As with most major news involving Cuba and Cuban-Americans, the historic Dec. 17 announcement by President Barack Obama that the U.S. will resume diplomatic relations with Cuba sent reporters to the Sunshine State to gauge reaction.
But a deeper look at U.S. Census Bureau population figures reveals that Florida is only one of many places in the U.S. with a significant Cuban influence.
NerdWallet’s analysis
NerdWallet’s examination of census data found:
- When it comes to the number of people who self-identify as having Cuban ancestry, the New York City-Newark metropolitan area, with 145,336 Cuban-American residents, is second only to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area.
- Miami remains by all measures as the cultural heart of Cubans in America with over 1 million Cuban-American residents.
- Half of the top 10 places for Cuban-Americans by population size are outside Florida, and include the metro areas in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta and Las Vegas.
- Florida comes back into clear focus when ranking by percentage of population with Cuban ancestry, with only three places outside Florida cracking the top 20: Las Vegas, Nevada; Moultrie, Georgia; and Dodge City, Kansas. These places all have small, but relatively significant numbers of Cuban-American residents, according to census data.
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Cuban-Americans by total population
| Rank | Place | Total population in 2013 | Cuban-American population in 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5,673,185 | 1,017,855 |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 19,716,880 | 145,336 |
| 3 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,819,241 | 93,553 |
| 4 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,945,252 | 49,014 |
| 5 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,183,363 | 42,904 |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 9,488,493 | 23,108 |
| 7 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 633,968 | 21,960 |
| 8 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,379,176 | 21,324 |
| 9 | Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 328,209 | 20,947 |
| 10 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,976,925 | 20,857 |
| 11 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 6,063,540 | 19,675 |
| 12 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,759,330 | 16,982 |
| 13 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 5,992,766 | 12,953 |
| 14 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,285,443 | 12,015 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | 1,363,610 | 11,963 |
| 16 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,575,833 | 11,350 |
| 17 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 610,295 | 10,720 |
| 18 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,604,278 | 10,414 |
| 19 | Key West, FL | 74,213 | 9,120 |
| 20 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 712,581 | 8,665 |
Percent of population with Cuban ancestry
| Rank | Place | Total population in 2013 | Cuban-American population in 2013 | Percent of total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5,673,185 | 1,017,855 | 17.94% |
| 2 | Key West, FL | 74,213 | 9,120 | 12.29% |
| 3 | Clewiston, FL | 38,346 | 2,854 | 7.44% |
| 4 | Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL | 328,209 | 20,947 | 6.38% |
| 5 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 633,968 | 21,960 | 3.46% |
| 6 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 2,819,241 | 93,553 | 3.32% |
| 7 | Wauchula, FL | 27,336 | 627 | 2.29% |
| 8 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,183,363 | 42,904 | 1.97% |
| 9 | Gainesville, FL | 266,765 | 5,102 | 1.91% |
| 10 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 610,295 | 10,720 | 1.76% |
| 11 | Sebring, FL | 98,275 | 1,725 | 1.76% |
| 12 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 428,801 | 6,947 | 1.62% |
| 13 | Okeechobee, FL | 39,642 | 539 | 1.36% |
| 14 | Moultrie, GA | 45,781 | 617 | 1.35% |
| 15 | North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL | 712,581 | 8,665 | 1.22% |
| 16 | Arcadia, FL | 34,651 | 412 | 1.19% |
| 17 | Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | 139,356 | 1,537 | 1.10% |
| 18 | Dodge City, KS | 34,217 | 368 | 1.08% |
| 19 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 1,976,925 | 20,857 | 1.06% |
| 20 | Tallahassee, FL | 370,777 | 3,904 | 1.05% |
Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-year Estimate, 2009-2013
Image via iStock.
