The Foreign Born from Vietnam in the United States in 2000
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This is the last in our series focusing on the five largest foreign-born groups in the United States. This Spotlight examines the size, growth, and geographic distribution of the foreign born from Vietnam.
Click on the bullet points below for more information:
- There are over 988,000 foreign born from Vietnam in the United States.
- The foreign born from Vietnam represent the fifth-largest immigrant group in the United States.
- Immigrants from Vietnam account for just over three percent of the total foreign-born population.
- The states with the largest number of immigrants from Vietnam are California and Texas.
- Between 1990 and 2000, the number of foreign born from Vietnam in the United States increased by 82 percent.
- The states that experienced the greatest percent change in their immigrant population from Vietnam between 1990 and 2000 include Vermont, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Georgia.
- In addition to large percent changes, Georgia and North Carolina were also among the 10 states with the largest numeric increases in their Vietnamese immigrant populations between 1990 and 2000.
- The foreign born from Vietnam make up less than one-half of one percent of the total U.S. population, but over one percent of the population of California.
- Of the over 988,000 foreign born from Vietnam in the United States, over half live in just two states.
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Vietnam Foreign-Born Population, for the United States: 1990 and 2000
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Foreign born from Vietnam as percent
of total county population, 2000  (View Map) |
There are over 988,000 foreign born from Vietnam in the United States.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 988,174 immigrants from Vietnam in the United States in 2000.
The foreign born from Vietnam represent the fifth-largest immigrant group in the United States.
The foreign born from Vietnam (988,174) made up the fifth-largest immigrant group in 2000, following the foreign born from Mexico (9.2 million), the Philippines (1.3 million), India (1 million), and China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan) (988,857).
Immigrants from Vietnam account for just over three percent of the total foreign-born population.
Of the 31.1 million foreign born in the United States, 3.2 percent were immigrants from Vietnam, according to the results of Census 2000.
The states with the largest number of immigrants from Vietnam are California and Texas.
According to Census 2000, California had the largest number of foreign born from Vietnam (418,249), followed by Texas (107,027). The remaining 10 states with the largest number of immigrants from Vietnam include Washington (40,879), Virginia (30,730), Massachusetts (30,457), Florida (29,790), Pennsylvania (26,656), Georgia (25,672), New York (26,656), and Illinois (17,075).
Between 1990 and 2000, the number of foreign born from Vietnam in the United States increased by 82 percent.
The foreign-born population from Vietnam increased from 543,262 in 1990 to 988,174 in 2000, or by 444,912 persons, according to the results of Census 2000, representing an increase of 82 percent.
The states that experienced the greatest percent change in their immigrant population from Vietnam between 1990 and 2000 include Vermont, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Georgia.
The results of Census 2000 show that in four states the foreign-born population from Vietnam increased by over 300 percent: Vermont (630 percent), Nebraska (494 percent), New Hampshire (456 percent), and Georgia (309 percent). In two additional states, Tennessee (269 percent) and North Carolina (230 percent), the foreign-born population of Vietnam more than doubled in size between 1990 and 2000.
In addition to large percent changes, Georgia and North Carolina were also among the 10 states with the largest numeric increases in their Vietnamese immigrant populations between 1990 and 2000.
Census 2000 shows that the foreign-born population from Vietnam in Georgia grew from 6,284 in 1990 to 25,672 in 2000, representing a 309 percent increase. Among all states and the District of Columbia, Georgia ranked fourth in numeric growth and fourth in the percent growth of its immigrant population from Vietnam. For North Carolina, the foreign-born population from Vietnam increased from 4,122 in 1990 to 13,608 in 2000, representing a 230 percent increase. North Carolina ranked tenth in its numeric growth and sixth in the percent increase of its Vietnamese immigrant population.
The foreign born from Vietnam make up less than one-half of one percent of the total U.S. population, but over one percent of the population of California.
According to the results of Census 2000, immigrants from Vietnam account for 0.4 percent of the total population. Only in one state – California (1.2 percent) – did the foreign born from Vietnam make up more than one percent of the total state population.
Of the over 988,000 foreign born from Vietnam in the United States, over half live in just two states.
Of the total foreign born from Vietnam in 2000, California had the largest percentage (43 percent), followed by Texas (11 percent). Combined, these two states accounted for 53 percent of the total Vietnamese immigrant population.