New research from the American Immigration Council highlights the key role that immigrants are playing in the San Antonio metro area and its economy as taxpayers, consumers, entrepreneurs, international students, and more. This research brief, The Demographic and Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the San Antonio Metro Area, was prepared in partnership with the City of San Antonio and uses American Community Survey data to highlight the multifaceted contributions made by the city’s diverse immigrant population.
In 2023, immigrants made up 12.7 percent of the total population in the San Antonio metro area. 2.5 percent of the immigrant population in the area were likely refugees, and 21.6 percent of the total population growth was attributable to immigrants from 2018 to 2023. Despite making up 12.7 percent of the metro area’s total population in 2023, immigrants represented 14.9 percent of its workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In that same year, immigrants were 25.5 percent more likely to be of working age than their U.S.-born counterparts, allowing them to actively participate in the labor force and contribute to the economy as taxpayers and consumers.
Key findings:
- Immigrants in the San Antonio metro area contributed billions in taxes and consumer spending. In 2023, immigrant households earned $12.6 billion in income, with $1.9 billion going to federal taxes and $1.1 billion going to state and local taxes, leaving them with $9.6 billion in spending power that can be reinvested back into local communities.
- Language diversity is flourishing in the metro area. In 2023, 31.7 percent of San Antonio residents spoke a language other than English at home. As the demand for multilingual and culturally competent workers grows in the city, immigrants can help fill those jobs.
- Immigrants are working in fast-growing industries. Immigrants comprised 32.3 percent of construction workers, 18.9 percent of manufacturing workers, and 18.5 percent of hospitality workers in 2023, contributing a wide array of skills in fast-growing industries.
- Immigrants play a significant role in the metro area’s entrepreneurs. Immigrants represented 24.4 percent of business owners in the city in 2023 despite making up 12.7 percent of the population.
- Immigrants support the federal safety net. In 2023, they contributed $1.2 billion to Social Security and $314.2 million to Medicare.
