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Across most of America, the African American and Hispanic communities comprise "most of the minority". We're not totally sure that's a term, but it's an accurate reflection of the state of race in America.
Asians are a "minority of the minority", generally. But not everywhere.
There are now over 17 million people who identify as Asian living in America, making up 5.6% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Asian population in Maryland is 394,720 - at 6.4% of the total population of Maryland.
And, unlike African Americans that fall under one group in the Census, Asian Americans have many sub-groups -- Chinese, Filipino, and Indian being the three largest sub-groups.
So, what how does the Asian population stratify across Maryland? Which cities and towns in Maryland have seen the greatest increase in their Asian population?
Here are the cities in Maryland with the largest Asian population in 2023:
Which city in Maryland had the largest Asian population? Gaithersburg took the number one over all spot for the largest Asian in Maryland for 2023. 20.37% of Gaithersburg identify as Asian.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Maryland ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Asian, check out the best places to live in Maryland or the most diverse places in Maryland.
The 10 Most Asian Cities In Maryland For 2023
/10
Population: 68,827
% Asian: 20.37%
# Of Asian Residents: 14,019
Percent Change Since 2010: 23.66%
More on Gaithersburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 67,095
% Asian: 20.26%
# Of Asian Residents: 13,593
Percent Change Since 2010: 25.56%
More on Rockville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 34,961
% Asian: 14.68%
# Of Asian Residents: 5,131
Percent Change Since 2010: 38.94%
More on College Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 24,602
% Asian: 9.49%
# Of Asian Residents: 2,334
Percent Change Since 2010: -3.91%
More on Greenbelt: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 29,438
% Asian: 9.37%
# Of Asian Residents: 2,757
Percent Change Since 2010: 54.02%
More on Laurel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 6,273
% Asian: 5.74%
# Of Asian Residents: 360
Percent Change Since 2010: 27.66%
More on Hampstead: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 17,610
% Asian: 5.16%
# Of Asian Residents: 909
Percent Change Since 2010: 41.15%
More on Takoma Park: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 20,790
% Asian: 5.15%
# Of Asian Residents: 1,071
Percent Change Since 2010: 33.54%
More on Hyattsville: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 76,376
% Asian: 5.11%
# Of Asian Residents: 3,903
Percent Change Since 2010: -12.84%
More on Frederick: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 6,191
% Asian: 5.1%
# Of Asian Residents: 316
Percent Change Since 2010: 426.67%
More on Cheverly: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Maryland With The Largest Asian Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Maryland.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Asian alone.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 39 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Asian. The percentages ranked from 20.4% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Asian population with a higher score being more Asian than a lower score. Gaithersburg took the distinction of being the most Asian, while Thurmont was the least Asian city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Maryland ranked by population of Asian residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Asian Populations Across Maryland
If you're looking for a breakdown of Asian populations across Maryland according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Asian places in Maryland:
- Thurmont
- District Heights
- Glenarden
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Maryland
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maryland
- Best Places To Retire In Maryland
Table: Asian Population By City In Maryland
Rank | City | % Asian |
---|---|---|
1 | Gaithersburg | 20.37% |
2 | Rockville | 20.26% |
3 | College Park | 14.68% |
4 | Greenbelt | 9.49% |
5 | Laurel | 9.37% |
6 | Hampstead | 5.74% |
7 | Takoma Park | 5.16% |
8 | Hyattsville | 5.15% |
9 | Frederick | 5.11% |
10 | Cheverly | 5.1% |
11 | La Plata | 4.49% |
12 | Salisbury | 4.42% |
13 | Bel Air | 4.3% |
14 | Walkersville | 3.99% |
15 | Bowie | 3.55% |
16 | Aberdeen | 3.34% |
17 | Riverdale Park | 3.18% |
18 | Chesapeake Beach | 2.81% |
19 | Cheste | 2.63% |
20 | Elkton | 2.61% |
21 | Westminster | 2.54% |
22 | Baltimore | 2.49% |
23 | Annapolis | 2.4% |
24 | Frostburg | 2.38% |
25 | Cambridge | 2.2% |
26 | Hagerstown | 1.86% |
27 | Mount Airy | 1.85% |
28 | Havre De Grace | 1.84% |
29 | Easton | 1.68% |
30 | New Carrollton | 1.51% |
31 | Brunswick | 1.45% |
32 | Taneytown | 1.39% |
33 | Mount Rainier | 1.19% |
34 | Bladensburg | 0.98% |
35 | Ocean City | 0.8% |
36 | Cumberland | 0.66% |
37 | Glenarden | 0.36% |
38 | District Heights | 0.1% |
39 | Thurmont | 0.0% |