The 20 most diverse places to live in America are also some of the most expensive
Yoonji Han
- Every year, Niche releases a list of the best places to live in America.
- One of its metrics is ethnic and economic diversity, including racial makeup and household income.
Along with the strength of public schools, housing, and safety, diversity has become a factor to consider when picking a place to live.
Niche, which collects and analyzes federal and local government datasets about various locations in addition to its own proprietary data, has released its 2023 list of best places to live in America. One of its subcategories is diversity, which is based on ethnic and economic statistics from the US Census Bureau.
All of the top 20 most diverse places to live in America, which include neighborhoods, suburbs, and cities, are located along the coasts. They are also among the places that have higher costs of living, such as New York City, Jersey City, and Sacramento in California.
For example, Rodeo, which ranks third on the list, has a median household income of $85,825 and median rent of $1,603. By comparison, the national median household income is $69,021, and the national median rent is $1,163.
Keep reading to discover the 20 most diverse places to live in America, along with their relative costs of living.
20. Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, which ranks among the best paces to live in New Jersey, is home to many families and young professionals. Residents tend to be lean liberal and are racially diverse, with a 28% Hispanic, 25% Asian, 22% white, and 21% Black demographic.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 287,146
Median Household Income: $81,390
Median Rent: $1,611
19. Old San Leandro, California
Old San Leandro is a small neighborhood in Alameda County, California, near Oakland and across the bay from San Francisco. Its residents are 31% white, 27% Hispanic, 19% Black, and 11% Asian.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 3,561
Median Household Income: $67,685
Median Rent: $1,909
18. Richmond Hill, New York
Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in Queens, New York City, bordered by Kew Gardens, Jamaica, and Little Guyana. It has 32% Asian, 27% Hispanic, and 12% Black residents.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 101,569
Median Household Income: $83,370
Median Rent: $1,700
17. Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a suburb of Seattle, popular with many families and young professionals. Its residents, which are 40% white, 17% Hispanic, 17% Black and 14% Asian, tend to lean liberal.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 99,792
Median Household Income: $72,969
Median Rent: $1,487
16. The Lakes, Washington
The Lakes is a neighborhood in Kent, Washington. Its residents are 34% white, 23% Hispanic, 21% Black, and 14% Asian, and many have children.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 7,745
Median Household Income: $67,639
Median Rent: $1,761
15. Antioch, California
Antioch is a suburb in Oakland, California, where most residents own their homes (62% own, while 38% rent). The median home value is $467,500, compared to the national average of $244,900. It's considered the third most diverse suburb in California, with 35% Hispanic, 26% white, and 19% Black residents.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 114,750
Median Household Income: $82,244
Median Rent: $1,986
14. Briarwood, New York
Ranked the #1 most diverse neighborhood in New York City, Briarwood is flanked by Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Jamaica in Queens. Its residents are 28% Hispanic, 26% Asian, 24% white, and 16% Black.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 29,331
Median Household Income: $82,768
Median Rent: $1,755
13. Lynn/Highland Park, Oakland
Lynn/Highland Park is ranked the most diverse neighborhood in Oakland. Its residents are 34% Asian, 24% Hispanic, 20% Black, and 15% white. The neighborhood is just a few minutes' drive from Oakland's Chinatown and Little Saigon.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 3,392
Median Household Income: $64,249
Median Rent: $1,398
12. Mill Creek, Washington
Mill Creek is a neighborhood in Kent, Washington, approximately 20 miles northeast of Seattle. It has 34% white, 21% Hispanic, 15% Black, and 14% Asian residents.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 11,548
Median Household Income: $57,462
Median Rent: $1,426
11. Oakland, California
The city of Oakland is among the most diverse places to live in America, which comes as no surprise given the number of diverse neighborhoods within the city. It is ranked the #4 diverse city in the country.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 437,548
Median Household Income: $85,628
Median Rent: $1,676
10. White Center, Washington
This Seattle suburb is ranked the most diverse place to live in Washington, with a racial makeup of 37% white, 26% Hispanic, 21% Asian and 10% Black residents. Residents have lauded its sense of community and blend of different cultures.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 15,716
Median Household Income: $71,827
Median Rent: $1,408
9. New York City, New York
The dense, cosmopolitan jungle of New York City is ranked the third most ethnically and economically diverse city in America. Overall, its residents are 32% white, 29% Hispanic, 21% Black, and 14% Asian.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 8,736,047
Median Household Income: $70,663
Median Rent: $1,579
8. Valley Hi/North Laguna, California
This neighborhood in Sacramento, California has a population of 29% Asian, 25% Hispanic, 19% Black, and 16% white residents.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 38,371
Median Household Income: $69,359
Median Rent: $1,681
6. McGinley Square, New Jersey
McGinley Square is a neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey. Its residents are 31% Hispanic, 24% white, 21% Black, and 20% Asian.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 16,382
Median Household Income: $69,640
Median Rent: $1,231
6. Sacramento, California
Sacramento is ranked the second most diverse city in America, both culturally and economically. Its residents are 31% white, 29% Hispanic, 19% Asian, and 13% Black.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 518,605
Median Household Income: $71,074
Median Rent: $1,434
5. Queens, New York
A multicultural borough in New York City, Queens is home to a unique patchwork of different neighborhoods, each with their distinct identity, from Flushing, which has a large and growing Asian community, to Jackson Heights, where there are Hispanic, Asian, Tibetan, and South Asian communities. It also has the most diversified economy of the five boroughs of the city.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 2,393,104
Median Household Income: $75,886
Median Rent: $1,711
4. Oxford Circle, Pennsylvania
Oxford Circle is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, inhabited by a diverse population that includes Jewish, Korean, Puerto Rican, and Haitian communities. It is among the more affordable places on this list.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 55,518
Median Household Income: $53,387
Median Rent: $1,234
3. Rodeo, California
Rodeo is a suburb in Oakland, California, and is ranked the second most diverse place to live in the state. It has a 28% Hispanic, 23% white, 22% Asian, and 16% Black population.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 9,575
Median Household Income: $85,825
Median Rent: $1,603
2. Vallejo, California
Vallejo is the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area, California. Its residents are 29% Hispanic, 23% white, 23% Asian, and 17% Black.
Niche Diversity Ranking: A+
Population: 125,350
Median Household Income: $78,243
Median Rent: $1,688
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