According to WalletHub’s recent study, which compared 501 of the most populated cities across the U.S., they found that four suburbs in the DMV Area ranked among the top ten most ethnically diverse ‘cities’ in America!
Which D.C. suburbs were ranked the most diverse in the nation?
According to the three metrics that the study measured (ethnoracial diversity, linguistic diversity, and birthplace diversity), the four suburbs of Washington, D.C. that ranked among the most diverse ‘cities’ in the country were:
Germantown, MD – #1 in the nation
The overall ethnic diversity score for Germantown was 73.03, making it the most culturally diverse city in the nation!
Specifically, among the three measured factors Germantown was ranked #1 in ethnoracial diversity, #5 in linguistic diversity, and #93 in birthplace diversity.
Being the most culturally diverse city in the country, here are a few stats about Germantown that you might not be aware of:
- The local population is roughly made up of 24% white, 25% Black, 24% Hispanic, and 22% Asian.
- In terms of language spoken at home within Germantown, ‘slightly over’ 50% of residents speak English, 21% speak Spanish, 12% speak other Indo-European languages, and 13% speak Asian or Pacific Islander languages.
Gaithersburg, MD – #3 in the nation
Gaithersburg’s overall ethnic diversity score was 72.56, making it the nation’s third-most culturally diverse ‘city’.
Gaithersburg’s specific rankings among the three measured factors were #8 in ethnoracial diversity, #2 in linguistic diversity, and #103 in birthplace diversity.
Being the third-most culturally diverse city in the country, here are a few stats about Gaithersburg:
- The local population is roughly comprised of 31% white residents, 29% Hispanic, 15% Black, and 20% Asian.
- Regarding languages spoken at home, roughly 47% of residents speak exclusively English at home, around 25% speak Spanish, 12% speak Indo-European languages, and 13% speak Asian or Pacific Islander languages.
- Roughly 43% of Gaithersburg’s population are immigrants born outside the U.S., around 29% were born in another U.S. state.
Silver Spring – #4 in the nation
The overall ethnic diversity score for Silver Spring was 70.33, making it the fourth-most culturally diverse ‘city’ in the country.
The specific rankings that Silver Spring had across the three metrics of the study were #11 in ethnoracial diversity, #17 in linguistic diversity, and #24 in birthplace diversity.
Rockville, MD – #9 in the nation
Rockvile’s overall ethnic diversity score of 69.59, ranking it the ninth most culturally diverse city in America.
Its specific rankings amongst every city involved in the study across the three metrics of the study were #23 for ethnoracial diversity, #9 for linguistic diversity, and #38 for birthplace diversity.
How did these suburbs of Washington, D.C. get ranked the most diverse cities in America?
Based on the study’s methodology, the four D.C. area suburbs mentioned above were considered “smaller cities,” and each displayed a level of diversity far beyond the national average!
The study’s methodology took a look at the 501 most populated cities in the United States and examined them based on three factors:
- Ethnoracial Diversity – A measure of the variety and diversity of racial backgrounds amongst residents.
- Linguistic Diversity – A measure of the variety of primary languages spoken at home amongst residents.
- Birthplace Diversity – A measure focusing on how many residents were born locally versus out of state versus abroad.
The data used in the study to measure and rank each city’s diversity was obtained via the U.S. Census Bureau, which was taken on January 29th, 2025.
The study’s overall ethnicity score was based on a 100-point scale – 50 total points available under ethnoracial diversity, 33.33 total points available for linguistic diversity, and 16.67 total points available for birthplace diversity.