List of U.S. cities with large Chinese American populations

Cities with large Chinese American populations with a critical mass of at least 1% of the total urban population and at least 10% of the total suburban population. Information is based on the 2000 Census.

Urban and suburban cities with a pan-Asian American majority population are denoted in bold lettering.

Multi-generation Chinese Americans include those descended from earlier immigrants - from the 1850s to 1950s -and fully become Americanized and they often have very little social connections and interactions to the new Chinese immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants. In the post-1965 era, first- and second-generation immigrants include those from Mainland China (Mandarin-speaking), Taiwan (Mandarin and Taiwanese-speaking), and Hong Kong (Cantonese-speaking) Also included in the Chinese American population are ethnic Chinese from Vietnam (who speak Cantonese or Chaozhou Chinese) who might consider themselves more Chinese than Vietnamese, thus skewing Census reporting.

Regions with significantly large Chinese American populations include San Francisco, San Gabriel Valley and Silicon Valley in California and the Tri-State Region (New York and New Jersey) of the East Coast. The San Gabriel Valley region in particular has the largest collection of U.S. suburbs with foreign-born Chinese-speaking populations. They generally range from working-class residing in Rosemead and El Monte to wealthier immigrants living in San Marino and Diamond Bar.

Areas with growing Chinese American populations include southern Orange County, California, Edison, New Jersey, Plano and Richardson, Texas.

Chinese Americans also account for more than 1% of the population in 7 different cities in the metropolitan Research Triangle area of North Carolina, with Asian Americans in general forming larger percentages in Morrisville (9.1%), Cary (8.1%), Chapel Hill (7.2%), Carrboro (5.2%), Apex (4.3%), Durham (3.6%) and Raleigh (3.4%).

Large cities

The list of large cities (population greater than 250,000) with a Chinese-American population in excess of one percent of the total population.
* San Francisco, California - 19.6% (152,620)
* Honolulu, Hawaii - 10.7% (39,600)
* Oakland, California - 8.0% (31,834)

* San Jose, California - 5.7% (51,109)
* Sacramento, California - 4.8% (19,425)
*New York, New York - 4.5% (361,531)
** Queens - 6.3% (139,820)
** Manhattan - 5.7% (86,974)
** Brooklyn - 4.9% (120,662)
** Staten Island - 1.7% (7,490)
* Plano, Texas - 4.3% (10,750)
* Denver, Colorado - 2.8% (15,600)
* Seattle, Washington - 3.4% (19,415)
* Boston, Massachusetts - 3.3% (19,638)
* San Diego, California - 2.3% (27,684)
* Chicago, Illinois - 1.8% (31,280)
* Los Angeles, California - 1.7% (63,075)
* Portland, Oregon - 1.4% (7,181)
* Houston, Texas - 1.2% (24,001)
* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1.2% (17,783)
* Austin, Texas - 1.2% (7,878)
* Arlington, Texas - 1.0% (3,329)

Medium-size cities

List of medium-sized cities (population between 100,000 and 250,000) with a Chinese-American population in excess of one percent of the total population.
* Fremont, California - 14.4% (29,240)
* Daly City, California - 13.6%
* Irvine, California - 10.5%
* Sunnyvale, California - 9.56% (12,597)
* Bellevue, Washington - 7.8% (9,326)
* Berkeley, California - 7.4% (7,585)
* Ann Arbor, Michigan - 4.4% (5,017)
* Cary, North Carolina - 2.3% (2,128)
* Durham, North Carolina - 1.1% (2,004)
* Irving, Texas - 1.1% (2,157)
* Carrollton, Texas - 1.0% (1,223)
* Garland, Texas - 1.0% (2,174)

maller communities

List of places with a population fewer than 100,000 and a Chinese-American population in excess of one percent of the total population.

Groups listed (e.g., Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese) after these cities form a large proportion of the Chinese-origin population.

California - Los Angeles - San Gabriel Valley

With a Chinese American population of more than 400,000 in Los Angeles County, the majority are within the San Gabriel Valley, which are particularly noted for cities that have a Chinese American ethnic majority. The following cities have the highest percentage of Chinese Americans among the 40 cities that make up the San Gabriel Valley.

* Monterey Park, California - 41.2% (24,758) - Predominantly Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese
* San Marino, California - 40.6% (5,260) - Taiwanese
* Arcadia, California - 34.0% (18,041) - Taiwanese
* San Gabriel, California - 33.6% (13,376) - Mainland Chinese
* East San Gabriel, California (unincorporated, but it has a San Gabriel post office) - 28.2% (4,096)
* Alhambra, California - 33.1% (28,437) - Mainland Chinese
*Rosemead, California - 29.3% (15,678) - Mainland Chinese
* Rowland Heights, California - 29.0% (14,057) - Taiwanese, growing number of Mainland Chinese
* Walnut, California - 28.6% (8,590) - Taiwanese
* Temple City, California - 27.9% (9,322) - Taiwanese
*Hacienda Heights, California - 22.4% (11,921) - Taiwanese
*Diamond Bar, California - 17.9% (10,091) - Taiwanese
* El Monte, California - 10.3% - Mainland Chinese

California - Los Angeles - Cerritos

*Cerritos, California - 15% - Taiwanese

California - San Francisco Bay Area

* Cupertino, California - 23.8% (12,031) - Taiwanese
* Millbrae, California - 16.5% - Hong Kong Chinese
* Foster City, California - 16.3% - Taiwanese
* Milpitas, California - 12.9% - Taiwanese, Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese(Milpitas, California has one of the most regionally diverse Chinese populations in the United States.)
* San Leandro, California - 10.1% (8,147) - Hong Kong Chinese, Mainland Chinese

Colorado

* Denver, Colorado - 2.8%

Rhode Island

* Westerly, Rhode Island - 2.0%
* South Kingstown, Rhode Island - 1.1%
* East Greenwich, Rhode Island - 1.0%
* Barrington, Rhode Island - 1.0%

Texas

* Sugar Land, Texas - 10.1%
* New Territory, Texas - 6.0%
* Plano, Texas - 4.3%
* Richardson, Texas - 3.8%
* Bellaire, Texas - 3.5%
* Stafford, Texas - 3.3%
* Jollyville, Texas - 3.2%
* Port Lavaca, Texas - 2.9%
* Missouri City, Texas - 2.8%
* Mission Bend, Texas - 2.4%
* College Station, Texas - 2.3%
* Greatwood, Texas - 2.3%
* Cinco Ranch, Texas - 2.1%
* Jersey Village - 2.0%
* West University Place, Texas - 1.8%
* Brushy Creek, Texas - 1.7%
* Coppell, Texas - 1.5%
* Flower Mound, Texas - 1.3%
* Wells Branch, Texas - 1.3%
* Anderson Mill, Texas - 1.2%
* Denton, Texas - 1.2%
* Addison, Texas - 1.1%
* Commerce, Texas- 1.1%
* Southlake, Texas - 1.1%
* Colleyville, Texas - 1.05%
* South Brazos, Texas - 1.04%
* University Park, Texas - 1.02%
* Galveston, Texas - 1.02%
* Allen, Texas - 1.02%
* Bedford, Texas - 1.01%
* Leon Valley, Texas - 1.01%
* Cedar Park, Texas - 1.0%
* Webster, Texas - 1.0%
* The Woodlands, Texas - 1.0%
* Lake Jackson, Texas - 1.0%
* League City, Texas - 1.0%
* Seabrook, Texas - 1.0%
* Windemere, Texas - 1.0%

Utah

* Logan, Utah - 1.1%
* Millcreek, Utah - 1.1%
* Mount Olympus, Utah - 1.07%
* Emigration, Utah - 1.04%
* Cottonwood Heights, Utah - 1.02%
* Sandy, Utah - 1.01%

Vermont

* South Burlington, Vermont - 1.2%
* Brattleboro, Vermont - 1.03%
* Essex, Vermont - 1.0%
* Colchester, Vermont - 1.0%

Washington

* Newcastle, Washington - 6.8%
* Mercer Island, Washington - 5.7%
* Redmond, Washington - 4.2%
* West Lake Sammamish, Washington - 4.0%
* Bryn Mawr-Skyway, Washington - 3.8%
* Shoreline, Washington - 3.3%
* Sammamish, Washington - 3.3%
* Pullman, Washington - 3.0%
* Clyde Hill, Washington - 3.0%
* Eastgate, Washington - 2.9%
* Renton, Washington - 2.8%
* Mill Creek, Washington - 2.7%
* Issaquah, Washington - 2.6%
* Medina, Washington - 2.5%
* Lake Forest Park, Washington - 2.4%
* Lynnwood, Washington - 2.2%
* Kingsgate, Washington - 2.2%
* East Hill-Meridian, Washington - 2.2%
* Kirkland, Washington - 2.1%
* Kenmore, Washington - 2.1%
* Everett, Washington - 2.0%
* Kent, Washington - 1.5%
* Federal Way, Washington - 1.2%
* Bellingham, Washington - 1.2%

ee also

* List of cities with large Chinese Canadian populations
* Chinatown
* List of U.S. cities with Asian American majority populations
* List of U.S. cities with large Vietnamese American populations
* Lists of U.S. cities with large ethnic population

ources

* http://www.city-data.com/
* http://factfinder.census.gov
* Wei Li "Building Ethnoburbia: The Emergence and Manifestation of the Chinese Ethnoburb in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley." Journal of Asian American Studies 2(1): 1-28 (1999).