Demographics

The demographic landscape of our nation has changed dramatically over he past 25 years. That is true at the state and local levels as well. While immigrants make up only a small percentage of the Ohio and Cincinnati’s overall populations, they account for the fastest growing of all demographic categories. See below for more information.

While Ohio's population growth rate has slowed in recent decades, our foreign born population has continued to increase at a steady clip. What are the most likely countries of origin for those coming to Cincinnati? The most recent and reliable data illustrate that Cincinnati's immigrants are most likely to come from Western Europe, Eastern Africa, Central and Western Asia, and India.

What happens once people get to Ohio? Simple, like the rest of us, they move as life circumstances dictate. Did you know that recent, foreign born, arrivals to Cincinnati often don't even move here from other countries. Rather, they move here from other parts of our own state. And for those who are actually new to both our state and our city, more than 1 in 5 arrive from another part of the United States; not some other country. Only fewer than 30 percent of Cincinnati's foreign born population comes directly from a sending nation.

And what do immigrants do over time as they settle in to life as a Buckeye? Roughly half of become American citizens. There are presently 220,000 foreign born Ohio residents who are now citizens and are eligible to vote. Another 101,286 immigrants are eligible for naturalization. Immigrants also invest in quality education. Best estimates indicate that Ohio's universities are home to roughly 33,000 international college students.

From this we can take the following. First, immigrants who settle in our city have a healthy grasp of contemporary American culture. Second, when we hear the word immigration, we are likely to think of Latin America due to its outsized presence in our media subconscience. But the reality is that most Cincy-based immigrants are coming from Europe, Africa and Asia. Please read through and share the materials above to learn more about the changing demographics in our state and region.

Learn More:

New Americans in Cincinnati

The Impact of Immigrants and Internationals on our Regional Economy.

Diverse by Design 2012

Meeting the Talent Challenge in a Global Economy

 
The University of Cincinnati, which today has more than 3,000 international students, was the first investor in Cincinnati Compass. UC's early and significant support made it possible to build and launch this portal in 2016. The City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber express their sincere appreciation for UC's contribution to immigrant welcoming and integration in our region.

Founding Investors:

Founding Investors