Immigration in the U.S. has hit its highest level ever under the Biden administration, and this has changed a lot in the housing market.
More people from other countries are moving to the U.S., especially in the South, and it’s having a big impact on cities and home prices.
Immigrants Are Changing the Housing Market
In the last four years, over 8 million immigrants have come to the U.S., with most of them settling in Southern states.
In fact, about 15.2% of the U.S. population is now foreign-born, which is the highest level we’ve seen since the big wave of European immigration in the 1800s.
A lot of immigrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, and many of them are settling in places like Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico.
This has also started changing local politics—places that once voted heavily Democratic are now voting for Republicans like Donald Trump.
Growth in Key Cities
Many of the cities expected to grow the most in 2025 have large immigrant populations.
For example, Miami, El Paso, McAllen, and Orlando all have a high percentage of foreign-born residents. In fact, about 42% of Miami’s population is foreign-born, and 22.5% of El Paso’s is as well.
These cities aren’t just growing in population—more people are also interested in buying homes there.
Miami alone gets two-and-a-half times the international interest compared to other big cities.
What’s Causing This Growth?
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies says that a lot of the growth in housing prices is coming from younger Americans buying homes, especially millennials, rather than immigrants.
But the increase in immigrants is still making a huge impact on cities like Miami and El Paso.
What’s Next for Immigration?
Will these immigration trends continue? It’s hard to say. Former President Donald Trump has said he plans to crack down on immigration when he takes office again, promising to deport undocumented immigrants and strengthen border security.
How this will affect housing markets in these fast-growing cities remains to be seen.
For now, though, immigration is shaping U.S. cities, with foreign-born residents helping to drive up housing demand and bringing new energy to these communities.