List of U.S. cities with large Vietnamese-American populations explained

The following is a list of U.S. cities with large Vietnamese-American populations. They consist of cities with at least 10,000 Vietnamese Americans or where Vietnamese Americans constitute a large percentage of the population. The information contained here was based on the 2010 U.S. census.

Vietnamese-Americans immigrated to the United States in different waves. The first wave of Vietnamese from just before or after the Fall of Saigon/the last day of the Vietnam War, April 30, 1975. They consisted of mostly educated, white collar public servants, senior military officers, and upper and middle class Vietnamese and their families. The second wave came in the 1980s escaping very precariously in boats from the communist regime as boat people. In the 1990s and 2000s, a third wave came from the US's Humanitarian Operation Program, family members of Vietnamese Americans, former prisoners of re-education camps, and Amerasian children of American servicemen who applied for entry into the United States. Vietnamese Americans vary in income level, with some being upper-class while others, particular those who came later, are working-class.

Vietnamese Americans are mainly concentrated in metropolitan areas in the West, including Orange County, California, San Jose, California, and Houston, Texas.

Cities with more than 10,000 Vietnamese Americans

These cities have more than 10,000 Vietnamese Americans according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey, sorted by number.

Rank	City	Number (2016)	Percentage (2016)	Comment
1		106,992	10.6	City with the most Vietnamese Americans in the United States and outside of Vietnam.
2		52,894	30.3	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
3		38,619	1.7	Little Saigon in Houston is located in Midtown and growing population in Chinatown.
4		37,606	2.7	Little Saigon in the City Heights neighborhood.
5		36,689	40.0	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California. City with the most Vietnamese Americans per capita. Its mayor, Chi Charlie Nguyen, is Vietnamese American.
6		24,702	7.4	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
7	Los Angeles, California	21,981	0.6	Located near Orange County, California Little Saigon in the heart of Chinatown
8		17,896	5.2	Located in Orange County, California
9		16,682	1.1	Largest community in South Philadelphia. Also, clusters in the Olney and Logan sections as well as parts of the Lower Northeast, Chinatown, and nearby Camden, New Jersey.
10		14,892	3.9	in the Dallas-Fort Worth region
11	San Francisco, California	14,657	1.7	Little Saigon, designated in the Tenderloin District, although population spread throughout city
12		14,116	2.3	Sandy Boulevard was known as "Saigon Blvd." during the mid-1990s, 82nd Avenue has a growing enclave as well as suburban Clackamas County
13		13,864	0.2	Growing enclave within Manhattan's Chinatown. Growing populations in Queens and the Bronx.
14		12,486	5.5	In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
15		11,974	1.8	Little Saigon at east end of International District
16		11,730	1.9	Little Saigon in Asian District of Central Oklahoma City
17		11,614	1.8	Growing enclaves in Dorchester and neighboring city of Quincy. Established within Chinatown.
18		11,561	20.4	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
19		11,165	15.2	Near San Jose, California

Major cities

These cities have more than 500,000 people consisting of at least 2% Vietnamese American in the 2010 census, sorted by percentage.

City	Percentage	Number	Note
	10.6	106,379
	2.8	37,720
	2.1	12,806

Medium cities

These cities have between 100,000 and 500,000 people and are at least 4% Vietnamese American in the 2010 Census, sorted by percentage.

Percentage	Number	Note
29.8	52,025	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County
7.5	8,654	Many Chinese-Vietnamese
7.2	23,907	In Orange County
5.2	12,118	in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex
5.0	17,192	In Orange County
4.2	16,043	in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Small cities

These cities have between 10,000 and 100,000 people and consist of at least 6% Vietnamese American in the 2010-15 American Community Survey, sorted by percentage.

Percentage	Number	Note
40.3	36,954	The heart of Little Saigon, traditionally considered the center of overseas Vietnamese culture in the US. Located in Orange County, California. The mayor of the city, Chi Charlie Nguyen, is Vietnamese-American.
20.7	11,747	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
16.9	6,526	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
15.4	8,401	Many Chinese-Vietnamese, who might self-report as either Chinese or Vietnamese
14.9	10,639	Adjacent to San Jose (north)
8.5	2,494	Fairfax County, Virginia
8.2	2,482	Fairfax County, Virginia
8.0	1,628	New Orleans suburb
7.4	1,091	Adjacent to Seattle
6.3	2,524	Many Chinese-Vietnamese

Towns

These cities have fewer than 10,000 people and consist of at least 8% Vietnamese American in the 2010 Census, sorted by percentage.

Percentage	Number	Note
41.4	3,511	Part of Little Saigon in Orange County, California
20.3	1,307
20.1	1048	New Orleans suburb
18.0	300
17.8	437
14.5	370	Involved in fishery
13.0	340
8.1	383

Counties

Ten largest counties with Vietnamese Americans according to the 2010 Census, sorted by number.

Rank	County	Number (2010)	Percentage (2010)	Metropolitan Region
1		227,070	6.1	Greater Los Angeles
2		153,099	7.1	San Francisco Bay Area South
3		122,063	0.9	Los Angeles
4		108,028	2.0	Houston
5	King County, Washington	88,028	1.4	Seattle
6	San Diego County, California	51,030	2.0	San Diego
7		30,533	2.0	San Francisco Bay Area East
8		29,128	1.6	Dallas/ Fort Worth
9		28,770	2.7	Greater Washington Virginia
10		26,276	1.1	Dallas/Fort Worth

External links

Vietnamese American Population Statistics and Demographics