Since the 1600s, immigrants have been drawn to New England, and even now parts of the region would be losing population and economic vitality if not for the foreign-born population. UNH’s Carsey Institute analyzes the demographics.Immigrants - New England

Ross Gittell

Timothy Lord

English

Research Papers in Economics

20    Winter 2009
by Ross Gittell and Timothy Lord,   
University of New Hampshire
by Ross Gittell and Timothy Lord   
University of New Hampshire
New England’s
Today
Foreign-Born Population
Getty ImagesCommunities & Banking    21
Foreign-Born Population in New England, 2005
Rank State
Foreign-Born 
Population 
(percent)
Foreign-
Born 
Population
Total 
Population
9 Massachusetts 14.4 891,184 6,182,860
11 Rhode Island 12.6 130,517 1,032,662
12 Connecticut 12.5 423,254 3,394,751
26 New Hampshire 5.7 72,480 1,272,486
37 Vermont 3.6 21,843 602,290
41 Maine 3.0 38,727 1,283,673
New England 11.5 1,578,005 13,768,722
United States 12.4 35,622,125 287,863,019
From at least the 1600s, immigrants have 
been drawn to New England. Groups arriv-
ing today are similar to past immigrants in 
that most come seeking economic and edu-
cational opportunities, and they cluster in a 
few cities and counties. Parts of the region 
would be losing population and economic 
vitality if not for increases in this popula-
tion. That is why New England policymak-
ers are increasingly welcoming immigrants. 
To understand more about the region’s 
foreign-born residents and how the current 
scenario  compares  both  to  past  regional 
trends and to current national trends, let’s 
start by looking at the changes. (See “For-
eign-Born Population: Average Annual Per-
centage Change.”) 
In the 1990s, growth of New England’s 
foreign-born  population  was  2.8  percent 
per year, a rate that was significantly low-
er than the 4.6 percent nationwide average. 
Between 2000 and 2005, the average rate 
of growth continued at 2.8 percent region-
ally while the nation’s came down to the 
same level. In 2005, there were 1.6 million 
foreign-born in New England (out of just 
under 13.8 million), representing 11.5 per-
cent of the total population, lower than the 
national average (12.4 percent). 
Historical Perspective
Foreign-born residents have always played 
a significant role in New England. Among 
the nine U.S. Census divisions from 1900 
to 1950, New England had the highest per-
centage of foreign-born, with the percent 
peaking in 1920, before restrictive federal 
immigration policies were put in place. The 
nadir was in 1970, before the removal of 
some restrictions. New England’s foreign-
born  population  level  has  slowly  moved 
back toward its 1920s peak but is a signifi-
cantly  lower  portion  of  the  region’s  total 
population (just over one-ninth as opposed 
to one-quarter in the 1920s).
However, New England no longer is a 
leader in attracting immigrants. In 2005, it 
ranked fourth among the nine census divi-
sions in percentage of total population that 
is foreign born. (See “Foreign-Born Popula-
tion in New England, 2005.”) 
Variances in New England 
Within  the  region  there  are  significant   
differences  in  the  foreign-born  popula-
tion, with the southern New England states 
(Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Con-
necticut) having significantly higher num-
bers and concentrations than the region’s 
northern states or the nation as a whole. 
Children with a Parent of Foreign Origin in New England
Rank State
Percent of Children with 
a Foreign-Born Parent
10 Rhode Island 25
12 Massachusetts 22
16 Connecticut 18
29 New Hampshire 9
39 Maine 5
39 Vermont 5
New England 18
United States 21
Foreign-Born Population:  Average Annual Percentage Change
0
2
4
6
8
10
United 
States
New 
England
Mid- 
Atlantic
Pacific East 
North 
Central
South 
Atlantic
West 
South 
Central
West 
North 
Central
East 
South 
Central
Mountain
1990-2000
2000-2005
percent
9.3
4
6.6
3.9
7.8
5.8
8.9
4.6
1.4
3.4 3.5
1.8
2.6
4.5 4.5
6.3
4.6
2.8 2.8 2.8
Today
Foreign-Born Population
Getty Images22    Winter 2009
Growth in Foreign-Born Population of New England Counties,  
2000 to 2005
      Foreign-Born Population
Percent
Change Rank County 2000 2005
1 Barnstable (MA) 10,982 17,716 61.3
2 Hillsborough (NH) 25,793 38,225 48.2
3 Plymouth (MA) 29,592 41,762 41.1
4 Litchfield (CT) 9,898 13,809 39.5
5 New London (CT) 14,002 19,352 38.2
6 Rockingham (NH) 10,390 13,938 34.1
7 Worcester (MA) 59,063 78,280 32.5
8 Merrimack (NH) 4,351 5,747 32.1
9 Franklin (MA) 2,610 3,339 27.9
10 Hampden (MA) 33,033 41,817 26.6
Top Origins of U.S. Foreign-Born Population, 2005
Country
Foreign-Born   
Population
Percent of   
Foreign-Born   
Population
Mexico 10,969,941 30.7
Philippines 1,593,421 4.5
India 1,422,492 4.0
China 1,415,177 4.0
Vietnam 1,066,085 3.0
Top 10 New England Counties of Foreign-Born Population, 2005
Rank County
Foreign-
Born 
Population 
(percent)
Foreign-
Born 
Population
Total
Population
1 Suffolk (MA) 28.0 173,454 620,053
2 Fairfield (CT) 18.7 165,476 884,050
3 Middlesex (MA) 18.5 260,424 1,405,511
4 Providence (RI) 17.3 105,858 610,539
5 Norfolk (MA) 14.7 93,894 636,632
6 Essex (MA) 13.4 96,709 721,625
7 Hartford (CT) 12.8 108,853 850,068
8 Bristol (MA) 12.7 67,769 533,310
9 New Haven (CT) 11.3 92,150 817,828
10 Worcester (MA) 10.3 78,280 759,409
There are also differences in the per-
centage of children with a parent of foreign-
born origin. In Rhode Island, 25 percent of 
children have at least one foreign-born par-
ent—a percentage higher than the national 
average. The three northern states have per-
centages  well  below  the  national  average. 
(See “Children with a Parent of Foreign Ori-
gin in New England.”)
As is the case nationwide, New Eng-
land’s foreign-born are highly concentrated 
geographically. Five of the region’s 67 coun-
ties are home to more than half of its foreign-
born.1 (See “Top 10 New England Counties 
of  Foreign-Born  Population,  2005.”)  Suf-
folk County, Massachusetts, has the high-
est percentage. Without large and growing 
foreign-born  populations,  several  counties 
would have declining populations.
The presence of immigrants is expand-
ing in the region. (See “Growth in Foreign-
Born Population of New England Counties, 
2000  to  2005.”)  Several  New  England 
counties  that  once  had  few  foreign-born 
residents  are  now  experiencing  significant 
growth, including Barnstable and Plymouth 
in Massachusetts and Hillsborough in New 
Hampshire. New immigrants are diversify-
ing formerly homogenous populations, and 
the  increased  cultural  and  social  diversity 
has begun to lure workers from the creative 
economy and the knowledge industry.
Different Origins and Cultures
The foreign-born population in New Eng-
land  differs  in  character  and  countries  of 
origin from that of the average foreign-born 
population  nationwide.  In  New  England, 
no single country accounted for more than 
7 percent of the total foreign-born popula-
tion. That percentage contrasts with the 30 
percent figure for Mexico as the top country 
of origin nationwide. (See “Top Origins of 
U.S. Foreign-Born Population, 2005.”)
In New England, Brazilians make up 
the largest foreign-born group, and China 
and India are in the top five countries of ori-
gin. For the northern New England states, 
the largest country of origin is Canada. Ver-
mont and New Hampshire also are seeing 
increasing numbers of people from India. 
(See “Top Origins of New England’s For-
eign-Born Population, 2005.”) 
In one point of difference from the rest 
of the nation, New England’s foreign-born 
are generally more educated. The higher per-
centage of foreign-born population 25 years 
and older with a bachelor’s degree probably 
relates to the region’s postsecondary-educa-
tion infrastructure and its knowledge-based Communities & Banking    23
Median Income of Native-Born and Foreign-Born Populations, 2005 
Rank State
Foreign-Born 
Population 
Income
Native-Born 
Population Income
2 New Hampshire $27,436 $28,446
4 Connecticut 27,078 32,377
6 Vermont 26,015 24,507
8 Massachusetts 25,167 30,837
25 Rhode Island 20,881 28,332
37 Maine 18,991 22,684
New England 25,208 28,875
United States $21,255 $24,933
Top Origins of New England’s Foreign-Born Population, 2005
Country
Foreign-Born   
Population
Percent of Foreign- 
Born Population
Brazil 104,354 6.6
Portugal 93,801 5.9
Canada 87,059 5.5
China 84,658 5.4
India 68,454 4.3
industries. (See “Education Level of Native-
Born  and  Foreign-Born,  2005.”)  In  New 
Hampshire  and  Vermont,  more  foreign-
born individuals 25 and older have a bach-
elor’s degree—a higher percentage than for 
the native born—and are therefore a source 
of skilled workers and entrepreneurs. 
Given their education levels, it is per-
haps  not  surprising  that  New  England’s 
immigrants  also  have  a  median  income 
greater  than  the  national  average  for  the   
foreign-born.  As  a  result,  successful  New 
England immigrants are contributing more 
to the local economy. (See “Median Income 
of  Native-Born  and  Foreign-Born  Popula-
tions, 2005.”)
The New England region’s long tradi-
tion of attracting foreign-born populations 
continues,  but  with  a  new  character  and 
some new implications. 
For  example,  northern  New  England 
states  are  benefiting  from  increased  expo-
sure to other cultures as they begin to engage 
more  with  the  global  economy.  Southern 
New England, meanwhile, would have had 
more than 1 percent lower growth in pop-
ulation if not for the foreign-born. In fact, 
many areas of New England would be losing 
population and economic vitality if not for 
growth in the foreign-born population. 
That is why the region’s policymakers 
are increasingly welcoming the foreign-born. 
New England is well-positioned to reap ben-
efits of immigration.
Ross Gittell is James R. Carter Professor and 
senior fellow at the University of New Hamp-
shire’s Carsey Institute in Durham, New Hamp-
shire. Timothy Lord is a recent graduate of 
the master’s program in economics at UNH.  
Endnote
 The American Community Survey provides data only 
1 
for areas with a population of more than 65,000. Thirty-
seven of the 67 New England counties have 2005 data. 
The counties for which the data were unavailable were 
grouped together by state, and the computed figures 
(state figures minus counties in the state with data) were 
presented.  
Education Level of Native-Born and Foreign-Born, 2005 
Rank among 50 states of people age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree
Rank State
Percent of   
Foreign-
Born
Population
Percent of   
Native-Born
Population
1 New Hampshire 24.1 19.8
5 Vermont 20.7 20.1
19 Maine 16.5 17.0
25 Connecticut 15.9 20.9
26 Massachusetts 15.7 22.5
41 Rhode Island 13.7 18.7
New England 16.1 20.8
United States 15.8 17.5
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New England’s foreign-born population today

http://www.bostonfed.org/commdev/c&b/2009/winter/Gittell_New_England_foreign_born.pdf

New England’s foreign-born population today

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