Most Diverse Cities in the United States 2024

The United States is known for its racial and ethnic diversity. Often referred to as a “melting pot,” the United States has seen influxes of immigrants from every corner of the world since the beginning of its time.

The U.S. is expected to only become more diverse in the future. By 2045, it is expected that the U.S. will become minority white, with an estimated racial makeup of 49.7% white, 24.6% Hispanic, 13.1% black, 7.95 Asian, and 3.8% of two or more races.

Diversity is crucial within societies. Diversity helps us understand other ways of life and dispel any stereotypes of other groups. Diverse societies help to build trust and respect for different cultures, understanding each other’s perspectives of the world. With diversity in society comes diversity in the workforce, which allows businesses to better understand and serve clientele in other countries.

Levels of diversity are not equal across the United States. Some regions of the country, such as the South and the coastlines, are significantly more diverse than others, such as the Midwest. Different regions are also experiencing different rates of growth. For example, some areas with low diversity are either becoming increasingly diverse very quickly or are not experiencing much change; the same goes for areas with already high diversity.

U.S. cities are typically big “melting pots” of different ethnicities and cultures. To determine which are the most diverse, WalletHub used three key indicators: ethno-racial diversity, linguistic diversity, and birthplace diversity. Each indicator was given a rank. The ten most diverse cities in the United States are:

1. Jersey City, NJ
2. Gaithersburg, MD
3. Germantown, MD
4. Silver Spring, MD
5. Spring Valley, NV
6. New York NY
7. Oakland, CA
8. San Jose, CA
9. Rockville, MD
10. Kent, WA

Jersey City is the most ethnically diverse city in the United States. Jersey City is the second-most populous in New Jersey with an estimated population of 247,597. According to the 2010 United States Census, Jersey City’s racial makeup 32.67% white, 25.85% black, 0.51% Native American, 23.67% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 12.81% from other races, and 4.42% of two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 27.57% of the population. 47.03% of residents speak only English, and 52.97% (a majority of the population) speak other languages. Spanish is the second-most-spoken language, with 23.01% of residents speaking the language, followed by Tagalong.

Four of the ten cities are located in Maryland. Gaithersburg is the most diverse of these cities. Gaithersburg has a population of approximately 68,289 people. According to the 2010 United States Census, the racial makeup of the city was 13.9% non-Hispanic whites, 16.3% black, 0.5% Native American, 16.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.7% from other races, and 4.8% of two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race comprised 24.2% of the population. 50.03% of Gaithersburg residents speak only English, while 49.97% speak other languages. The largest non-English language is Spanish, spoken by 23.55% of the population.

A full list of cities ranked by diversity can be found on Wallethub.