanese refugees increasingly leaving the state. Reporting Texas, August 26, 2021. www.reportingtexas.com/after-initially-settling-in-texas-buhtanese-refugees-increasingly-leaving-the-state/
8. IPUMS USA (2026). METRO: Metropolitan status, variable description. IPUMS USA. usa.ipums.org/usa-action/variables/METRO
9. IPUMS USA (2026). Replicate weights in the American Community Survey. IPUMS USA user note. usa.ipums.org/usa/repwt.shtml

How to cite

@misc{singh2026wheretheylive,
  author = {Singh, Vishal},
  title = {Where South Asian Americans live},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://vishalsingh.org/south-asians/where-they-live},
  note = {South Asians in America, chapter 2. Published 7 November 2026.}
}

Acknowledgments

ACS microdata are from IPUMS USA, University of Minnesota. IPUMS is not responsible for the analysis here.