Study: WalletHub announces the most diverse cities in 2019
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March 5, 2019
MOON TOWNSHIP – WalletHub compared more than 500 cities to find out more about America’s current cultural profile.
The cities are graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 showing the highest diversity in an area.
The five most ethnically diverse cities are listed below:
1. Jersey City, NJ
2. Gaithersburg, MD
3. Germantown, MD
4. Silver Spring, MD
5. Spring Valley, NV
With an Ethnic Diversity Score of 72.1, Jersey City is in the lead. Maryland was the most represented state on the top five list, as several of their cities had a high score.
Out of about 500 cities, Pittsburgh is ranked 270 with a diversity score of 41.18.
A multicultural community can be beneficial in many ways. Experts discuss the advantages of these high-ranking cities.
“In most cases, a diverse cultural setting leads to some common boundaries of understanding,” said Kwame Dixon, assistant professor of African American Studies in Syracuse University. “The social citizen of the 21st centuries must be being exposed to multiple cultural settings and environments.”
But challenges arise in unfamiliar settings and environments. Kelin Li, an assistant professor of sociology at California State University, discusses the typical challenges of a diverse city.
“Living in a city that is ethnically diverse, residents may encounter situations of miscommunication or misunderstanding due to different values, traditions or lifestyles. There could also be internal conflicts among residents who have stronger feelings of retaining their original cultures and values” said Li.
Meera E. Deo, law professor at Thomas Jefferson School of law, discusses the benefits of living with people from different backgrounds and why it is highly encouraged.
“(S)tate and local governments should develop programs to encourage more interaction between people from different backgrounds,” said Deo. “Cultural events are a great way to bring people together.”
The least diverse cities are in West Virginia, Vermont, South Dakota and Florida. Ranked at 501, Hialeah in Florida has a metric score of 14.02.
These cities are listed below:
497. Barre, VT
498. Clarksburg, WV
499. Watertown, SD
500. Parkersburg, WV
501. Hialeah, FL
The ranking for Hialeah, Florida is low because of the high concentration of Hispanic individuals. Ninety-six percent of Hialeah is Hispanic, and 94 percent of the city speaks Spanish.
Integrating different ethnic communities together is another way to promote diversity.
“Exposure is a great way to maximize the benefits of diversity. It is such a missed opportunity to have people from diverse backgrounds simply live next door to one another and never interact,” said Meera E. Deo.
In the meantime, America is becoming a more diverse place overall. According to WalletHub, by 2045, no single ethnic group will be the majority, although immigration reform can constantly change diversity trends.
“Making the unfamiliar more familiar means everybody wins,” said Deo.
