Charlotte area immigrant + non-citizen population on the rise, new census data shows
As the Charlotte region’s population continues to increase, so does the number of immigrant residents, especially from Latin American and Asian countries. But among that growing group, many aren’t U.S. citizens.
That’s a key takeaway from new census data released Thursday morning.
Of the estimated 328,237 foreign-born residents living in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area, about 59% are not a citizen, according to the five-year American Community Survey released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The five-year survey looks at data collected between 2020-2024.
The metro area has a population of nearly 2.8 million people. Of that total, about 12% of residents are foreign-born.
Mecklenburg County has a higher percentage of residents who are immigrants when compared to the region overall. And it also has a higher number of non-citizen immigrants. Of the county’s nearly 1.2 million residents about 17% are immigrants. And about 62% of the estimated 200,313 immigrants in the county aren’t naturalized.
The Census Bureau defines a foreign-born person as someone born outside the U.S. and its territories to non-American parents.
The bureau never asks survey participants whether they are in the country legally. And being a non-citizen does not mean a person lives in the U.S. without documentation.
Non-citizens could have temporary visas as they work for one of the many foreign businesses in the region. Or even in one of the area’s top profession, construction.
The data comes amid national and local unrest stemming from President Donald Trump’s targeted immigration enforcement.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested hundreds of people across Charlotte last November in an operation called “Charlotte’s Web.” Their presence left construction sites empty, businesses shuttered, and many people feeling targeted because of the color of their skin.
The data also comes as immigrants see longer wait times for asylum appointments in the city.
About Charlotte’s immigration numbers
But the larger number of non-citizens in comparison to naturalized immigrants isn’t unusual for the region.
Mecklenburg County saw a decrease in its non-citizens versus naturalized immigrants, when compared to the previous five-year survey from 2015-2019.
Of the 165,086 foreign-born residents of the county, 64% were not citizens, according to the 2015-2019 survey.
The Charlotte metro area saw an increase in non-citizens between the 2015-2019 survey to the new five-year survey. About 61% of the region’s 257,788 immigrant population were not citizens, the latest survey showed.
Charlotte-area Latin American and Asian residents
Residents from Latin America and Asia make up the vast majority of immigrants, both in the county and the region.
Over 101,580 residents come from Latin America, which is more than half of the immigration population in Mecklenburg County. In the metro region, over 169,600 are from Latin America.
Asian residents are the next largest population, with almost 56,300 people in Mecklenburg and over 91,260 people in the metro area.
With Latin Americans comprising the largest portion of Charlotte’s immigrant population, the group also has the highest population of noncitizens.
Almost 76,480 Latin Americans are non-citizens in Mecklenburg. In the region, that number stands at under 122,560.
For the Asian population, almost 29,950 are non-citizens in Mecklenburg and 45,270 in the region.
Immigration in the surrounding counties
Here are some census numbers from 2020-2024 survey for the counties near Mecklenburg:
- Almost 60% of Cabarrus County’s immigrant population are non-citizens.
- Between the 2015-2019 survey and the new one, Cabarrus County saw the highest increase in non-citizens at 55%, increasing from 9,780 to almost 15,200 people.
- Compared to its overall population, Union County has the highest number of immigrants when compared to, Gaston and Iredell Counties. Union County has a population of almost 250,960, and about 12% are immigrants. That compares to the 10% of the population in Cabarrus, 7% in Iredell and 6% in Gaston.
