The Southern United States is home to 1.98 million Puerto Ricans, comprising 35% of the Puerto Rican population nationwide.
Florida Florida is home to two-thirds of the Puerto Rican population in the South. Florida is currently home to the fastest-growing Puerto Rican population of any state. Cubans and Puerto Ricans are Florida's largest Hispanic groups, though unlike the Cuban community which is nearly entirely located in the South Florida and Tampa Bay areas, the Puerto Rican population is far more spread-out and is present in large numbers in Central Florida, South Florida, and North Florida, having large populations in the metro areas of Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville, among other cities.
South Florida has a large Puerto Rican population centered around the Miami metro area, yet are largely overlooked by Cuban dominance and the overall diversity of the Miami area, spread out in significant numbers in places like
Miami,
Homestead,
Hialeah,
Leisure City,
The Hammocks,
Miami Beach,
Royal Palm Beach,
Lake Worth Beach,
Deerfield Beach,
Hollywood,
West Palm Beach,
North Miami,
Miami Gardens,
Pembroke Pines,
Tamarac,
Miramar,
Coral Springs,
Davie,
Plantation,
Margate,
Palm Springs,
Dania Beach,
Pompano Beach,
Boynton Beach,
Coconut Creek,
Fort Lauderdale, and
Port St. Lucie. The gulf coast of Florida has significant Puerto Rican populations present in scattered areas, in cities such as,
Tampa,
Town 'n' Country,
Brandon,
Riverview,
Spring Hill,
St. Petersburg,
Pinellas Park,
Lakeland,
Cape Coral,
Lehigh Acres, and
Fort Myers.
Central Florida has the largest Puerto Rican population of any region in the state and the fastest-growing Puerto Rican population in the country. The
Orlando metropolitan area is the center of the Puerto Rican population in Central Florida and there is large populations of Puerto Ricans throughout the region, with the largest populations in
Orlando,
Kissimmee,
Poinciana,
Buenaventura Lakes,
Azalea Park,
Meadow Woods,
Pine Hills,
Pine Castle,
Lakeland,
Deltona,
St. Cloud,
Union Park,
Southchase,
Four Corners,
Casselberry,
Clermont,
Altamonte Springs,
Sanford,
Apopka,
Alafaya,
Oak Ridge,
Oviedo,
Daytona Beach, and
Palm Bay, among other cities in the area.
Osceola County is the only county in the country where Puerto Ricans are the largest ancestral group. Puerto Ricans are also the vast majority of Hispanics in
Volusia County. The
I-4 corridor, extending from
Daytona Beach to
Tampa, is home to 500,000 Puerto Ricans. The I-4 corridor is politically considered the swing section of the state, yet Puerto Rican growth has created a Democratic registration advantage. Puerto Rican growth in Central Florida has also had a direct impact on the uninterrupted influence Cubans once had. In
North Florida, there are significant Puerto Rican populations in
Jacksonville,
Orange Park,
Ocala,
Tallahassee, and
Gainesville. Though, the most notable growth in North Florida has been in the southern fringes of the region bordering Central Florida (like Ocala for example), as well as the Jacksonville area (especially
Clay County). Though, the Puerto Rican population may not be as large as other parts of Florida, especially Central Florida, Puerto Ricans often make up the majority of Hispanics in many North Florida cities, due to lower percentages of Hispanics in North Florida overall.
Virginia In Virginia, almost half of the Puerto Rican population is in the many independent cities of the
Hampton Roads area, including
Newport News,
Hampton,
Virginia Beach,
Norfolk,
Chesapeake,
Williamsburg,
James City County, and
York County. In fact, outside Florida, the region stretching from the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Southeastern Virginia up to the Tri-cities portion of the Richmond metro area has the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans of any metropolitan area or urban region in the Southern United States. Though, Puerto Ricans are largely spread out throughout the Hampton Roads area and most cities range around 2-3% Puerto Rican. A large chunk of the remainder is mainly in the
Richmond-
Tri Cities area and the DC suburbs of
Northern Virginia. In Richmond area, Puerto Ricans are present in the city of Richmond, the
Tri Cities area,
Chesterfield County, and
Prince George County. In Northern Virginia, Puerto Ricans are spread out, but higher concentrations are present in
Stafford County,
Spotsylvania County,
Prince William County, and
King George County.
North Carolina In North Carolina, there are significant and growing Puerto Rican populations in
Fayetteville, and the metro areas of
Raleigh/Durham and
Charlotte. There are also notable numbers of Puerto Ricans in places like
Concord in the Charlotte area,
Clayton in the Raleigh area,
Jacksonville,
Winston-Salem,
Greensboro, and
Greenville.
Georgia In Georgia, over two-thirds of the state's Puerto Rican population is located in the
Atlanta metropolitan area. In the Atlanta area, the Puerto Rican population is spread out, but present in significant numbers in Atlanta,
Marietta, as well as many smaller cities in
Gwinnett County,
Henry County, and
Cobb County. The remainder is in other areas throughout the state, especially cities like
Savannah,
Augusta,
Hinesville, and
Columbus usually with ties to
Fort Moore.
Delaware In Delaware, the majority of the Puerto Rican population lives in
New Castle County, especially
Wilmington and
Elsmere among other cities.
Kent County also has a significant Puerto Rican population, especially in
Dover.
Maryland In Maryland, over 80 percent of Maryland's Puerto Rican population lives in
Central Maryland, split nearly evenly between the Baltimore area and the Maryland portion of the DC area. Maryland's Puerto Rican population is much smaller and more scattered compared to areas further north along the east coast. There is a small Puerto Rican population in Baltimore, as well as in many smaller cities throughout Central Maryland.
Texas In Texas, the vast majority of the state's Puerto Rican population is present in the
Texas Triangle mega-region, especially in and around the cities of
Houston,
San Antonio,
Austin,
Dallas, and
Killeen. San Antonio has the largest Puerto Rican population of any city in the state of Texas, but on a greater metropolitan level, Dallas metro area has largest. This is because most Puerto Ricans in the San Anontion area live inside city limits, while in the Dallas area most live outside the city. However, no major Texas city really stands out as Puerto Ricans are evenly spread out throughout the major areas of Texas. In the Dallas area, there are large Puerto Rican populations in
Fort Worth,
Arlington,
Grand Prairie, and
Denton. In the Houston area, significant Puerto Rican populations are present in
League City and
Galveston.
Copperas Cove, along with larger neighboring Killeen, has a significant Puerto Rican community with strong ties to the
Fort Cavazos military base. ==Puerto Ricans in the
Midwest==