As the nation debates the fate of child immigrant detainees and immigration reform, let’s look at immigrants in the Rochester area.
The following data comes from the U.S. Census 2012 American Community Survey.
– Monroe County had 61,247 foreign-born residents in 2012. This means they were not U.S. citizens at birth.
– Monroe County has a smaller share of immigrants than the state and nation. In the United States, 13 percent of residents are foreign-born. Forty-six percent of them are naturalized citizens. In New York State, 23 percent of people are foreign-born and 53 percent of them are naturalized citizens. In the City of Rochester, 10 percent of residents are foreign-born, with 42 percent being naturalized citizens. In Monroe County, 8 percent of residents are foreign-born, with 52 being naturalized citizens.
– The largest share of local immigrants comes from Asia – 38 percent. Twenty-one percent hail from Latin America, 30 percent from Europe, 8 percent from Africa and 4 percent from North America.
– The vast majority – 87 percent – of Monroe County immigrants speak English at home.
– Immigrants are older than the rest of the population. The median age of foreign-born people in Monroe County is 43, compared to 38 for the population as a whole. The median age for naturalized citizens is 53. The median age for non-naturalized citizens is 33. These trends are similar to the nation and state.
– The largest group of foreign-born individuals in Monroe County – 42 percent – arrived in the U.S. before 1990. Four in five people in this group have become naturalized citizens. The next largest group of immigrants – 29 percent of Monroe County’s foreign-born residents – came in the 2000s. One in five is now a citizen. Eighteen percent of Monroe County’s residents born outside of the country arrived in the 1990s. Seventy percent of them are now citizens. Since 2010, more than 6,700 immigrants have arrived.
– The neighborhoods surrounding Rochester’s two largest colleges have the highest rate of foreign-born residents.
– Foreign-born adults in Monroe County have a higher rate of educational attainment than the population as a whole. Thirty-eight percent of immigrants had a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 34 percent of the rest of the population.
– Historical footnote: In 1855, 44 percent of Rochester’s residents were immigrants. Between 1890 and World War I, the percentage of immigrants plus the children of immigrants hovered around 70 percent.
Update: Several people are asking on Facebook if this data includes unauthorized immigrants and refugees. The census does not break them out as a separate group, so if these individuals agreed to be counted, they are included in the data. A recent study estimated there are 750,000 illegal immigrants in New York State, with most being in New York City.
Links of the Day:
– This story in the Buffalo News clearly shows there’s limited economic impact from the Bills and a new Bills stadium. So why do we give these teams the upper hand – and tons of tax dollars?
– Why do we allow government to cut pensions while funding new sports stadiums? Only one is a true economic activity generator.
– Is Bon Jovi really lying about keeping the Bills in Buffalo?
– The Albany Times Union editorial board says the governor owes an explanation and apology.
– The New York Times editorial board comes out in favor of legalized pot.
– Carl Paladino calls Scott Congel’s West Seneca development a con job and ripoff.
– NSA-like: Monroe County has 3,765,555 license plate tracker hits in storage. We all might be in there.
– The list of businesses getting Start-Up New York tax breaks in Binghamton is not impressive. An audio-visual firm that is creating 11 jobs?
– A lawsuit challenging teacher tenure in New York will be filed Monday.
– College offers plenty of opportunities to meet new people. Why do colleges insist your roommate has to be one of them?
– The Seneca Park Zoo went undercover to survey Rochester wetlands.
– Beer is Americans’ adult beverage of choice.