- Fact Sheet
New Americans in Baltimore County
Modified
Published
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Baltimore County paid over $1.0 billion in taxes and held $2.8 billion in spending power in 2019. The new report, New Americans in Baltimore County, was prepared in partnership with Baltimore County’s Office of Community Engagement.
The report also features profiles of four profiles: Thomas Mwaura, Rocio Herrera, Narayan Khakurel, and Noureen Badwi.
Between 2014 and 2019 the population of Baltimore County increased by 1.2 percent and the immigrant population grew by 14.2 percent. In 2019 alone, immigrants in the region held $2.8 billion in spending power, paid $677.2 million in federal taxes, and paid $396.5 million in state and local taxes. Despite making up 12.5 percent of the county's overall population in 2019, immigrants represented 19.6 percent of STEM workers, 19.5 percent of hospitality workers, and 19.0 percent of health care and social assistance workers.
The report was produced as part of the Council’s and Welcoming America’s Gateways for Growth Challenge, which includes tailored research on the local immigrant population.
Read the press release here.
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Immigrants are helping the county meet its labor force demands. Immigrants made up 12.5 percent of the county’s population but accounted for 15.4 percent of its employed labor force.
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Immigrant households support the federal safety net. Immigrants contributed $397.1 million to Social Security and $105.8 million to Medicare in Baltimore County in 2019.
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Immigrants are helping Baltimore County meet its rising labor needs in key industries. While making up 12.5 percent of the county’s overall population in 2019, immigrants represented 19.6 percent of STEM workers, 19.5 percent of hospitality workers, 19.2 percent of construction workers, and 19.0 percent of health care and social assistance workers.
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Immigrants play a significant role in the county’s entrepreneurs. Immigrants represented 21.2 percent of business owners in Baltimore County in 2019. About 7,400 immigrant entrepreneurs generated $204.4 million in business income for the county.
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Immigrants in Baltimore County help create or preserve local manufacturing jobs. Immigrants strengthened the local job market by allowing companies to keep jobs on U.S. soil, helping preserve or create 4,800 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere by 2019.