Asian American Boom Shifts to Smaller Metros
By James Moreau | 09 May, 2025

Several smaller US metro areas have seen rapid Asian growth in their populations, exceeding national averages, driven by factors like affordability and job opportunities.

Several metropolitan areas with under 2 million total residents have experienced rapid growth in their Asian American populations.

Greater Fort Wayne, Indiana saw a 118% spike in Asian growth this past decade, led by a trebling of the Vietnamese population.  As a result the city of Fort Wayne is now 7.6% Asian, higher than the national average.  Rated the most affordable city by US News, Fort Wayne residents spend only 19.6% of income on living expenses, the lowest percentage in the country.

Statewide, Indiana's Asian population surged 58%, with Indians and Filipinos topping the list at 57% and 67%, respectively.  This growth was concentrated most in Indianapolis, which saw a 79% jump in its Asian population.  

The Wilmington, North Carolina metro area logged the largest 5-year and 1-year Asian American increases, growing 69% and 55%, respectively.  The growth has been multi-ethnic with Indian, Chinese, Filipino, and Korean segments all doubling in the past year, more than offsetting declines in Japanese, Vietnamese and Pacific Islander populations. The state of North Carolina saw its Asian residents grow 23.6% over 5 years, the 5th highest of any state.   Still the Tar Heel state is now 4.3% Asian, only about 2/3 of the national average.

Moving inland the Raleigh-Cary metro area saw an 87.5% Asian American surge over a decade, now totaling over 127,000 Asian residents, or 8.4% of the metro population.  In the past year alone the Raleigh area’s Vietnamese population shot up 82%, making it the third-largest Asian American segment behind Indian and Chinese. 

Cary is now 21% Asian American and has seen its Korean population double in the past decade.  Much of this growth has been driven by several major universities in the greater Raleigh area, creating jobs in research departments for companies like IBM and GlaxoSmithKline.  Raleigh metro area’s Asian median household income is $141,000, 52% higher than all households and 37% more than white households.

The recent decade’s 102% Asian surge in the Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg-Carlisle area has raised the metro’s Asian population to 7%.  The Quaker State’s Indian population increased by 54%, with 18% of that growth occurring in greater Harrisburg.  Pennsylvania’s overall population fell in the past year while its Asian residents increased by 1.5%.  

Most of the growth was driven by a 10.5% increase in the Filipino population.  An astounding 38% spike in Harrisburg reflecting the pull of 20% lower housing costs and the hope of escaping the urban crime and congestion of Philly and Baltimore.

Another surprising area of Asian population growth in the region is the Bhutanese refugee population which now numbers about 25,000 in south central Pennsylvania.

Greater Fayetteville, Arkansas, saw an 89% Asian surge over the past decade, bringing the total to over 25,000.  41% of the Asian American population comprises Pacific Islanders whose presence increased fivefold statewide.  The Indian population exploded from nearly nonexistent (207 residents) 10 years ago to nearly 9,000 residents.