Sea Of Humanity
2024’s Most And Least Ethnically Diverse Cities – WalletHub Study
With immigration reform and border security remaining hot-button issues for the 2024 election, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2024’s Most & Least Ethnically Diverse Cities, as well as expert commentary, to celebrate our differences and highlight the places with the richest cultural mixes.
To identify the most ethnically diverse places in America, WalletHub compared more than 500 of the largest U.S. cities across three key metrics that measure diversity based on residents’ ethnicity and race, language, and birthplace.
In the key highlights, it was noted that Germantown, Maryland, has the highest racial and ethnic diversity, which is four times higher than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the lowest. Laredo, Texas, has the highest concentration of Hispanic or Latino people, at 95.52 percent. Rutland, Vermont, has the highest concentration of white people, at 93.66 percent. Greenville, Mississippi, has the highest concentration of black people, at 82.78 percent.
“People who live in ethnically diverse cities have the opportunity to experience new cultures, languages, foods and viewpoints, allowing them to learn more about the world,” Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst. “People who grow up in diverse cities also are less likely to develop prejudiced views of people who are different from them. In addition, cities benefit from the unique skill sets that people of different cultures and national origins bring to the table.”
“Diversity can contribute to a vibrant and socially dynamic community. Events, festivals, and cultural celebrations are often more varied and frequent in racially/ethnically diverse cities, providing residents with opportunities for social interaction and community engagement,” said Brad R. Fulton – Associate Professor, Indiana University. “Living in a racially/ethnically diverse city encourages individuals to learn about and appreciate the perspectives of people from various backgrounds, reducing stereotypes and prejudice. In general, exposure to different cultures tends to promote understanding, empathy, and tolerance. Finally, in an increasingly interconnected world, racially/ethnically diverse cities serve as hubs for global connectivity, providing residents with more opportunities for international collaboration, trade, and cultural exchange.”
“The increasingly diverse younger demographic will continue to improve economic conditions,” Julia Marin Hellwege, Ph.D. – Associate Professor; Director, Government Research Bureau, University of South Dakota. “They will build an economy that is resilient, diversified, and can respond well to external forces. As a labor market, they will be able to move into a variety of careers and will be innovative and creative. However, they will likely also show an unwillingness to simply ‘go along’ with traditional approaches as they will have been exposed to more varied perspectives and exhibit greater critical thinking.”
