Immigrant populations are growing in Dayton and Ohio. But they’re still relatively small

Dayton has been an immigrant-friendly community for 13 years, and there’s a push to better welcome and support immigrants who live in other parts of Montgomery County.

But Dayton and Montgomery County, like the Buckeye State as a whole, are not very popular destinations for foreign-born people.

Four states — California, Texas, Florida and New York — account for more than half of the nation’s 48 million foreign-born residents. Less than 1.5% of the immigrants who reside in the United States live in Ohio.

2013 vs. 2023

Last year, Dayton had nearly 8,500 foreign-born residents, and Montgomery County had about 26,500, according to one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

In the last decade, Dayton has seen its immigrant population grow by about 1,970 people (+30%) and Montgomery County has added about 6,100 (+30%), says the American Community Survey data, which was released in September.

Ohio’s immigrant population also has increased by about 30% in the last 10 years. The state is home to nearly 622,000 immigrants.

Last year, about 6.3% of Dayton residents were foreign-born, compared to about 4.6% of residents in 2013.

Montgomery County saw its foreign-born population grow to 5% of residents in 2023, compared to 3.8% a decade earlier.

Census data indicate there are slightly more than 330 U.S. cities that have at least 100,000 residents. Dayton, which falls into this group, last year had a smaller share of immigrants than all but about 31 of those cities.

The United States has about 290 U.S. counties with at least 250,000 residents. Montgomery County (pop. 534,000) has a smaller share of foreign-born residents than all but about 16 of those counties.

Dayton’s foreign-born population percentage is slightly smaller than Cincinnati’s (6.5%), Cleveland’s (6.9%) and Akron’s (7.3%).

Only 4.4% of Toledo residents and 2.1% of Canton residents were born outside of the United States. About 15.1% of Columbus residents are immigrants.

About 5.3% of Ohio residents are immigrants, which is up from 4.1% in 2013. The Buckeye State has a smaller share of immigrants than 35 other states.

Immigration decisions

Immigrants often choose where to live based on job opportunities and family connections, said Jeannette Horwitz, Welcome Dayton coordinator.

Immigrants often decide to live in major “gateway” metro areas when they first arrive to the United States, according to research by the Bush Institute.

But some of these individuals and families make secondary moves to places that are attractive because they have relatively affordable housing, job and economic opportunities and other desirable characteristics, like proximity to loved ones.

Dayton declared itself to be an immigrant-friendly community in 2011, and supporters believe diversity and community building is good for the Gem City.

The mission of Welcome Dayton is to support immigrants who live and move here and help them integrate into the community, said Horwitz, who is originally from Stockholm, Sweden.

Some challenges foreign-born people face when they arrive to places like Dayton include learning the language and identifying community resources that might help, Horwitz said.

Martha-Jeannette Rodriguez, a community engagement specialist with Welcome Dayton, came to the United States 21 years ago to seek asylum.

Rodriguez fled her home country of Columbia after her father-in-law was kidnapped and her family was threatened and extorted.

After she was granted asylum, Rodriguez said it took time to learn the language, culture, rules and laws. She wishes she would have done some things differently, like spending less time around Spanish-speaking people to get more exposure to English.

Immigrants typically come to the U.S. seeking better work and educational opportunities, a better future for their children and more rights and freedoms., says KFF, a nonprofit that does research and polling.

Some immigrants come to the U.S. to join family members or escape violence.

DPS numbers

The Census survey data contains estimates, but there are other indicators that the local foreign-born population is growing. Dayton Public Schools has about 2,600 students who are English language learners.

That population has doubled from five years ago and has more than tripled from 10 years ago. English learner students now account for about one in five students in the Dayton school district.

Overall, DPS students speak more than 40 languages and represent more than 60 countries, said David Lawrence, Dayton Public Schools superintendent.

Dayton Public Schools several years ago opened the International School at Residence Park, which helps newcomer students in grades preK-12 who have limited English proficiency and who are not yet familiar with the American education system.

The school teaches its more than 300 students English and is supposed to serve as a short-term placement until students get acclimated and have a sufficient grasp of the English language and the educational system, officials said.

Lawrence said immigrant students and their families enrich local schools and communities.

“They bring a diversity of backgrounds, skills and experiences and add to the rich cultural tapestry of our region,” he said.