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The United States is famously a nation of (mostly) immigrants. Currently, we’re home to nearly twenty percent of the world’s immigrant population, with nearly four times as many immigrants as the country with the next most, Germany.
It might be easy to forget, then, the many challenges an immigrant household can face here while navigating a new landscape and culture, especially given the kinds of economic struggles the average American faces today. Our nation is big and diverse, though, and some areas will undoubtedly be better than others at helping new Americans get on their feet quickly.
Researcher J.H. Cullum Clark wanted to know where immigrants were thriving, so compared the 100 largest metropolitan areas by looking at 12 relevant indicators including immigrants’ educational attainment, median household income, home ownership rate, and standard of living.
The best place in the country for immigrants is the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area in California, thanks in part to it’s status as a major tech center. Hampton Roads is in the top quartile, at 24th best. It was helped by its low cost of living combined with high scores in areas like living standards, educational attainment, and household income.
If any of this sounds familiar, it may be because the same factors that make our region suitable for immigrants also makes it a great place for others to thrive. Virginia Beach was recently called one of the best places in the country for both black women and latinas to find success—and this in a state that has the best overall business climate. The region’s cities are also among the best for work-life balance, and for both renters and first-time home buyers.
Richmond, VA is on the list at position 20, while Raleigh, NC’s metro area is at 8. Loudoun County, VA was found to be one of the best counties for immigrants to thrive in.

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