2018’s Most & Least Ethnically Diverse Cities in the U.S.
3:19 AMPosted by: Richie Bernardo
The U.S. today is a melting pot of cultures, thanks to rapid ethnic and racial diversification of the past four decades. If the trend continues, America will be more colorful than ever by 2044, at which point no single ethnic group will constitute the majority in the U.S. for the first time.
But with immigration reform still a hot-button issue, the U.S. ethnic landscape may change again in the near future. In the meantime, WalletHub took a snapshot of America’s current cultural profile, comparing more than 500 of the largest U.S. cities across three key indicators of cultural diversity. We examined each city based on ethnicity and race, language and birthplace. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
- Main Findings
- Ratio – Over Time
- Concentrations by Category
- Rankings by City Size
- Ask the Experts
- Methodology
Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/10264/geochart-diversity.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2o6CDHk>
Most Culturally Diverse Cities
*1=Most Diverse
Ratio – Over Time
Embed on your website<a href="http://ift.tt/1Z8zG5p"> <img src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/posts/32848/ethno-racial-diversity-evolution-over-time-in-the-case-of-the-largest-cities-from-each-state-v6.gif" width="" height="" alt="Ethno-Racial-Diversity-Evolution-Over-Time-in-the-Case-of-the-Largest-Cities-from-Each-State v6" /> </a> <div style="width:px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2o6CDHk>
Birthplaces of Population as of 2016
|
State |
In State |
Northeast Region |
Midwest Region |
South Region |
West Region |
U.S. Territory* |
Foreign Nation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 69.51% | 2.58% | 5.35% | 15.77% | 2.49% | 0.84% | 3.45% |
| Alaska | 40.70% | 5.51% | 11.87% | 10.58% | 20.96% | 2.56% | 7.81% |
| Arizona | 39.46% | 6.76% | 15.22% | 6.89% | 16.80% | 1.30% | 13.57% |
| Arkansas | 61.22% | 1.80% | 10.00% | 15.68% | 6.03% | 0.66% | 4.61% |
| California | 54.99% | 3.77% | 4.88% | 4.43% | 3.36% | 1.26% | 27.31% |
| Colorado | 42.84% | 6.52% | 15.92% | 10.54% | 12.91% | 1.43% | 9.85% |
| Connecticut | 55.23% | 18.20% | 2.57% | 4.14% | 1.80% | 3.77% | 14.28% |
| Delaware | 44.98% | 25.38% | 2.89% | 13.72% | 1.84% | 1.63% | 9.56% |
| District of Columbia | 37.19% | 13.51% | 7.64% | 20.43% | 5.92% | 1.76% | 13.55% |
| Florida | 35.84% | 16.62% | 10.31% | 10.24% | 2.69% | 3.66% | 20.64% |
| Georgia | 54.65% | 6.61% | 6.58% | 17.57% | 3.14% | 1.33% | 10.12% |
| Hawaii | 53.30% | 3.70% | 4.75% | 6.01% | 10.72% | 3.06% | 18.47% |
| Idaho | 48.27% | 2.79% | 7.23% | 5.07% | 29.98% | 0.83% | 5.83% |
| Illinois | 67.15% | 2.13% | 8.29% | 5.20% | 2.22% | 1.08% | 13.93% |
| Indiana | 68.20% | 2.31% | 12.55% | 8.52% | 2.47% | 0.67% | 5.26% |
| Iowa | 70.50% | 1.41% | 14.98% | 3.51% | 3.85% | 0.60% | 5.15% |
| Kansas | 59.14% | 2.03% | 15.58% | 8.99% | 6.27% | 0.87% | 7.12% |
| Kentucky | 68.92% | 2.53% | 13.35% | 8.73% | 2.27% | 0.67% | 3.53% |
| Louisiana | 78.22% | 1.55% | 2.88% | 10.52% | 2.18% | 0.62% | 4.04% |
| Maine | 62.59% | 22.12% | 3.29% | 4.37% | 2.65% | 1.02% | 3.95% |
| Maryland | 47.64% | 10.79% | 3.90% | 18.29% | 2.51% | 1.48% | 15.39% |
| Massachusetts | 60.93% | 11.77% | 2.56% | 3.34% | 2.05% | 2.67% | 16.69% |
| Michigan | 76.33% | 2.20% | 6.90% | 5.21% | 1.89% | 0.71% | 6.76% |
| Minnesota | 67.96% | 1.86% | 14.76% | 2.88% | 3.63% | 0.67% | 8.24% |
| Mississippi | 71.54% | 1.64% | 4.75% | 17.37% | 2.08% | 0.65% | 1.97% |
| Missouri | 66.26% | 2.12% | 13.70% | 8.39% | 4.74% | 0.72% | 4.07% |
| Montana | 54.72% | 3.94% | 13.39% | 5.38% | 19.63% | 0.86% | 2.09% |
| Nebraska | 64.66% | 1.68% | 14.24% | 4.61% | 6.99% | 0.75% | 7.07% |
| Nevada | 26.43% | 6.49% | 10.27% | 6.90% | 28.23% | 1.74% | 19.94% |
| New Hampshire | 41.71% | 40.85% | 3.14% | 4.68% | 2.60% | 1.17% | 5.85% |
| New Jersey | 52.18% | 16.64% | 1.63% | 3.56% | 1.06% | 2.35% | 22.58% |
| New Mexico | 52.91% | 4.43% | 7.17% | 11.87% | 12.93% | 1.11% | 9.58% |
| New York | 62.73% | 4.75% | 1.89% | 3.64% | 1.54% | 2.45% | 23.00% |
| North Carolina | 56.85% | 10.19% | 5.99% | 14.95% | 3.11% | 1.09% | 7.82% |
| North Dakota | 62.50% | 1.54% | 19.10% | 4.01% | 8.72% | 0.85% | 3.28% |
| Ohio | 75.00% | 4.39% | 4.84% | 8.67% | 1.86% | 0.82% | 4.42% |
| Oklahoma | 61.36% | 1.89% | 9.22% | 13.21% | 7.61% | 0.92% | 5.79% |
| Oregon | 46.30% | 3.86% | 8.56% | 5.39% | 25.17% | 1.06% | 9.67% |
| Pennsylvania | 72.37% | 8.63% | 2.86% | 6.08% | 1.45% | 1.75% | 6.87% |
| Rhode Island | 56.36% | 20.13% | 2.02% | 3.29% | 1.95% | 2.15% | 14.10% |
| South Carolina | 56.97% | 9.96% | 6.59% | 18.14% | 2.52% | 1.04% | 4.78% |
| South Dakota | 64.51% | 1.64% | 19.37% | 3.20% | 6.95% | 0.63% | 3.70% |
| Tennessee | 61.21% | 3.92% | 9.26% | 16.82% | 3.19% | 0.82% | 4.77% |
| Texas | 59.66% | 2.73% | 5.75% | 8.06% | 5.33% | 1.39% | 17.08% |
| Utah | 62.02% | 2.35% | 4.08% | 4.27% | 17.98% | 1.00% | 8.30% |
| Vermont | 50.22% | 32.61% | 4.12% | 4.44% | 3.10% | 1.05% | 4.46% |
| Virginia | 49.40% | 10.74% | 5.64% | 15.88% | 4.06% | 1.88% | 12.40% |
| Washington | 46.81% | 3.94% | 8.04% | 6.22% | 19.24% | 1.71% | 14.05% |
| West Virginia | 68.88% | 5.34% | 7.01% | 14.82% | 1.68% | 0.53% | 1.74% |
| Wisconsin | 71.50% | 1.73% | 14.86% | 3.41% | 2.59% | 0.85% | 5.06% |
| Wyoming | 42.71% | 3.79% | 18.05% | 7.92% | 23.60% | 0.90% | 3.03% |
*Also includes persons born abroad to American parents.
Concentrations by Category|
Metric |
Cities with Highest Concentration |
Cities with Lowest Concentration |
|---|---|---|
| Ethnoracial Diversity | ||
| Hispanic or Latino | Hialeah, FL (96.26%) | Hockessin, DE (0.36%) |
| White (Not Hispanic or Latino) | Laconia, NH (95.55%) | Hialeah, FL (2.75%) |
| Black or African American (Not Hispanic or Latino) | Jackson, MS (80.84%) | Havre, MT (0.03%) |
| Asian (Not Hispanic or Latino) | Waipahu, HI (64.02%) | Mitchell, SD (0.00%) |
| All Others (American Indian and Alaska native, native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race alone; two or more races) (not Hispanic or Latino) | Hilo, HI (41.69%) | Hialeah, FL (0.16%) |
| Linguistic Diversity | ||
| English | Havre, MT (98.38%) | Hialeah, FL (6.42%) |
| Spanish | Hialeah, FL (93.12%) | Bennington, VT (0.38%) |
| Other Indo-European Languages | Brockton, MA (30.16%) | Hialeah, FL (0.18%) |
| Asian & Pacific Islander Languages | Waipahu, HI (50.99%) | Williston, ND (0.00%) |
| Other Languages | Dearborn, MI (42.95%) | Columbus, NE (0.00%) |
| Birthplace Diversity | ||
| In State of Residence | Greenville, MS (87.74%) | Hilton Head Island, SC (15.79%) |
| Northeast Region | Derry, NH (56.15%) | Cicero, IL (0.29%) |
| Midwest Region | Wahpeton, ND (46.67%) | Camden, NJ (0.29%) |
| South Region | Olive Branch, MS (55.17%) | Hialeah, FL (0.63%) |
| West Region | Post Falls, ID (50.70%) | Paterson, NJ (0.21%) |
| U.S. Territory & Abroad (if born to American parent(s)) | Springfield, MA (16.46%) | Greenville, MS (0.14%) |
| Foreign Nation | Hialeah, FL (74.04%) | Mandan, ND (0.88%) |
|
Rank* |
Large City Name (Score) |
Rank |
Midsize City Name (Score) |
Rank |
Small City Name (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY (90.93) | 1 | Jersey City, NJ (95.74) | 1 | Gaithersburg, MD (94.01) |
| 2 | Oakland, CA (90.04) | 2 | Spring Valley, NV (91.51) | 2 | Germantown, MD (93.91) |
| 3 | San Jose, CA (89.69) | 3 | Kent, WA (87.43) | 3 | Silver Spring, MD (92.58) |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA (87.00) | 4 | Enterprise, NV (87.04) | 4 | Rockville, MD (87.95) |
| 5 | San Diego, CA (85.70) | 5 | Providence, RI (86.75) | 5 | Renton, WA (84.94) |
| 6 | Sacramento, CA (85.64) | 6 | North Las Vegas, NV (86.51) | 6 | Lynn, MA (84.20) |
| 7 | Boston, MA (85.06) | 7 | Bridgeport, CT (86.14) | 7 | Clifton, NJ (84.02) |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA (85.02) | 8 | Paradise, NV (85.81) | 8 | Federal Way, WA (83.55) |
| 9 | Long Beach, CA (84.05) | 9 | Stamford, CT (84.11) | 9 | New Britain, CT (82.66) |
| 10 | Houston, TX (83.41) | 10 | Orlando, FL (83.84) | 10 | Johns Creek, GA (81.63) |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV (82.44) | 11 | Sunrise Manor, NV (83.30) | 11 | Danbury, CT (81.44) |
| 12 | Aurora, CO (81.63) | 12 | Lowell, MA (83.15) | 12 | Pawtucket, RI (81.27) |
| 13 | Chicago, IL (81.57) | 13 | New Haven, CT (82.79) | 13 | Norwalk, CT (79.28) |
| 14 | Arlington, TX (80.95) | 14 | Hartford, CT (82.76) | 14 | Ewa Gentry, HI (79.08) |
| 15 | Dallas, TX (80.45) | 15 | Yonkers, NY (82.61) | 15 | New Rochelle, NY (78.99) |
| 16 | Anaheim, CA (80.45) | 16 | Alexandria, VA (82.34) | 16 | Brockton, MA (78.16) |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ (78.37) | 17 | Bellevue, WA (80.80) | 17 | Springdale, AR (78.14) |
| 18 | Fresno, CA (78.02) | 18 | Waterbury, CT (80.23) | 18 | Waukegan, IL (76.87) |
| 19 | Fort Worth, TX (77.65) | 19 | Newark, NJ (79.75) | 19 | Lancaster, PA (76.84) |
| 20 | Tampa, FL (77.52) | 20 | Aurora, IL (79.35) | 20 | Brooklyn Park, MN (76.29) |
| 21 | Honolulu, HI (76.36) | 21 | Springfield, MA (78.94) | 21 | Bear, DE (75.92) |
| 22 | Tucson, AZ (75.58) | 22 | Plano, TX (78.90) | 22 | Trenton, NJ (75.39) |
| 23 | Austin, TX (75.42) | 23 | Allentown, PA (78.64) | 23 | Kahului, HI (74.84) |
| 24 | Charlotte, NC (74.19) | 24 | Fort Lauderdale, FL (77.38) | 24 | Hammond, IN (73.08) |
| 25 | Bakersfield, CA (73.79) | 25 | Kansas City, KS (77.19) | 25 | Ellicott City, MD (72.89) |
| 26 | Denver, CO (73.50) | 26 | Columbia, MD (77.09) | 26 | Frederick, MD (72.89) |
| 27 | Albuquerque, NM (71.62) | 27 | Elgin, IL (76.37) | 27 | Central Falls, RI (72.82) |
| 28 | Washington, DC (69.78) | 28 | Glendale, AZ (75.91) | 28 | Hobbs, NM (71.88) |
| 29 | Philadelphia, PA (69.74) | 29 | West Valley City, UT (75.76) | 29 | Camden, NJ (71.56) |
| 30 | Milwaukee, WI (68.04) | 30 | Cambridge, MA (75.28) | 30 | Santa Fe, NM (71.22) |
| 31 | Oklahoma City, OK (67.29) | 31 | Worcester, MA (74.80) | 31 | Reading, PA (70.84) |
| 32 | Raleigh, NC (66.46) | 32 | St. Paul, MN (74.71) | 32 | Farmington, NM (70.11) |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX (66.37) | 33 | Arlington, VA (74.16) | 33 | Clovis, NM (69.85) |
| 34 | Minneapolis, MN (65.96) | 34 | Sandy Springs, GA (73.63) | 34 | Quincy, MA (69.66) |
| 35 | Seattle, WA (65.91) | 35 | Paterson, NJ (73.57) | 35 | Sparks, NV (69.33) |
| 36 | Tulsa, OK (65.40) | 36 | Tempe, AZ (72.43) | 36 | Kenner, LA (69.14) |
| 37 | Nashville, TN (64.20) | 37 | Hillsboro, OR (72.30) | 37 | Yakima, WA (68.69) |
| 38 | Jacksonville, FL (63.27) | 38 | Durham, NC (72.25) | 38 | Harrisburg, PA (68.59) |
| 39 | Mesa, AZ (63.26) | 39 | Elizabeth, NJ (71.62) | 39 | Beaverton, OR (68.48) |
| 40 | Corpus Christi, TX (61.57) | 40 | Port St. Lucie, FL (71.39) | 40 | Fairbanks, AK (68.22) |
| 41 | Virginia Beach, VA (59.61) | 41 | Las Cruces, NM (70.77) | 41 | Alamogordo, NM (67.97) |
| 42 | Miami, FL (58.89) | 42 | Chandler, AZ (70.77) | 42 | Roswell, GA (67.43) |
| 43 | Kansas City, MO (58.57) | 43 | High Point, NC (69.18) | 43 | New Bedford, MA (67.12) |
| 44 | Portland, OR (58.54) | 44 | Reno, NV (68.91) | 44 | East Honolulu, HI (67.03) |
| 45 | Wichita, KS (57.85) | 45 | Rochester, NY (67.21) | 45 | Waipahu, HI (66.73) |
| 46 | Columbus, OH (57.61) | 46 | Cary, NC (67.16) | 46 | Roswell, NM (66.28) |
| 47 | Atlanta, GA (57.11) | 47 | Anchorage, AK (67.15) | 47 | Kailua, HI (66.07) |
| 48 | Colorado Springs, CO (56.35) | 48 | Fayetteville, NC (67.04) | 48 | Mililani Town, HI (65.01) |
| 49 | Indianapolis, IN (56.14) | 49 | Everett, WA (66.98) | 49 | Pearl City, HI (64.93) |
| 50 | Cleveland, OH (55.56) | 50 | Tacoma, WA (66.45) | 50 | Rio Rancho, NM (64.85) |
| 51 | Omaha, NE (55.08) | 51 | Salt Lake City, UT (66.17) | 51 | Rogers, AR (64.67) |
| 52 | St. Louis, MO (51.97) | 52 | Joliet, IL (65.40) | 52 | Dover, DE (64.52) |
| 53 | El Paso, TX (50.79) | 53 | Winston-Salem, NC (65.16) | 53 | Bethlehem, PA (64.49) |
| 54 | Baltimore, MD (48.45) | 54 | Gresham, OR (65.00) | 54 | Lawton, OK (64.38) |
| 55 | Memphis, TN (48.30) | 55 | Thornton, CO (64.77) | 55 | Fort Smith, AR (64.33) |
| 56 | Pittsburgh, PA (48.27) | 56 | Syracuse, NY (63.99) | 56 | Brookside, DE (64.13) |
| 57 | New Orleans, LA (48.22) | 57 | Rockford, IL (63.08) | 57 | Mount Vernon, NY (63.00) |
| 58 | Lexington-Fayette, KY (47.73) | 58 | Newport News, VA (62.14) | 58 | Caldwell, ID (62.50) |
| 59 | Louisville, KY (44.49) | 59 | Greensboro, NC (62.07) | 59 | Jackson, WY (62.10) |
| 60 | Detroit, MI (33.76) | 60 | Henderson, NV (62.06) | 60 | Hilo, HI (62.05) |
| 61 | Norfolk, VA (61.43) | 61 | Passaic, NJ (61.01) | ||
| 62 | South Bend, IN (61.41) | 62 | Kaneohe, HI (60.65) | ||
| 63 | Ann Arbor, MI (61.24) | 63 | Woonsocket, RI (60.46) | ||
| 64 | Buffalo, NY (61.06) | 64 | Albany, NY (60.32) | ||
| 65 | Athens, GA (60.84) | 65 | Racine, WI (59.65) | ||
| 66 | Clarksville, TN (60.78) | 66 | Ogden, UT (59.58) | ||
| 67 | North Charleston, SC (60.24) | 67 | Biloxi, MS (59.34) | ||
| 68 | Tallahassee, FL (60.21) | 68 | Schenectady, NY (59.12) | ||
| 69 | Naperville, IL (60.07) | 69 | Carson City, NV (58.84) | ||
| 70 | Columbus, GA (58.61) | 70 | Lorain, OH (58.39) | ||
| 71 | St. Petersburg, FL (58.30) | 71 | Waldorf, MD (58.30) | ||
| 72 | Salem, OR (57.74) | 72 | Sitka and, AK (58.15) | ||
| 73 | Vancouver, WA (56.76) | 73 | Grand Island, NE (57.61) | ||
| 74 | Peoria, AZ (56.30) | 74 | Middletown, DE (57.20) | ||
| 75 | Westminster, CO (56.29) | 75 | Wilmington, DE (57.20) | ||
| 76 | Cape Coral, FL (56.25) | 76 | Glen Burnie, MD (57.04) | ||
| 77 | Columbia, SC (55.99) | 77 | Taylorsville, UT (56.49) | ||
| 78 | Hampton, VA (55.80) | 78 | West Hartford, CT (56.23) | ||
| 79 | Grand Rapids, MI (55.59) | 79 | Juneau, AK (55.25) | ||
| 80 | Pueblo, CO (55.50) | 80 | Glasgow, DE (55.21) | ||
| 81 | Richmond, VA (55.35) | 81 | College, AK (54.10) | ||
| 82 | Surprise, AZ (55.19) | 82 | Rock Hill, SC (54.00) | ||
| 83 | Lansing, MI (55.16) | 83 | Horn Lake, MS (53.90) | ||
| 84 | Little Rock, AR (54.92) | 84 | Bowling Green, KY (53.87) | ||
| 85 | Gilbert, AZ (54.42) | 85 | Goose Creek, SC (53.82) | ||
| 86 | Des Moines, IA (53.82) | 86 | Nashua, NH (53.70) | ||
| 87 | Lakewood, CO (53.59) | 87 | Cranston, RI (52.98) | ||
| 88 | Peoria, IL (53.05) | 88 | Youngstown, OH (52.95) | ||
| 89 | Chesapeake, VA (53.02) | 89 | Decatur, AL (52.77) | ||
| 90 | Savannah, GA (52.99) | 90 | Huron, SD (52.46) | ||
| 91 | Huntsville, AL (52.93) | 91 | Kenosha, WI (52.41) | ||
| 92 | Provo, UT (51.58) | 92 | Fall River, MA (52.21) | ||
| 93 | Metairie, LA (50.46) | 93 | Bossier City, LA (51.97) | ||
| 94 | Madison, WI (49.60) | 94 | Auburn, AL (51.70) | ||
| 95 | Augusta, GA (49.57) | 95 | Newark, DE (51.56) | ||
| 96 | Chattanooga, TN (49.57) | 96 | Bentonville, AR (51.38) | ||
| 97 | Murfreesboro, TN (49.06) | 97 | Bellevue, NE (51.30) | ||
| 98 | Cincinnati, OH (48.75) | 98 | Roanoke, VA (51.26) | ||
| 99 | Fort Wayne, IN (48.67) | 99 | Gulfport, MS (51.15) | ||
| 100 | Sterling Heights, MI (48.61) | 100 | Greenville, NC (51.07) | ||
| 101 | Olathe, KS (48.52) | 101 | Iowa City, IA (50.90) | ||
| 102 | Green Bay, WI (48.00) | 102 | Sumter, SC (50.79) | ||
| 103 | Dayton, OH (47.99) | 103 | Smyrna, DE (50.78) | ||
| 104 | Manchester, NH (47.97) | 104 | Hilton Head Island, SC (50.73) | ||
| 105 | Rochester, MN (47.83) | 105 | Sioux City, IA (50.64) | ||
| 106 | Lafayette, LA (47.36) | 106 | Madison, AL (50.44) | ||
| 107 | Topeka, KS (47.10) | 107 | South Valley, NM (50.34) | ||
| 108 | West Jordan, UT (46.53) | 108 | Greenville, SC (50.08) | ||
| 109 | Baton Rouge, LA (46.31) | 109 | Orem, UT (49.95) | ||
| 110 | Norman, OK (46.29) | 110 | Corvallis, OR (49.89) | ||
| 111 | Warren, MI (45.92) | 111 | Nampa, ID (49.56) | ||
| 112 | Broken Arrow, OK (45.73) | 112 | Hoover, AL (49.46) | ||
| 113 | Overland Park, KS (45.56) | 113 | Bloomington, MN (48.54) | ||
| 114 | Wilmington, NC (45.50) | 114 | Enid, OK (48.51) | ||
| 115 | Scottsdale, AZ (45.30) | 115 | Midwest City, OK (48.27) | ||
| 116 | Toledo, OH (44.61) | 116 | Portsmouth, VA (47.98) | ||
| 117 | Montgomery, AL (44.25) | 117 | Tuscaloosa, AL (47.84) | ||
| 118 | Akron, OH (43.91) | 118 | East Providence, RI (47.57) | ||
| 119 | Mobile, AL (43.64) | 119 | North Little Rock, AR (47.35) | ||
| 120 | Erie, PA (43.55) | 120 | Stillwater, OK (47.35) | ||
| 121 | Eugene, OR (43.20) | 121 | Newport, RI (47.33) | ||
| 122 | Charleston, SC (42.99) | 122 | Dearborn, MI (47.29) | ||
| 123 | Macon, GA (42.63) | 123 | Lake Charles, LA (47.20) | ||
| 124 | Knoxville, TN (42.33) | 124 | Southaven, MS (46.73) | ||
| 125 | Centennial, CO (42.22) | 125 | Bloomington, IN (46.65) | ||
| 126 | Columbia, MO (42.05) | 126 | Woodbury, MN (46.53) | ||
| 127 | Fort Collins, CO (41.59) | 127 | Jackson, TN (46.38) | ||
| 128 | Shreveport, LA (40.22) | 128 | Summerville, SC (46.00) | ||
| 129 | Davenport, IA (39.17) | 129 | Scranton, PA (45.73) | ||
| 130 | Boise, ID (38.45) | 130 | Olive Branch, MS (45.58) | ||
| 131 | Arvada, CO (37.16) | 131 | Pike Creek Valley, DE (45.17) | ||
| 132 | Lincoln, NE (36.86) | 132 | Hopkinsville, KY (45.15) | ||
| 133 | Spokane, WA (36.25) | 133 | Wasilla, AK (45.15) | ||
| 134 | Sioux Falls, SD (35.38) | 134 | Columbus, NE (44.69) | ||
| 135 | Springfield, IL (35.30) | 135 | Twin Falls, ID (44.05) | ||
| 136 | Independence, MO (34.24) | 136 | Hattiesburg, MS (43.97) | ||
| 137 | Birmingham, AL (33.09) | 137 | Medford, OR (43.85) | ||
| 138 | Fargo, ND (32.49) | 138 | Plymouth, MN (43.82) | ||
| 139 | Evansville, IN (28.80) | 139 | Lawrence, KS (43.72) | ||
| 140 | Springfield, MO (28.06) | 140 | Martinsburg, WV (43.68) | ||
| 141 | Billings, MT (26.12) | 141 | Franklin, TN (43.60) | ||
| 142 | Cedar Rapids, IA (25.75) | 142 | Manhattan, KS (43.47) | ||
| 143 | Jackson, MS (21.09) | 143 | Winooski, VT (43.34) | ||
| 144 | Laredo, TX (16.26) | 144 | Dothan, AL (43.27) | ||
| 145 | Hialeah, FL (10.07) | 145 | Tupelo, MS (42.79) | ||
| 146 | Portland, ME (42.78) | ||||
| 147 | Tanaina, AK (42.74) | ||||
| 148 | Moore, OK (42.61) | ||||
| 149 | Bartlett, TN (42.55) | ||||
| 150 | Alexandria, LA (42.52) | ||||
| 151 | Rock Springs, WY (42.51) | ||||
| 152 | Fayetteville, AR (42.30) | ||||
| 153 | Green River, WY (42.27) | ||||
| 154 | Union City, NJ (42.00) | ||||
| 155 | Bristol, CT (41.84) | ||||
| 156 | Elizabethtown, KY (41.64) | ||||
| 157 | Laramie, WY (41.48) | ||||
| 158 | Lafayette, IN (41.43) | ||||
| 159 | Waterloo, IA (41.41) | ||||
| 160 | Carmel, IN (41.38) | ||||
| 161 | Jonesboro, AR (41.32) | ||||
| 162 | Ames, IA (41.32) | ||||
| 163 | Lebanon, NH (41.16) | ||||
| 164 | Cheyenne, WY (41.02) | ||||
| 165 | Edmond, OK (40.91) | ||||
| 166 | Hockessin, DE (40.84) | ||||
| 167 | Burlington, VT (40.75) | ||||
| 168 | Badger, AK (40.58) | ||||
| 169 | Layton, UT (40.40) | ||||
| 170 | Lenexa, KS (40.18) | ||||
| 171 | Flint, MI (40.09) | ||||
| 172 | Evanston, WY (39.35) | ||||
| 173 | St. George, UT (39.18) | ||||
| 174 | Lakes, AK (38.73) | ||||
| 175 | Waukesha, WI (38.65) | ||||
| 176 | Springfield, OR (38.53) | ||||
| 177 | Conway, AR (38.23) | ||||
| 178 | Middlebury, VT (38.11) | ||||
| 179 | Meridian, MS (37.82) | ||||
| 180 | Riverton, WY (37.49) | ||||
| 181 | Knik-Fairview, AK (37.34) | ||||
| 182 | Shawnee, KS (37.31) | ||||
| 183 | Fishers, IN (37.21) | ||||
| 184 | Westland, MI (37.06) | ||||
| 185 | West Des Moines, IA (36.96) | ||||
| 186 | Idaho Falls, ID (36.80) | ||||
| 187 | South Burlington, VT (36.52) | ||||
| 188 | Beckley, WV (36.34) | ||||
| 189 | Canton, OH (36.33) | ||||
| 190 | St. Cloud, MN (36.23) | ||||
| 191 | Salina, KS (35.89) | ||||
| 192 | Morgantown, WV (35.85) | ||||
| 193 | Rapid City, SD (35.59) | ||||
| 194 | Valley Falls, RI (35.54) | ||||
| 195 | Norfolk, NE (35.29) | ||||
| 196 | Fremont, NE (34.79) | ||||
| 197 | Maple Grove, MN (34.66) | ||||
| 198 | Sandy, UT (34.09) | ||||
| 199 | Lewiston, ME (33.03) | ||||
| 200 | St. Charles, MO (32.78) | ||||
| 201 | Portsmouth, NH (32.48) | ||||
| 202 | Lee's Summit, MO (32.42) | ||||
| 203 | Toms River, NJ (32.35) | ||||
| 204 | Monroe, LA (32.32) | ||||
| 205 | Cicero, IL (32.27) | ||||
| 206 | Essex Junction, VT (31.65) | ||||
| 207 | Albany, GA (31.57) | ||||
| 208 | Council Bluffs, IA (31.31) | ||||
| 209 | Gillette, WY (31.28) | ||||
| 210 | Appleton, WI (31.27) | ||||
| 211 | Johnson City, TN (30.97) | ||||
| 212 | Covington, KY (30.94) | ||||
| 213 | Gary, IN (30.88) | ||||
| 214 | Florence, KY (30.82) | ||||
| 215 | Bend, OR (30.62) | ||||
| 216 | Casper, WY (30.45) | ||||
| 217 | Pocatello, ID (30.03) | ||||
| 218 | Dickinson, ND (29.88) | ||||
| 219 | Grand Forks, ND (29.75) | ||||
| 220 | Williston, ND (29.65) | ||||
| 221 | Charleston, WV (29.50) | ||||
| 222 | Mount Pleasant, SC (29.49) | ||||
| 223 | Minot, ND (28.96) | ||||
| 224 | Dover, NH (28.68) | ||||
| 225 | Biddeford, ME (28.62) | ||||
| 226 | St. Joseph, MO (28.59) | ||||
| 227 | Hastings, NE (28.58) | ||||
| 228 | Meridian, ID (28.21) | ||||
| 229 | Pierre, SD (27.94) | ||||
| 230 | Parma, OH (27.67) | ||||
| 231 | Concord, NH (27.04) | ||||
| 232 | Westbrook, ME (26.49) | ||||
| 233 | Pine Bluff, AR (26.40) | ||||
| 234 | Great Falls, MT (26.10) | ||||
| 235 | Westerly, RI (25.85) | ||||
| 236 | Bozeman, MT (25.57) | ||||
| 237 | Yankton, SD (25.25) | ||||
| 238 | Aberdeen, SD (25.25) | ||||
| 239 | Missoula, MT (25.19) | ||||
| 240 | Georgetown, KY (25.14) | ||||
| 241 | Sheridan, WY (24.91) | ||||
| 242 | Brattleboro, VT (24.91) | ||||
| 243 | Havre, MT (24.48) | ||||
| 244 | Warwick, RI (24.29) | ||||
| 245 | Brookings, SD (24.18) | ||||
| 246 | Cheektowaga, NY (24.04) | ||||
| 247 | Wahpeton, ND (23.82) | ||||
| 248 | Richmond, KY (23.61) | ||||
| 249 | Montpelier, VT (23.39) | ||||
| 250 | Huntington, WV (23.36) | ||||
| 251 | Saco, ME (23.24) | ||||
| 252 | Owensboro, KY (22.90) | ||||
| 253 | O'Fallon, MO (22.89) | ||||
| 254 | Kearney, NE (22.84) | ||||
| 255 | St. Peters, MO (22.20) | ||||
| 256 | Coeur d'Alene, ID (21.77) | ||||
| 257 | Post Falls, ID (21.77) | ||||
| 258 | Sanford, ME (21.76) | ||||
| 259 | North Platte, NE (21.39) | ||||
| 260 | Auburn, ME (21.38) | ||||
| 261 | South Portland, ME (21.19) | ||||
| 262 | Keene, NH (20.72) | ||||
| 263 | Eau Claire, WI (20.45) | ||||
| 264 | Levittown, PA (20.14) | ||||
| 265 | Janesville, WI (20.11) | ||||
| 266 | Livonia, MI (19.65) | ||||
| 267 | Helena, MT (19.57) | ||||
| 268 | Greenville, MS (19.48) | ||||
| 269 | Anaconda, MT (19.43) | ||||
| 270 | Derry, NH (19.33) | ||||
| 271 | Dubuque, IA (18.92) | ||||
| 272 | Weirton, WV (18.78) | ||||
| 273 | West Fargo, ND (18.73) | ||||
| 274 | Bangor, ME (18.66) | ||||
| 275 | Spearfish, SD (18.66) | ||||
| 276 | Duluth, MN (18.47) | ||||
| 277 | Bismarck, ND (18.35) | ||||
| 278 | Lewiston, ID (17.95) | ||||
| 279 | Kalispell, MT (17.56) | ||||
| 280 | Oshkosh, WI (17.34) | ||||
| 281 | Augusta, ME (17.17) | ||||
| 282 | Mandan, ND (16.80) | ||||
| 283 | Wheeling, WV (16.51) | ||||
| 284 | Rochester, NH (16.50) | ||||
| 285 | Butte-Silver Bow, MT (16.17) | ||||
| 286 | Mitchell, SD (15.88) | ||||
| 287 | Jamestown, ND (15.48) | ||||
| 288 | Rutland, VT (15.33) | ||||
| 289 | Fairmont, WV (15.32) | ||||
| 290 | Bennington, VT (15.30) | ||||
| 291 | Laconia, NH (13.79) | ||||
| 292 | Miles City, MT (13.74) | ||||
| 293 | Barre, VT (12.13) | ||||
| 294 | Watertown, SD (11.51) | ||||
| 295 | Clarksburg, WV (9.93) | ||||
| 296 | Parkersburg, WV (9.56) |
*1=Most Diverse
Ask the ExpertsCultural diversity has both positive and negative implications. For more insight, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
- What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
- What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
- What are some tips for managing a culturally diverse workplace?
- What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
Sandra Marker Associate Professor of Sociology and Graduate Program Coordinator in the School of Behavioral Sciences at Black Hills State University
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba Professor of Human Resources and Diversity Management in the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University
David A. Thomas 12th President of Morehouse College in Atlanta
Belle Rose Ragins Professor of Organizations & Strategic Management in the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Ellen Kossek Basil S. Turner Professor of Management & Research Director of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership at Purdue University
Michele Baranczyk Assistant Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Kutztown University
Liza G. Steele Assistant Professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at the State University of New York at Purchase
Orlando Richard Associate Professor of Organizations, Strategy and International Management in the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas
Corinne Post Associate Professor of Management and Holder of the Scott Hartz '68 Term Professorship in the College of Business and Economics at Lehigh University
Jackie Gilbert Professor of Management in the College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University
Aronté Bennett Associate Professor of Marketing and Associate Chair of the Marketing and Business Law Department at Villanova University
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Diversity moves us beyond the limitations and repetitiveness of “sameness.” It makes life interesting and exciting. Diversity shows us options and possibilities; it stimulates creativity that inspires people and communities to move past perceived limitations.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city may include having to navigate unfamiliar cultural norms, languages and other everyday situations. On a larger scale, challenges may involve making city institutions, policies and laws inclusive and reflective of its diverse population.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
The perspective a resident brings to the situation of change greatly influences the meaning they attach to it. For some residents, when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly, there is a sense of disquiet and, sometimes, of anger that arises from fear; fear that one’s culture, traditions, and community is being lost, as new ethnic cultures take hold. For other residents, it may mean a time to adapt and have new experiences. These individuals often view the rapid changes as part of life; things come and go over time, and if you do not want to be left behind, you have to adjust your life to each new situation.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
The most basic tip for managing a culturally diverse workplace is to have in place non-discrimination and non-harassment policies, along with well-defined guidelines and procedures for their enforcement. It is also important to have a mechanism in place that promotes both the acceptance and resolution of employee complaints; if problems are not brought to light, they can evolve into larger workforce issues that affect the morale and safety of workers and the company’s bottom line. Another important tip for managing a culturally diverse workplace is to have a culturally diverse management team. A diverse management sends a message to the workers that the organization is both inclusive and equitable in terms of opportunity. A last tip is to make the physical environment culturally diverse through the use of art, music, cafeteria offerings and/or other such items. This signifies and reinforces to the employees that the business appreciates and values the contributions of all cultures.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
States and local governments can promote the benefits of cultural diversity via marketing that highlights the economic, social and community benefits associated with a culturally diverse community. Marketing should use language and imagery that accentuates peoples’ similarities, while at the same time points out how different items, different ways of thinking, and different ways of doing things make a community more exciting and fun, more attractive to potential businesses and tourists and, importantly, more resilient to unforeseen forces and events.
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba Professor of Human Resources and Diversity Management in the H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business & Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
There are many benefits for the residents of an ethnically diverse city, such as Miami, Orlando, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Bangkok, London, and other such places around the globe. People who live in ethnically diverse cities are likely to be more inclusive, culturally competent and less prejudiced, compared to those who live in a homogenous city. In addition, they often learn formally and by osmosis from the richness of different groups’ cultural backgrounds, and they become comfortable with individuals who come from other ethnicities and speak different languages. In addition, people network and become more connected with friends, clients, and customers who are linked to individuals of different regions and continents.
In the workplace, research has shown that an ethnically diverse team can be one of the most consistent sources sf competitive advantage for any organization. As such, organizational managers must take advantage of such economic assets that are corollary of diverse, inclusive, and synergistic teams.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
In an ethnically diverse city, one challenge is controlling the spreading of false, stereotypical, and biased information about people who are different from the majority. Usually, the misinformation is delivered without malicious intent, but often, adults and children tend to receive this about people who are different from them. Oftentimes, this misinformation is conveyed in an overt fashion, and sometimes through more subtle ways. Overtime, and through the repetition of such false information, people often become conditioned to see it as a reality.
Another challenge in a diverse city is effective communication and trying to understand people of different ethnicities, as everyone might be speaking the same language (such as English) from different cultural contexts. Context is about the information that surrounds a communication, and it helps convey the message more effectively to others who are familiar with the context. A high-context (HC) communication or message is one in which most of the information is already in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message. A low-context (LC) communication is just the opposite; i.e., most of the information is in the explicit code. Therefore, context plays a key role in explaining many communication differences.
For example, messages are often highly coded, implicit, and indirect in high-context societies such as Afghanistan, Japan, many Latin countries. On the other side, messages are often explicit and the speaker says precisely what s/he means in low-context societies, such as the United States and Canada. As such, when a city is made up of people from different ethnicities and cultural contexts, communication needs to be handled with more sensitivity based on context.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
In an ethnically and culturally diverse workplace, managers must become culturally competent professionals by attending inclusion and diversity training seminars. Cultural competency is the continuous learning process, which enables managers and professionals to function effectively in the context of cultural differences. Furthermore, it is important for these culturally competent managers and senior executives to serve as cultural allies. Cultural ally refers to those individuals, professionals, managers, and leaders who intervene or interrupt, as needed, to stop mistreatment or injustice from occurring to innocent persons in their vicinity. These interventions and interruptions can be in a work or societal setting. The interventions can be private or public, use whichever is the most appropriate medium.
Another opportunity would be to manage conflicts in a timely and productive manner. In a diverse workplace, employees should receive training to manage conflicts in a professional manner. When dealing with day-to-day conflicts, misconducts, and disagreements, managers and employees can use the 4-F model by emphasizing the facts, feelings, future expectations, and following up.
- Facts -- stick with the facts and describe the behavior that is creating the problem or conflict. Avoid attacking the other person. Avoid using “you” statements.
- Feelings -- state the impact of the problem or conflict, your feelings, the feelings of team members, and how the problem makes the team suffer. Use “I” statements by mentioning how the abovementioned problem or fact impacts you or your employees and colleagues.
- Future expectations -- clearly describe future expectations, norms, and rules of conduct.
- Following up -- managers should follow up with the parties involved to make sure employees are meeting the expected standards as agreed. If they are, then the manager has an opportunity to reinforce this good behavior. Otherwise, the manager will have another opportunity to start the process again (or take drastic actions as appropriate).
The goal of all public and private sector leaders should be to create an inclusive city and work environment for all members of the community. An inclusive culture exists where members of each group can be heterogeneous (diverse in many dimensions), and together they create a distinctive competitive advantage through teamwork and their unique cultural knowledge. Inclusion articulates what we want, which is to be included in the decision-making processes that impact our livelihood in some capacity or manner. It means to have a seat at the table where the decisions are being made with everyone’s input and voices being heard, understood, and taken into consideration in the decision-making process.
Effectively resolving employee and interpersonal conflicts through proper communication are an important and mission-critical aspect of a leader’s and manager’s responsibilities in an ethnically diverse workplace. Managers should focus on a balance of concern for people and production. Besides appropriate diversity training and employee development practices, effective managers should work toward first understanding each person, and then mentoring or coaching employees in the “right” direction to meet acceptable professional and performance standards in the workplace, one step and one skill at a time.
David A. Thomas 12th President of Morehouse College in Atlanta
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Ethnically diverse cities attract a broader and deeper pool of talent. One need only look at the city’s companies, like Amazon and GE considered when establishing headquarters. Diverse cities are metro areas such as Atlanta, Boston and DC. Diverse cities also tend to have a broader array of entertainment outlets, that makes them places different racial groups are welcome to and find interesting.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
The only challenge occurs when the diversity is not represented in the power structure of the city. That can create tensions that undermine the experience of the diversity. The result is often highly segregated communities, and schools that are not designed with the diversity of the student body in mind.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
It is a challenge. Long-time residents can feel threatened, as if strangers are invading, and resist accommodating the newer populations. Tensions will rise, especially if city services are stressed.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
- One -- anticipate diversity before it happens to you. Prepare your managers and leaders for the realities of managing difference, regardless of your workforce composition.
- Focus on inclusion, not just the cosmetic make-up.
- Be intentional about creating a diverse leadership of the organization. It does not help inclusion when the firm looks like a plantation, all white or male at the top, and brown and female at the bottom.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
- Leadership training that makes diversity a centerpiece in all its aspects.
- Effective communication programs.
- Succession planning that monitors the diversity in the talent pipeline.
- Annual collection of employee engagement data, that can be sliced demographically and acted up. For example, many organizations have racial differences in their engagement scores.
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Diverse cities broaden and enrich our lives by giving us different experiences and perspectives. Although we are often more comfortable interacting with those who are similar to us, this experience is not growth-producing. We learn and grow most when we stretch our boundaries and interact with those who are different from us.
Diverse cities not only offer us the opportunity for learning and growth, they can also help us overcome implicit and explicit stereotypes and prejudice. Contact is one of the most powerful ways to change attitudes -- if the contact is positive. Positive contact usually involves equal status and common goals. Cross-racial friendships are a good example of positive contact.
One of the most damaging aspects of segregation is that it is a barrier for developing positive contact and cross-racial friendships. These friendships are particularly important for children. It is difficult to change adults’ attitudes, but children are more amenable to change. Growing up in a diverse community can help children develop positive attitudes, and the foundation for developing diverse friendships as adults.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Cities can be diverse and still be socially segregated. Inter-group conflict is a form of negative contact that can create polarization. By nature, people form “ingroups” and “outgroups,” and may be threatened by outgroups. This “group threat” reaction can exacerbate racial tensions. This is why social integration is so important.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
This situation can create a “group threat” reaction among majority members, who may feel threatened and invaded by the incoming minority group.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
Organizations need to do more than just “manage” diversity, they need create inclusive climates that value diversity in all its manifestations, including differences in race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation/identity, religion, age, disability, class, size and appearance.
Some organizations strive to be “colorblind.” This approach is not only physically impossible, it also fails to recognize the value of diversity and the current and past effects of discrimination.
Another problematic approach is the idea that “we are all the same race -- the human race.” Although it is true that we are more similar than different (and, yes, we all bleed red), this does not mean that we are treated the same within or outside the workplace.
The dominant or majority group needs to recognize the experiences of being in the minority.
Organizations also need to recognize the prevalent and harmful effects of subtle forms of biases, or “micro-inequities.” Our research has also found that discrimination is harmful to not only the target, but also to bystanders who witness or hear about discrimination at work.
Organizations need to recognize that each group brings a unique perspective that draws on their diverse experiences. Companies need to recognize and value this.
The best organizations recognize that diversity is a source of learning and growth, not something to be “managed.”
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
They need to provide opportunities for groups to interact and develop cross-race friendships. We need to have productive and supportive dialogues about diversity. But this cannot be done unless we are committed to eliminating all forms of discrimination and bias -- both explicit, as well as implicit biases that reinforce stereotyping and discrimination.
Ellen Kossek Basil S. Turner Professor of Management & Research Director of the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership at Purdue University
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Often, immigrants are more likely to establish start-ups or small businesses, which adds to the economic growth of an area. Often, there are also more interesting new cultural benefits, derived from the new types of restaurants and markets from diverse backgrounds. The area may also be more likely to do global business, if the workers in the region are able to have linguistic skills to relate to cross-border firms.
Half of all start-ups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants or immigrants’ children.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Some majority groups may feel socially threatened if they do not understand the language or cultural diversity the immigrants bring. Efforts need to be done to show the benefits of learning from each other for both majority and minority groups, and to show how becoming more multicultural can benefit an area economically and socially. The goal should be assimilation that is mutual, where the majority individuals become open to new cultures, and the immigrants are open as well to learning the language and cultural traditions of their new country.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
There can be stigma attached to new groups coming in, as the legacy residents may feel that their social identities and economic opportunities are threatened by the demographic change.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
Provide opportunities for leaning from each other’s culture:
- Mentors for new arrivals;
- Food festivals;
- School partners;
- Language classes for both majority and minority cultures;
- Arts and culture sharing;
- Economic partnerships between businesses.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
Funding to support community integration, school integration, business integration, and some of the activities in the previous question.
Michele Baranczyk Assistant Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Kutztown University
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
Organizations should think about diversity throughout the hiring and employment process, starting with recruitment. If applicant pools are not diverse, then employees hired will be limited in diversity. Consider the where and what of recruitment materials. Are there websites that are more likely to reach a broad group versus a narrow group of applicants? Also, consider what is in the recruitment ad. Are there implicit messages about age, gender, or other characteristics that might discourage some from applying? Some research has found that even the diversity of people pictured in recruitment materials can impact how likely applicants are to pursue that organization, with regard to racial composition within the photo (Avery, 2003).
Once applicants are hired, solid measures of job performance can help limit implicit biases. For example, research has shown in lab studies that men are rated higher for the same behavior as women (Heilman and Chen, 2005). When specific measures of job performance are used in evaluation, and raters are trained in evaluation (perhaps they practice rating and compare ratings with other managers to see if they are scoring employees similarly), implicit biases in rating may be reduced.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects for organizations is that they have both policies and cultures that support diversity. Just having the policy in place is not enough; the shared understanding among employees should match. As an example, sometimes employees are hesitant to use flexible leave policies for fear that they will be seen as less dedicated to the organization. In this case, there is an official policy that employees can use flextime, but the culture (shared assumption) is that employees who do so will be negatively evaluated for doing so. This is particularly likely to occur if employees have, in the past, been subject to negative performance reviews, or even general negative comments from managers or peers after using flextime appropriately.
Liza G. Steele Assistant Professor of Sociology and Latin American Studies at the State University of New York at Purchase
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
One very well-established benefit is that diverse environments foster creativity. But there are too many benefits to name. On the other hand, I cannot think of a single benefit of living in an ethnically homogenous city.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Many ethnically diverse cities are also highly segregated. Ethnic and racial residential segregation is often rooted in histories of discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion -- from Jews in Venice in the 1500’s to black Americans in contemporary American cities. Segregation has implications for all aspects of residents’ lives -- quality of schools, property value, access to professional networks, exposure to violent crime, etc. Thus, the biggest challenge for residents of diverse cities is to combat the pernicious effects of residential segregation. In particular, members of a privileged group (whites in the U.S., for example) should notice the many ways their lifestyles reinforce segregation-based inequalities.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
In my research on ethnic diversity (published in the journal Social Forces in 2016), I find that these effects vary depending on the level of economic inequality. For example, increases in the number of immigrants living in a country are associated with lower support for social welfare policies, but only in countries with high Gini coefficients (the Gini coefficient is a widely-used measure of income inequality). Increases in the size of the immigrant population may have no effects in more equal countries. My diversity research is about countries, and not cities, but I would imagine the findings would be similar for cities.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
Canada is known for the success of its multiculturalist policies. This is a model that policymakers could use as a starting point.
Orlando Richard Associate Professor of Organizations, Strategy and International Management in the Naveen Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Ethnic diversity on city councils and leadership teams can contribute to a broader spectrum of viewpoints and perspectives, which could contribute to innovative solutions to problems and policy formulation/implementation. Thus, it is beneficial for government leadership to have ethnic diversity stemming from the community in which it resides. These effects are also beneficial to the companies that operate within the community, as they can also benefit from ethnic diversity. For example, a recent study of mine published in the Journal of Management found that retail stores that had racial diversity operating in racially diverse communities outperformed retail stores with or without diversity operating in homogeneous or all-white communities. It is important to understand business within the local community context in which it resides.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
One particular challenge is getting folks in the community to interact with one another, because people tend to be attracted to similar others in terms of ethnicity. Also, some ethnicities feel they have a higher status than other ethnicities, which could cause conflict and tensions. Community initiatives that celebrate cultural diversity and create environments with cross-cultural interaction and engagement should be beneficial to the community at large, and contribute to knowledge sharing of solutions to real world problems and other non-work-related things, such as sharing household recipes.
Negative attitudes about ethnicity do not change automatically, so it is up to the community leaders to try to create an inclusive community climate that embraces diversity, such that opportunities in the community and local business are open to everyone, and knowledge exchange across cultural boundaries is encouraged. We don't want ethnically diverse communities with silos -- such that individuals only interact with similar others -- if we want to truly benefit from the creativity that can come from diversity.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
Any sudden change in community demographics can cause a culture shock with much resistance. Communities vary in terms of liberalism and conservatism, and it is likely that more resistance will happen in conservative communities who are satisfied with the status quo and are not as comfortable with dissimilar others. It is much more acceptable when one forms a new community with diverse ethnicities from the start, than it is to have a huge influx of a particular ethnicity in a community that is already predominated by another ethnicity.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
The most important factor for managing a diverse workforce is leadership. Whether a culture embraces cultural differences or encourages everyone to assimilate starts with the leader. A leader that values diversity will create practices that reinforce diversity and inclusion, while also reassuring that merit is still the cornerstone. If the leadership and diversity practices are effective, the company will be able to develop a diverse climate for inclusion.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
Programs are not effective unless leadership accepts them and is motivated to implement them. It would be ideal to have leaders who are intrinsically motivated, but extrinsic motivators, such as tying diversity goals to compensation and/or performance evaluation, also work. Programs should include policies that promote diversity as well as merit, and be broad in nature covering all the functional areas of human resource management (e.g., selection, compensation, training and development).
Corinne Post Associate Professor of Management and Holder of the Scott Hartz '68 Term Professorship in the College of Business and Economics at Lehigh University
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
Be curious and get out of your comfort zone: find ways to get to know your colleagues better, especially those from cultures or walks of lives that seem most different from yours. Have lunch; share something about yourself.
Be honest about your implicit biases or stereotypes (you can assess those here for free) -- we all have them, it’s not something to be ashamed of. But don’t let them cloud your judgment and decisions.
Be mindful when you speak: are there metaphors, expressions, cultural references that are specific to your ethnic group? Avoid or explain them, or risk making others feel left out.
Be forgiving -- you won’t get it right all the time, and neither will others. Just keep working at it.
Jackie Gilbert Professor of Management in the College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
For diversity to become an integral firm component, it needs to incorporate the characteristics of internal customers. Diversity initiatives that encompass thinking styles, individual processing, culture, and manner of expression are important to fully capitalize on unique members’ perspectives. A culture of inclusion must be continually nurtured (as part of a broader employer meta-goal and mission), and not unceremoniously “dumped” in an economic downturn. Educational efforts can consist of community outreach, in which student groups perform “diversity skits,” or presentations on the culture of various countries. Partnering with colleges and universities not only creates value and quality in terms of educational outreach, but potentially a pipeline of future employees. In “community centered” firms, leaders manage “with” employees, and not at them; they solicit opinions, revise processes, and put workers center stage in their attempts to be an employer of choice.
Aronté Bennett Associate Professor of Marketing and Associate Chair of the Marketing and Business Law Department at Villanova University
What are the main benefits of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Exposure. With access to other cultures, your world view is expanded, as is your interpretation of the humanity in others. Cultural Trauma Theory tells us that it isn’t until we recognize the ailments of the few as pertinent to those of the many, that we act. This process is hinged on recognizing the humanity in others -- we have to see them as part of our human collective; and in order for this to happen, we must first interact with them. Additionally, there is an increased likelihood that you won’t feel isolated as the only person of your ethnic background in a space -- with this comes a comfort and familiarity.
What are some potential challenges of living in an ethnically diverse city?
Ethnic diversity isn’t always correlated with ethnic integration. Oftentimes, ethnic enclaves develop, disallowing meaningful interactions between groups. There is also the issue of intolerance; when faced with unfamiliar groups, our first response is often truculent. Lastly, there are concerns around accommodation. It is not always the case that “space” is made to accommodate the cultural needs of diverse ethnic groups (e.g., acceptance of language and religious differences), particularly in public places.
What does it mean for residents when a city’s ethnic composition changes rapidly?
Rapid change often demands adjustments at a pace quicker than that which comes naturally. This hastened pace can stymy the recognition of humanity in others that is necessary for peaceful coexistence. In the most severe instance, that of gentrification, hostility can arise between displaced long-term residents and new neighbors.
What are some tips of managing a culturally diverse workplace?
Much like cities, workplaces must encourage both sides of the equation to work together. As a triple minority (race, gender and religion) at my place of work, I believe the most progress can be made when substantive, vs. shallow, relationships are formed. As mentioned earlier, it is only when we see the humanity in others that we begin to view as part of us; deep relationships usher in this process. There is also value in promoting tolerance of difference, or even hiring for it. Encouraging teams to value their differences, using them as leverage, can generate valuable outputs. Increased value is a concept that all team members can get behind.
What kinds of programs should state and local governments develop in order to promote the benefits of cultural diversity?
Focusing on the public arena, I imagine two approaches that government can take. First, encourage school integration -- even if it isn’t fully embraced by all constituents. School integration presents an early option to interact with children from different backgrounds, creating space to accept the universals of humanity and reject perpetuated stereotypes. Second, highlight the contributions of community members from various backgrounds -- permitting residents to acknowledge the benefits that come along with increased diversity.
MethodologyIn order to determine the most culturally diverse places in America, WalletHub compared 501 of the most populated U.S. cities across three key metrics: 1) Ethnoracial diversity, 2) Linguistic Diversity and 3) Birthplace Diversity. Our data set, each metric’s subcomponents and its corresponding weight are listed below. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most cultural diversity.
We then determined city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its “Cultural Diversity Score” and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.
Each city in our sample refers to city proper and excludes the surrounding metro area. We limited our sample to no more than 10 cities from each state and categorized them according to the following population sizes:
- Large cities: More than 300,000 people
- Midsize cities: 100,000 to 300,000 people
- Small cities: Fewer than 100,000 people
- 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 but not Hispanic or Latino)
- English
- Spanish
- Other Indo-European Languages
- Asian & Pacific Islander Languages
- Other Languages
- In State of Residence
- Northeast Region
- Midwest Region
- South Region
- West Region
- U.S. Territory & Abroad (if born to American parent(s))
- Foreign Nation
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau.
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