2023’s Most Diverse Cities in the U.S.

wallethub.com/edu/most-diverse-cities/12690

By Adam McCannApril 17, 2023

America is undergoing an extreme makeover, thanks to rapid demographic diversification. For example, the percentage of people in the U.S. who are multiracial increased from just 2.9% in 2010 to 10.2% in 2020. As the U.S. diversifies, it must stamp out hatred and promote unity, and there's a lot of work to do. Hate crimes rose in 2022, and by startling amounts in some cities – 18% in New York City and 13% in Los Angeles, for instance.

It’s important to embrace diversity – and it’s good for the economy, too. Not only have waves of immigration changed the face of the nation, they’ve also brought in fresh perspectives, skills and technologies to help the U.S. develop a strong adaptability to change. Economies generally fare better when they openly embrace and capitalize on new ideas. Conversely, those relying on old ways and specialized industries tend to be hurt more by changes in the market.

This article is the final installment in WalletHub’s diversity study series. It combines household diversity and religious diversity with our previous reports on socioeconomic diversity, cultural diversity and economic diversity. WalletHub tallied the scores across the five major diversity categories for 501 of the largest cities across 13 metrics.

Main Findings

#1-501

City	Rank
Gaithersburg, MD	1
Germantown, MD	2
Silver Spring, MD	3
Houston, TX	4
Arlington, TX	5
New York, NY	6
Jersey City, NJ	7
Charlotte, NC	8
Dallas, TX	9
Los Angeles, CA	10
Orlando, FL	11
Tampa, FL	12
Rockville, MD	13
Clifton, NJ	14
Long Beach, CA	15
Danbury, CT	16
Chicago, IL	17
Yonkers, NY	18
Oakland, CA	19
Aurora, IL	20
Fort Worth, TX	21
Stamford, CT	22
Bridgeport, CT	23
Nashville, TN	24
Sandy Springs, GA	25
Springdale, AR	26
Bear, DE	26
Sacramento, CA	28
Kent, WA	29
Anaheim, CA	30
Phoenix, AZ	31
Richmond, VA	32
Roswell, GA	33
New Rochelle, NY	34
Brooklyn Park, MN	35
Kansas City, KS	36
Norwalk, CT	37
Oklahoma City, OK	38
Federal Way, WA	39
Lowell, MA	40
Elgin, IL	41
San Diego, CA	42
Renton, WA	43
San Jose, CA	44
Glendale, AZ	45
Washington, DC	46
Newark, NJ	47
Boston, MA	48
Winston-Salem, NC	49
Spring Valley, NV	50
Fort Lauderdale, FL	51
Kenner, LA	52
Jacksonville, FL	53
New Britain, CT	54
Johns Creek, GA	55
Waukegan, IL	56
High Point, NC	57
Raleigh, NC	58
Santa Fe, NM	59
Durham, NC	60
North Las Vegas, NV	61
Enterprise, NV	62
Austin, TX	63
Albuquerque, NM	64
Tempe, AZ	65
Las Vegas, NV	66
Fresno, CA	67
Plano, TX	68
Lynn, MA	69
Paradise, NV	70
Atlanta, GA	71
Providence, RI	72
St. Louis, MO	73
St. Paul, MN	74
Clovis, NM	75
Minneapolis, MN	76
Alexandria, VA	77
Pawtucket, RI	78
Tulsa, OK	79
Greensboro, NC	80
Fayetteville, NC	81
Lancaster, PA	82
Elizabeth, NJ	83
Bakersfield, CA	84
Honolulu, HI	85
San Antonio, TX	86
Little Rock, AR	87
Fort Smith, AR	88
Chandler, AZ	89
Columbia, MD	90
Waterbury, CT	91
Milwaukee, WI	92
Tacoma, WA	93
Norfolk, VA	94
Hammond, IN	95
Paterson, NJ	96
Denver, CO	97
Rogers, AR	98
Mount Vernon, NY	99
Rockford, IL	100
Lawton, OK	101
Everett, WA	102
Yakima, WA	103
Indianapolis, IN	104
Brookside, DE	105
Quincy, MA	106
Aurora, CO	107
Hartford, CT	108
Sunrise Manor, NV	109
Kahului, HI	110
Hobbs, NM	111
Brockton, MA	112
Worcester, MA	113
Hilo, HI	114
Frederick, MD	115
North Charleston, SC	116
Columbus, GA	117
New Haven, CT	118
Philadelphia, PA	119
Trenton, NJ	120
Montgomery, AL	121
Columbus, OH	122
Huron, SD	123
Corpus Christi, TX	124
Huntsville, AL	125
Mesa, AZ	126
Rio Rancho, NM	127
Tucson, AZ	128
West Valley City, UT	129
Harrisburg, PA	130
Columbia, SC	131
Hampton, VA	132
Bloomington, MN	133
Omaha, NE	134
San Francisco, CA	135
Allentown, PA	136
Roanoke, VA	137
Cary, NC	138
Springfield, MA	139
Passaic, NJ	140
Miami, FL	141
Roswell, NM	142
Baton Rouge, LA	143
Albany, NY	144
Henderson, NV	145
Tallahassee, FL	146
North Little Rock, AR	147
Newport News, VA	148
Reno, NV	149
Midwest City, OK	150
Kansas City, MO	151
Memphis, TN	152
Sparks, NV	153
Salt Lake City, UT	154
Enid, OK	155
Sioux City, IA	156
St. Petersburg, FL	157
Buffalo, NY	158
Cincinnati, OH	159
Bethlehem, PA	160
Wichita, KS	161
Anchorage, AK	162
Metairie, LA	163
Joliet, IL	164
Woonsocket, RI	165
Fort Wayne, IN	166
Rochester, NY	167
Clarksville, TN	168
Camden, NJ	169
Goose Creek, SC	170
Farmington, NM	171
Baltimore, MD	172
Hillsboro, OR	173
Salem, OR	174
Greenville, SC	175
Taylorsville, UT	176
Bossier City, LA	177
Peoria, AZ	178
Chattanooga, TN	179
Louisville, KY	180
Grand Island, NE	181
Syracuse, NY	182
Lexington, KY	183
Beaverton, OR	184
Norman, OK	185
Hoover, AL	186
Lafayette, LA	187
Ogden, UT	188
Broken Arrow, OK	189
Cleveland, OH	190
Bartlett, TN	191
Glasgow, DE	192
Biloxi, MS	193
Athens, GA	194
West Hartford, CT	195
New Bedford, MA	196
Jackson, WY	197
Pike Creek Valley, DE	198
Seattle, WA	199
Las Cruces, NM	200
Reading, PA	201
Grand Rapids, MI	202
Colorado Springs, CO	203
Portsmouth, VA	204
Augusta, GA	205
Mobile, AL	206
Lake Charles, LA	207
Caldwell, ID	208
Horn Lake, MS	208
Wilmington, NC	210
Ewa Gentry, HI	211
Chesapeake, VA	212
Bentonville, AR	213
Sumter, SC	214
Port St. Lucie, FL	215
Pearl City, HI	216
Ellicott City, MD	217
Winooski, VT	218
Madison, AL	219
New Orleans, LA	220
Middletown, DE	221
Green Bay, WI	221
Waipahu, HI	223
Des Moines, IA	224
Newark, DE	225
Union City, NJ	226
Decatur, AL	227
Moore, OK	228
Cranston, RI	229
Rock Hill, SC	230
Aberdeen, SD	231
Virginia Beach, VA	232
South Valley, NM	233
Vancouver, WA	234
Bristol, CT	235
Bellevue, WA	236
Gresham, OR	237
Olive Branch, MS	238
Edmond, OK	239
Savannah, GA	240
Dearborn, MI	241
Portland, OR	242
Mililani Town, HI	243
Kaneohe, HI	244
Charleston, SC	245
Pittsburgh, PA	246
Cambridge, MA	247
Fayetteville, AR	248
Norfolk, NE	249
Waldorf, MD	250
Wilmington, DE	251
Kailua, HI	252
Cape Coral, FL	253
Summerville, SC	254
Macon, GA	255
Nampa, ID	256
Gilbert, AZ	257
Carson City, NV	258
Arlington, VA	259
Dayton, OH	260
Shreveport, LA	261
Naperville, IL	262
Olathe, KS	263
Columbus, NE	264
El Paso, TX	265
Sioux Falls, SD	266
Overland Park, KS	267
Westland, MI	268
Surprise, AZ	269
Bowling Green, KY	270
Waukesha, WI	271
Central Falls, RI	272
Peoria, IL	273
Essex Junction, VT	274
Lansing, MI	275
South Bend, IN	276
Southaven, MS	276
Scranton, PA	278
Pierre, SD	279
Glen Burnie, MD	280
Juneau, AK	281
Fall River, MA	282
Franklin, TN	283
Boise, ID	284
Alexandria, LA	285
East Honolulu, HI	286
College, AK	287
Dothan, AL	288
Waterloo, IA	289
Topeka, KS	290
Racine, WI	291
Parma, OH	292
Knoxville, TN	293
Williston, ND	294
Gulfport, MS	295
St. Cloud, MN	296
Smyrna, DE	297
Lincoln, NE	298
Alamogordo, NM	299
Rochester, MN	300
Plymouth, MN	301
Scottsdale, AZ	302
Dover, DE	303
Conway, AR	304
Tupelo, MS	305
Jonesboro, AR	306
Fargo, ND	306
East Providence, RI	308
Akron, OH	309
Murfreesboro, TN	310
Lorain, OH	311
Madison, WI	312
South Burlington, VT	313
Valley Falls, RI	314
Springfield, IL	315
Cicero, IL	316
Birmingham, AL	317
Tuscaloosa, AL	318
Thornton, CO	319
Appleton, WI	320
Lenexa, KS	321
Newport, RI	322
Twin Falls, ID	323
Independence, MO	324
Kenosha, WI	324
West Jordan, UT	326
Schenectady, NY	327
Manhattan, KS	328
Fairbanks, AK	329
Rapid City, SD	330
Hattiesburg, MS	331
Hilton Head Island, SC	332
Bismarck, ND	333
Lakewood, CO	334
Hopkinsville, KY	335
Bellevue, NE	336
Jackson, TN	337
Burlington, VT	338
Fremont, NE	339
Rock Springs, WY	340
Westminster, CO	341
Coeur d'Alene, ID	342
Youngstown, OH	343
Sitka and, AK	344
Warren, MI	345
Kearney, NE	346
Shawnee, KS	347
St. Charles, MO	348
Fort Collins, CO	349
Brookings, SD	350
Sterling Heights, MI	351
Yankton, SD	352
Grand Forks, ND	353
West Des Moines, IA	354
Cedar Rapids, IA	355
Lee's Summit, MO	356
Columbia, MO	357
Covington, KY	358
Owensboro, KY	359
Pueblo, CO	360
Greenville, NC	361
Spokane, WA	362
Woodbury, MN	363
Meridian, ID	364
Auburn, AL	365
Toledo, OH	366
Nashua, NH	367
Dickinson, ND	368
Davenport, IA	369
Cheektowaga, NY	370
Minot, ND	371
Maple Grove, MN	372
Hastings, NE	373
Albany, GA	374
Elizabethtown, KY	375
Idaho Falls, ID	376
Watertown, SD	377
Riverton, WY	378
Manchester, NH	379
Mount Pleasant, SC	380
Salina, KS	381
Florence, KY	382
Johnson City, TN	383
Sandy, UT	384
Post Falls, ID	385
Pocatello, ID	386
Livonia, MI	387
Wahpeton, ND	388
Ann Arbor, MI	389
Monroe, LA	390
Toms River, NJ	391
Meridian, MS	392
Mitchell, SD	393
Charleston, WV	394
Levittown, PA	395
Pine Bluff, AR	396
Stillwater, OK	397
Mandan, ND	398
Lawrence, KS	399
Evansville, IN	400
Jackson, MS	401
Erie, PA	402
St. Joseph, MO	403
Ames, IA	404
Iowa City, IA	405
Portland, ME	406
Springfield, MO	407
Corvallis, OR	407
Cheyenne, WY	409
O'Fallon, MO	410
West Fargo, ND	411
St. Peters, MO	412
Centennial, CO	413
Detroit, MI	414
Green River, WY	415
Oshkosh, WI	416
Canton, OH	417
Medford, OR	418
Casper, WY	419
Lewiston, ME	420
Wasilla, AK	421
Clarksburg, WV	422
Badger, AK	423
Gary, IN	424
Montpelier, VT	425
Greenville, MS	426
Carmel, IN	427
Fairmont, WV	428
Warwick, RI	429
Westerly, RI	430
Eau Claire, WI	431
Gillette, WY	432
Helena, MT	433
Evanston, WY	434
Fishers, IN	435
Arvada, CO	436
Great Falls, MT	437
Hialeah, FL	438
Martinsburg, WV	439
Bend, OR	440
Lewiston, ID	441
Laramie, WY	442
Spearfish, SD	443
Lafayette, IN	444
Eugene, OR	445
Dubuque, IA	446
Flint, MI	447
Billings, MT	448
South Portland, ME	449
Miles City, MT	450
Council Bluffs, IA	451
Wheeling, WV	452
Tanaina, AK	453
Jamestown, ND	454
Janesville, WI	455
Westbrook, ME	456
Knik-Fairview, AK	457
Sheridan, WY	458
Bozeman, MT	459
Huntington, WV	460
Bloomington, IN	461
St. George, UT	462
Concord, NH	463
North Lakes, AK	464
Richmond, KY	465
Kalispell, MT	466
Havre, MT	467
Auburn, ME	468
Portsmouth, NH	469
Weirton, WV	470
Middlebury, VT	471
Laredo, TX	472
Saco, ME	473
Beckley, WV	474
Duluth, MN	475
Layton, UT	476
Butte-Silver Bow, MT	477
Augusta, ME	478
Missoula, MT	479
Rutland, VT	480
Springfield, OR	481
Biddeford, ME	482
Laconia, NH	483
Barre, VT	484
Hockessin, DE	485
Bennington, VT	486
Georgetown, KY	487
Lebanon, NH	488
Parkersburg, WV	489
Sanford, ME	490
Derry, NH	491
Anaconda, MT	492
Dover, NH	493
Morgantown, WV	494
Orem, UT	495
Provo, UT	496
Bangor, ME	497
Keene, NH	498
North Platte, NE	499
Rochester, NH	500
Brattleboro, VT	501

Rankings by City Size

Rank	Large City Name (Score)	Rank	Midsize City Name (Score)	Rank	Small City Name (Score)
1	Houston, TX (72.28)	1	Jersey City, NJ (72.02)	1	Gaithersburg, MD (73.09)
2	Arlington, TX (72.16)	2	Yonkers, NY (71.00)	2	Germantown, MD (72.94)
3	New York, NY (72.10)	3	Aurora, IL (70.96)	3	Silver Spring, MD (72.91)
4	Charlotte, NC (71.79)	4	Stamford, CT (70.83)	4	Rockville, MD (71.41)
5	Dallas, TX (71.72)	5	Bridgeport, CT (70.78)	5	Clifton, NJ (71.36)
6	Los Angeles, CA (71.60)	6	Sandy Springs, GA (70.69)	6	Danbury, CT (71.30)
7	Orlando, FL (71.46)	7	Kent, WA (70.45)	7	Springdale, AR (70.58)
8	Tampa, FL (71.42)	8	Richmond, VA (70.37)	7	Bear, DE (70.58)
9	Long Beach, CA (71.32)	9	Kansas City, KS (70.31)	9	Roswell, GA (70.36)
10	Chicago, IL (71.25)	10	Lowell, MA (69.98)	10	New Rochelle, NY (70.33)
11	Oakland, CA (70.98)	11	Elgin, IL (69.96)	11	Brooklyn Park, MN (70.33)
12	Fort Worth, TX (70.93)	12	Renton, WA (69.90)	12	Norwalk, CT (70.22)
13	Nashville, TN (70.73)	13	Glendale, AZ (69.84)	13	Federal Way, WA (70.16)
14	Sacramento, CA (70.56)	14	Winston-Salem, NC (69.82)	14	Kenner, LA (69.77)
15	Anaheim, CA (70.40)	15	Spring Valley, NV (69.80)	15	New Britain, CT (69.73)
16	Phoenix, AZ (70.38)	16	Fort Lauderdale, FL (69.79)	16	Johns Creek, GA (69.72)
17	Oklahoma City, OK (70.20)	17	High Point, NC (69.66)	17	Waukegan, IL (69.67)
18	San Diego, CA (69.90)	18	Durham, NC (69.52)	18	Santa Fe, NM (69.60)
19	San Jose, CA (69.88)	19	North Las Vegas, NV (69.46)	19	Clovis, NM (69.07)
20	Washington, DC (69.84)	20	Enterprise, NV (69.45)	20	Pawtucket, RI (68.99)
21	Newark, NJ (69.83)	21	Tempe, AZ (69.29)	21	Lancaster, PA (68.86)
22	Boston, MA (69.82)	22	Plano, TX (69.21)	22	Fort Smith, AR (68.59)
23	Jacksonville, FL (69.73)	23	Lynn, MA (69.21)	23	Hammond, IN (68.41)
24	Raleigh, NC (69.61)	24	Paradise, NV (69.19)	24	Rogers, AR (68.29)
25	Austin, TX (69.42)	25	Providence, RI (69.14)	25	Mount Vernon, NY (68.28)
26	Albuquerque, NM (69.40)	26	Alexandria, VA (69.00)	26	Lawton, OK (68.25)
27	Las Vegas, NV (69.27)	27	Greensboro, NC (68.92)	27	Yakima, WA (68.21)
28	Fresno, CA (69.22)	28	Fayetteville, NC (68.88)	28	Brookside, DE (68.20)
29	Atlanta, GA (69.18)	29	Elizabeth, NJ (68.83)	29	Kahului, HI (68.08)
30	St. Louis, MO (69.12)	30	Little Rock, AR (68.62)	30	Hobbs, NM (68.02)
31	St. Paul, MN (69.08)	31	Chandler, AZ (68.59)	31	Hilo, HI (67.98)
32	Minneapolis, MN (69.06)	32	Columbia, MD (68.50)	32	Frederick, MD (67.96)
33	Tulsa, OK (68.95)	33	Waterbury, CT (68.48)	33	Trenton, NJ (67.87)
34	Bakersfield, CA (68.78)	34	Tacoma, WA (68.47)	34	Huron, SD (67.83)
35	Honolulu, HI (68.68)	35	Norfolk, VA (68.41)	35	Harrisburg, PA (67.63)
36	San Antonio, TX (68.66)	36	Paterson, NJ (68.40)	36	Bloomington, MN (67.60)
37	Milwaukee, WI (68.47)	37	Rockford, IL (68.26)	37	Roanoke, VA (67.49)
38	Denver, CO (68.36)	38	Everett, WA (68.24)	38	Passaic, NJ (67.42)
39	Indianapolis, IN (68.21)	39	Quincy, MA (68.19)	39	Roswell, NM (67.26)
40	Aurora, CO (68.19)	40	Hartford, CT (68.16)	40	Albany, NY (67.25)
41	Philadelphia, PA (67.91)	41	Sunrise Manor, NV (68.10)	41	North Little Rock, AR (67.22)
42	Columbus, OH (67.86)	42	Brockton, MA (68.01)	42	Midwest City, OK (67.19)
43	Corpus Christi, TX (67.79)	43	Worcester, MA (67.98)	43	Enid, OK (67.11)
44	Mesa, AZ (67.75)	44	North Charleston, SC (67.96)	44	Sioux City, IA (67.11)
45	Tucson, AZ (67.70)	45	Columbus, GA (67.95)	45	Bethlehem, PA (67.03)
46	Omaha, NE (67.55)	46	New Haven, CT (67.94)	46	Woonsocket, RI (66.94)
47	San Francisco, CA (67.53)	47	Montgomery, AL (67.86)	47	Camden, NJ (66.84)
48	Miami, FL (67.39)	48	Huntsville, AL (67.77)	48	Goose Creek, SC (66.80)
49	Henderson, NV (67.24)	49	Rio Rancho, NM (67.73)	49	Farmington, NM (66.79)
50	Kansas City, MO (67.19)	50	West Valley City, UT (67.66)	50	Greenville, SC (66.69)
51	Memphis, TN (67.17)	51	Columbia, SC (67.62)	51	Taylorsville, UT (66.68)
52	Cincinnati, OH (67.06)	52	Hampton, VA (67.61)	52	Bossier City, LA (66.67)
53	Wichita, KS (67.03)	53	Allentown, PA (67.51)	53	Grand Island, NE (66.56)
54	Baltimore, MD (66.75)	54	Cary, NC (67.48)	54	Beaverton, OR (66.51)
55	Louisville, KY (66.56)	55	Springfield, MA (67.46)	55	Hoover, AL (66.45)
56	Lexington, KY (66.55)	56	Baton Rouge, LA (67.25)	56	Ogden, UT (66.44)
57	Cleveland, OH (66.42)	57	Tallahassee, FL (67.22)	57	Bartlett, TN (66.41)
58	Seattle, WA (66.31)	58	Newport News, VA (67.22)	58	Glasgow, DE (66.40)
59	Colorado Springs, CO (66.26)	59	Reno, NV (67.21)	59	Biloxi, MS (66.39)
60	New Orleans, LA (66.01)	60	Sparks, NV (67.16)	60	West Hartford, CT (66.34)
61	Virginia Beach, VA (65.85)	61	Salt Lake City, UT (67.16)	61	Jackson, WY (66.33)
62	Portland, OR (65.59)	62	St. Petersburg, FL (67.09)	62	Pike Creek Valley, DE (66.33)
63	Pittsburgh, PA (65.50)	63	Buffalo, NY (67.07)	63	Reading, PA (66.28)
64	El Paso, TX (65.25)	64	Anchorage, AK (67.01)	64	Portsmouth, VA (66.24)
65	Detroit, MI (61.60)	65	Metairie, LA (66.97)	65	Lake Charles, LA (66.20)
		66	Joliet, IL (66.95)	66	Caldwell, ID (66.19)
		67	Fort Wayne, IN (66.91)	66	Horn Lake, MS (66.19)
		68	Rochester, NY (66.90)	68	Ewa Gentry, HI (66.17)
		69	Clarksville, TN (66.86)	69	Bentonville, AR (66.15)
		70	Hillsboro, OR (66.73)	70	Sumter, SC (66.13)
		71	Salem, OR (66.71)	71	Pearl City, HI (66.08)
		72	Peoria, AZ (66.58)	72	Ellicott City, MD (66.04)
		73	Chattanooga, TN (66.57)	73	Winooski, VT (66.02)
		74	Syracuse, NY (66.55)	74	Madison, AL (66.02)
		75	Norman, OK (66.49)	75	Middletown, DE (66.00)
		76	Lafayette, LA (66.45)	76	Waipahu, HI (65.95)
		77	Broken Arrow, OK (66.44)	77	Newark, DE (65.91)
		78	Athens, GA (66.36)	78	Union City, NJ (65.90)
		79	New Bedford, MA (66.34)	79	Decatur, AL (65.89)
		80	Las Cruces, NM (66.28)	80	Moore, OK (65.88)
		81	Grand Rapids, MI (66.27)	81	Cranston, RI (65.86)
		82	Augusta, GA (66.21)	82	Rock Hill, SC (65.86)
		83	Mobile, AL (66.20)	83	Aberdeen, SD (65.86)
		84	Wilmington, NC (66.18)	84	South Valley, NM (65.82)
		85	Chesapeake, VA (66.16)	85	Bristol, CT (65.77)
		86	Port St. Lucie, FL (66.12)	86	Olive Branch, MS (65.67)
		87	Green Bay, WI (66.00)	87	Edmond, OK (65.67)
		88	Des Moines, IA (65.92)	88	Mililani Town, HI (65.54)
		89	Vancouver, WA (65.80)	89	Kaneohe, HI (65.53)
		90	Bellevue, WA (65.73)	90	Fayetteville, AR (65.47)
		91	Gresham, OR (65.70)	91	Norfolk, NE (65.47)
		92	Savannah, GA (65.66)	92	Waldorf, MD (65.47)
		93	Dearborn, MI (65.62)	93	Wilmington, DE (65.42)
		94	Charleston, SC (65.52)	94	Kailua, HI (65.41)
		95	Cambridge, MA (65.48)	95	Summerville, SC (65.40)
		96	Cape Coral, FL (65.40)	96	Nampa, ID (65.36)
		97	Macon, GA (65.37)	97	Carson City, NV (65.30)
		98	Gilbert, AZ (65.35)	98	Columbus, NE (65.25)
		99	Arlington, VA (65.28)	99	Westland, MI (65.22)
		100	Dayton, OH (65.27)	100	Bowling Green, KY (65.18)
		101	Shreveport, LA (65.27)	101	Waukesha, WI (65.16)
		102	Naperville, IL (65.26)	102	Central Falls, RI (65.16)
		103	Olathe, KS (65.25)	103	Essex Junction, VT (65.11)
		104	Sioux Falls, SD (65.24)	104	Southaven, MS (65.07)
		105	Overland Park, KS (65.23)	105	Scranton, PA (65.06)
		106	Surprise, AZ (65.19)	106	Pierre, SD (65.05)
		107	Peoria, IL (65.15)	107	Glen Burnie, MD (64.97)
		108	Lansing, MI (65.08)	108	Juneau, AK (64.97)
		109	South Bend, IN (65.07)	109	Fall River, MA (64.93)
		110	Boise, ID (64.90)	110	Franklin, TN (64.92)
		111	Topeka, KS (64.82)	111	Alexandria, LA (64.89)
		112	Knoxville, TN (64.72)	112	East Honolulu, HI (64.86)
		113	Lincoln, NE (64.55)	113	College, AK (64.84)
		114	Rochester, MN (64.49)	114	Dothan, AL (64.83)
		115	Scottsdale, AZ (64.47)	115	Waterloo, IA (64.82)
		116	Fargo, ND (64.41)	116	Racine, WI (64.81)
		117	Akron, OH (64.37)	117	Parma, OH (64.80)
		118	Murfreesboro, TN (64.36)	118	Williston, ND (64.71)
		119	Madison, WI (64.34)	119	Gulfport, MS (64.66)
		120	Springfield, IL (64.30)	120	St. Cloud, MN (64.63)
		121	Birmingham, AL (64.21)	121	Smyrna, DE (64.59)
		122	Thornton, CO (64.15)	122	Alamogordo, NM (64.52)
		123	Independence, MO (64.05)	123	Plymouth, MN (64.49)
		124	West Jordan, UT (63.99)	124	Dover, DE (64.47)
		125	Lakewood, CO (63.74)	125	Conway, AR (64.46)
		126	Westminster, CO (63.52)	126	Tupelo, MS (64.45)
		127	Warren, MI (63.49)	127	Jonesboro, AR (64.41)
		128	Fort Collins, CO (63.44)	128	East Providence, RI (64.40)
		129	Sterling Heights, MI (63.37)	129	Lorain, OH (64.34)
		130	Cedar Rapids, IA (63.23)	130	South Burlington, VT (64.32)
		131	Lee's Summit, MO (63.16)	131	Valley Falls, RI (64.31)
		132	Columbia, MO (63.14)	132	Cicero, IL (64.27)
		133	Pueblo, CO (63.10)	133	Tuscaloosa, AL (64.17)
		134	Spokane, WA (63.06)	134	Appleton, WI (64.15)
		135	Meridian, ID (62.99)	135	Lenexa, KS (64.11)
		136	Toledo, OH (62.92)	136	Newport, RI (64.08)
		137	Davenport, IA (62.87)	137	Twin Falls, ID (64.07)
		138	Manchester, NH (62.52)	138	Kenosha, WI (64.05)
		139	Ann Arbor, MI (62.30)	139	Schenectady, NY (63.93)
		140	Evansville, IN (61.96)	140	Manhattan, KS (63.91)
		141	Jackson, MS (61.91)	141	Fairbanks, AK (63.90)
		142	Springfield, MO (61.79)	142	Rapid City, SD (63.88)
		143	Centennial, CO (61.60)	143	Hattiesburg, MS (63.83)
		144	Arvada, CO (60.65)	144	Hilton Head Island, SC (63.79)
		145	Hialeah, FL (60.56)	145	Bismarck, ND (63.76)
		146	Eugene, OR (60.35)	146	Hopkinsville, KY (63.73)
		147	Billings, MT (60.27)	147	Bellevue, NE (63.71)
		148	Laredo, TX (59.21)	148	Jackson, TN (63.70)
		149	Provo, UT (57.53)	149	Burlington, VT (63.59)
				150	Fremont, NE (63.56)
				151	Rock Springs, WY (63.54)
				152	Coeur d'Alene, ID (63.50)
				153	Youngstown, OH (63.50)
				154	Sitka and, AK (63.49)
				155	Kearney, NE (63.47)
				156	Shawnee, KS (63.46)
				157	St. Charles, MO (63.45)
				158	Brookings, SD (63.44)
				159	Yankton, SD (63.33)
				160	Grand Forks, ND (63.28)
				161	West Des Moines, IA (63.27)
				162	Covington, KY (63.11)
				163	Owensboro, KY (63.10)
				164	Greenville, NC (63.10)
				165	Woodbury, MN (63.03)
				166	Auburn, AL (62.96)
				167	Nashua, NH (62.91)
				168	Dickinson, ND (62.89)
				169	Cheektowaga, NY (62.86)
				170	Minot, ND (62.83)
				171	Maple Grove, MN (62.79)
				172	Hastings, NE (62.72)
				173	Albany, GA (62.71)
				174	Elizabethtown, KY (62.69)
				175	Idaho Falls, ID (62.68)
				176	Watertown, SD (62.67)
				177	Riverton, WY (62.57)
				178	Mount Pleasant, SC (62.51)
				179	Salina, KS (62.43)
				180	Florence, KY (62.43)
				181	Johnson City, TN (62.40)
				182	Sandy, UT (62.38)
				183	Post Falls, ID (62.37)
				184	Pocatello, ID (62.37)
				185	Livonia, MI (62.33)
				186	Wahpeton, ND (62.30)
				187	Monroe, LA (62.28)
				188	Toms River, NJ (62.27)
				189	Meridian, MS (62.25)
				190	Mitchell, SD (62.25)
				191	Charleston, WV (62.20)
				192	Levittown, PA (62.16)
				193	Pine Bluff, AR (62.15)
				194	Stillwater, OK (62.12)
				195	Mandan, ND (62.02)
				196	Lawrence, KS (61.96)
				197	Erie, PA (61.90)
				198	St. Joseph, MO (61.87)
				199	Ames, IA (61.82)
				200	Iowa City, IA (61.80)
				201	Portland, ME (61.79)
				202	Corvallis, OR (61.79)
				203	Cheyenne, WY (61.78)
				204	O'Fallon, MO (61.72)
				205	West Fargo, ND (61.68)
				206	St. Peters, MO (61.60)
				207	Green River, WY (61.59)
				208	Oshkosh, WI (61.45)
				209	Canton, OH (61.45)
				210	Medford, OR (61.33)
				211	Casper, WY (61.29)
				212	Lewiston, ME (61.23)
				213	Wasilla, AK (61.21)
				214	Clarksburg, WV (61.15)
				215	Badger, AK (61.12)
				216	Gary, IN (61.10)
				217	Montpelier, VT (61.10)
				218	Greenville, MS (61.09)
				219	Carmel, IN (61.08)
				220	Fairmont, WV (61.05)
				221	Warwick, RI (61.00)
				222	Westerly, RI (60.97)
				223	Eau Claire, WI (60.93)
				224	Gillette, WY (60.80)
				225	Helena, MT (60.77)
				226	Evanston, WY (60.66)
				227	Fishers, IN (60.66)
				228	Great Falls, MT (60.60)
				229	Martinsburg, WV (60.56)
				230	Bend, OR (60.47)
				231	Lewiston, ID (60.47)
				232	Laramie, WY (60.43)
				233	Spearfish, SD (60.42)
				234	Lafayette, IN (60.40)
				235	Dubuque, IA (60.32)
				236	Flint, MI (60.30)
				237	South Portland, ME (60.26)
				238	Miles City, MT (60.18)
				239	Council Bluffs, IA (60.14)
				240	Wheeling, WV (60.02)
				241	Tanaina, AK (59.99)
				242	Jamestown, ND (59.96)
				243	Janesville, WI (59.95)
				244	Westbrook, ME (59.84)
				245	Knik-Fairview, AK (59.82)
				246	Sheridan, WY (59.77)
				247	Bozeman, MT (59.72)
				248	Huntington, WV (59.60)
				249	Bloomington, IN (59.59)
				250	St. George, UT (59.58)
				251	Concord, NH (59.54)
				252	North Lakes, AK (59.49)
				253	Richmond, KY (59.40)
				254	Kalispell, MT (59.35)
				255	Havre, MT (59.31)
				256	Auburn, ME (59.30)
				257	Portsmouth, NH (59.30)
				258	Weirton, WV (59.29)
				259	Middlebury, VT (59.26)
				260	Saco, ME (59.19)
				261	Beckley, WV (59.19)
				262	Duluth, MN (59.18)
				263	Layton, UT (59.16)
				264	Butte-Silver Bow, MT (59.10)
				265	Augusta, ME (59.05)
				266	Missoula, MT (59.01)
				267	Rutland, VT (58.89)
				268	Springfield, OR (58.89)
				269	Biddeford, ME (58.86)
				270	Laconia, NH (58.84)
				271	Barre, VT (58.80)
				272	Hockessin, DE (58.80)
				273	Bennington, VT (58.67)
				274	Georgetown, KY (58.66)
				275	Lebanon, NH (58.39)
				276	Parkersburg, WV (58.30)
				277	Sanford, ME (58.26)
				278	Derry, NH (58.11)
				279	Anaconda, MT (57.91)
				280	Dover, NH (57.81)
				281	Morgantown, WV (57.57)
				282	Orem, UT (57.55)
				283	Bangor, ME (57.33)
				284	Keene, NH (56.74)
				285	North Platte, NE (56.43)
				286	Rochester, NH (56.29)
				287	Brattleboro, VT (54.72)

Ask the Experts

Many local economies use their diverse demographics to their advantage, mirroring the country’s economic success as a whole. But diversity also has its drawbacks. For insight into the advantages and disadvantages of diversity as well as advice on how to channel different demographic characteristics toward economic growth, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. What are the pros and cons of living and working in a diverse city?
2. Is there a relationship between diversity and economic growth in cities?
3. What can local policy makers do to harness the diversity in their cities to spur innovation?
4. Which types of diversity are good or bad for cities?
5. What can local governments do to ensure health and wealth equity?

Jonathan Y. Okamura
Professor Emeritus in Ethnic Studies – University of Hawai'i at Manoa
Read More

Meera E. Deo
Ph.D., JD – The Honorable Vaino Spencer Professor of Law – Southwestern Law School
Read More

Libby Newman
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Government, Politics and Law – Rider University
Read More

Abel A. Bartley
Professor, Department of History, College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities – Clemson University
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the most diverse cities in America, WalletHub compared 501 of the most populated cities — limiting each state to no more than 10 cities each — across five key dimensions: 1) Socioeconomic Diversity, 2) Cultural Diversity, 3) Economic Diversity, 4) Household Diversity and 5) Religious Diversity.

We conducted our analysis using the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index method, which is a commonly accepted measure of market concentration that also works effectively as a general-purpose measure of diversity (e.g., race/ethnicity, occupations, languages, nationalities).

Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area. Each city was categorized according to the following population-size guidelines:

• Large cities: More than 300,000 residents
• Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 residents
• Small cities: Fewer than 100,000 residents

We then evaluated the five dimensions using 13 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights and subcomponents. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most diversity.

Lastly, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

1. Socioeconomic Diversity – Total Points: 20
   1. Household-Income Diversity: Double Weight (~13.33 Points)
      • $34,999 or less
      • $35,000–$49,999
      • $50,000–$74,999
      • $75,000–$99,999
      • $100,000–$149,999
      • $150,000 or more
   2. Educational-Attainment Diversity: Full Weight (~6.67 Points)
      • Without a high school diploma
      • High school diploma and perhaps some college or an associate’s degree
      • Bachelor’s degree
      • Graduate or professional degree
2. Cultural Diversity – Total Points: 20
   1. Racial & Ethnic Diversity: Triple Weight (~10.00 Points)
      • Hispanic or Latino
      • White (not Hispanic or Latino)
      • Black or African American (not Hispanic or Latino)
      • Asian (not Hispanic or Latino)
      • All others (American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, some other race alone, two or more races and not Hispanic or Latino)
   2. Linguistic Diversity: Double Weight (~6.67 Points)
      • English
      • Spanish
      • Other Indo-European languages
      • Asian and Pacific-Islander languages
      • Other languages
   3. Birthplace Diversity: Full Weight (~3.33 Points)
      • In State of Residence
      • Northeast Region
      • Midwest Region
      • South Region
      • West Region
      • U.S. Territory & Abroad (if born to American parent(s))
      • Foreign Nation
3. Economic Diversity – Total Points: 20
   1. Industry Diversity: Triple Weight (~12.00 Points)
      Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
      • Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, and Mining
      • Construction
      • Manufacturing
      • Wholesale Trade
      • Retail Trade
      • Transportation and Warehousing, and Utilities
      • Information
      • Finance and Insurance, and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
      • Professional, Scientific, and Management, and Administrative and Waste-Management Services
      • Educational Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance
      • Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation, and Accommodation and Food Services
      • Other Services (excluding Public Administration)
      • Public Administration
   2. Occupational Diversity: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
      Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
      • Management, Business, Science, and Arts Occupations
      • Service Occupations
      • Sales and Office Occupations
      • Natural-Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Occupations
      • Production, Transportation, and Material Moving Occupations
   3. Worker-Class Diversity: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
      Note: Considers the civilian employed population aged 16 and older.
      • Private Wage and Salary Workers
      • Government Workers
      • Self-Employed Workers (operating their own, unincorporated businesses)
        Note: Includes “people who worked for profit or fees in their own unincorporated business, professional practice, or trade or who operated a farm,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
      • Unpaid Family Workers
4. Household Diversity – Total Points: 20
   1. Marital-Status Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
      • Never Married
      • Married (excluding separated)
      • Divorced
      • Separated
      • Widowed
   2. Age Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
      • Aged 19 and younger
      • Aged 20-24
      • Aged 25-34
      • Aged 35-44
      • Aged 45-54
      • Aged 55-64
      • Aged 65 and older
   3. Household-Type Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
      • Family households with married couples
      • Male-headed family households (no spouse present)
      • Female-headed family households (no spouse present)
      • Cohabiting couple households
   4. Household-Size Diversity: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
      • Two-person family households
      • Three-person family households
      • Four-person family households
      • Five-person family households
      • Six-person family households
      • Seven-person or more family households
      • One-person nonfamily households
      • Two-person nonfamily households
      • Three-person nonfamily households
      • Four-person nonfamily households
      • Five-person nonfamily households
      • Six-person nonfamily households
      • Seven-person or more nonfamily households
5. Religious Diversity – Total Points: 20
   • Evangelical Protestant
   • Mainline Protestant
   • Black Protestant
   • Catholic
   • Orthodox Christian
   • Jewish
   • Muslim
   • Buddhist
   • Hindu
   • Unaffiliated
   • Other Religions

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Religion Census.