Russian-Born Population in the United States: Estimates & Trends

As of the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), the Russian-born population in the U.S. is approximately 400,000–450,000. Earlier estimates (pre-2022) cited ~600,000, but revised methodologies and outmigration/deaths have adjusted figures downward.

Key Data Points

• ACS 2021: 398,000 Russian-born.
• ACS 2022: ~410,000 (margin of error ±15,000).
• Including U.S.-born with Russian ancestry: ~3.0–3.5 million (self-reported ancestry, Census).
• Top metro areas: New York (Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay), Los Angeles (West Hollywood), Sacramento, Seattle, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Minneapolis.
• Immigration waves: 1970s (Soviet Jews), 1990s (post-USSR), 2000s–2010s (professionals, family reunification), 2022+ (post-invasion asylum seekers).

Definitional Nuances

• "Russian-born" ≠ "Ethnic Russian": Includes Jews, Ukrainians, Tatars, Armenians, Germans, others from RSFSR/USSR.
• Legal status: Most are naturalized citizens or LPRs; recent arrivals include asylum seekers, parolees, students.
• Undocumented: Estimated <5,000 (DHS); not a major unauthorized population.

Data Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau ACS (annual)
• DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
• Pew Research Center (origin/ancestry reports)

For the most current, granular data (by state, year of entry, age, citizenship), use the Census API or data.census.gov with table B05006 (Place of Birth).