Population
14.0 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2004 who said they were Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 5 percent of the total population. California had both the largest population (4.8 million) and the largest numerical increase (123,000) of people of this group since July 2003; Hawaii is the state where Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (58 percent).
Income and Poverty
$57,518
The 2004 median income of households whose householders reported their race as either Asian or native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander. This is the highest among all race groups. Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2004 was $68,771; for Vietnamese-Americans, it was $45,980.
9.8%
Poverty rate for Asians in 2004, down from 11.8 percent in 2003.
Education
49%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and over, who have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. Asians have the highest proportion of college graduates of any race or ethnic group in the country. The corresponding rate for all adults in this age group is 27 percent.
87%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and over, who are high school graduates. The corresponding rate for all adults in this age group is 85 percent.
20%
The percentage of Asians, age 25 and over, who have an advanced degree (e.g., master’s, Ph.D., M.D. or J.D.). The corresponding rate for all adults in the age group is 9 percent.
Languages
2.3 million
The number of people who speak Chinese at home (Table: P034). Next to Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Also among the top 10 most frequently spoken languages are: Tagalog (1.3 million); Vietnamese (1.1 million); and Korean (966,959).
Coming to America
8.7 million
The number of people age 5 and older who speak Chinese at home. After Spanish, Chinese is the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Tagalog and Vietnamese also have more than 1 million speakers.
52%
The percentage of the foreign-born population from Asia who are naturalized U.S. citizens. The corresponding rate for the foreign-born population as a whole is 38 percent.
1.8 million
The estimated number of foreign-born people from China. Following Mexico, China is the leading country of birth for the nation’s foreign-born. Other nations contributing at least 1 million foreign-born to our nation include India and the Philippines. The estimate for China includes Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Jobs
About 75 percent of Asian and Pacific Islander men age 16 and over and 59 percent of women are in the civilian labor force. Among these, 41 percent of men and 37 percent of women are in managerial and professional occupations.
105,300
The number of physicians and surgeons who report Asian as their only race and who are not Hispanic. People of this race comprise 15 percent of all U.S. physicians and surgeons, compared with 4 percent of the total population. Asians are represented in a wide variety of occupations. For instance, there are about 89,000 non-Hispanic Asian postsecondary teachers; 43,000 chief executives; 20,000 lawyers; 3,000 news analysts, reporters and correspondents; and 200 legislators.
Population Distribution
A total of 2.7 million Asian American residents are Chinese (excluding Taiwanese) or Chinese (excluding Taiwanese) in combination with one or more other races or Asian groups, making Chinese the leading Asian group. Filipino (2.4 million) and Asian Indian (1.9 million) follow.
95%
The percentage of Asian and Pacific Islanders who live in metropolitan areas. Fifty-one percent of Asians and Pacific islanders live in the Western part of the United States.
4.5 million
The number of California residents who are Asian, making the Golden State home to the largest number of Asian Americans of any state.
58%
The percentage of Hawaii’s population that is Asian, tops in the nation.
1.3 million
The number of Asians in Los Angeles County, Calif., which tops the nation’s counties. This county also experienced the largest numerical increase of Asians (76,700) from 2000 to 2003.
62%
The percentage of Honolulu County, Hawaii, residents who are Asian American. Honolulu is the only county in the nation where Asians comprise a majority of the total population.
Age Distribution
26%
The percentage of Asians and Pacific islanders who are under 18. At the other end of the age spectrum, 7 percent are 65 or older.
Children and Families
73%
The percentage of Asian and Pacific islander households made up of families. Among these, nearly 2-in-10 have five or more members.
Housing
70%
The percentage of Asians and Pacific islanders who are naturalized-citizen householders and who own their homes. For Asians and Pacific islanders born in the United States, the homeownership rate is 57 percent.