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The growth has delighted city leaders, who have sought through new policies and programs to attract foreign-born people to try to counter population and job losses.
However, Dayton’s foreign-born population remains small, compared to most other large and mid-sized U.S. cities.
“Clearly, we are seeing the growth because we were at such a low number 10 years ago, but also, we’ve really championed this idea of inclusivity and diversity, which is really paying off,” Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said.
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More than 300 U.S. cities fall into the category of large and mid-sized — with populations of 100,000 people or more.
Only a handful of them have experienced faster growth in their foreign-born populations than Dayton. Dayton is home to about 140,000 residents.
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Immigrants accounted for just about 2.7 percent of Dayton residents about 10 years ago. Last year, they represented about 5 percent of the city’s overall population.
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