The Cities with the Most AAPI Diversity in the US (Besides NYC and San Francisco)

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My partner is Chinese-American, so ideally he and I would like to put down roots in a city with a not insignificant Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population. (This rules out cities that might have made my list back when it was just me, my white self, and I.)

In the past, we’ve lived—both separately and together—in diverse places like Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Rockville, Maryland, and Portland, Oregon. Yet ultimately, we want to live in a city that currently has an Asian population significantly higher than the national average, which hovers right around 7%, according to Pew Research Center

The reasoning of course is for both comfort and safety reasons. But while we want a piece of that suburban pie, we’d also like to give ourselves a liiiittle bit of distance from big city life. (Ideally, we’d live just far away enough that we can watch House Hunters without stewing in shame over the amount we pay to live on the square footage of a postage stamp.)

But what is anyone’s option for a more suburban and affordable lifestyle within a city or town that isn’t exclusively white? I’m so very glad you asked, since we’re sharing all the research we did for ourselves.

Our search for an Asian community as an interracial couple

Really quickly before I dive in, I want to note a couple things.

First of all, I’ll be citing two statistics for each location: the “Asian alone” population percentage from the United States Census Bureau, which includes solely those responders who are “reporting only one race”. For living purposes, I’m also citing the median gross rent for 2015-2019, a representation of what a middle-of-the-bell-curve citizen pays every month in rent and utilities. (Basically, this is an all-inclusive housing cost, which for your reference is $1,664 in West Hollywood—a number that’s lower than our outright rent… so I guess take these with a grain of salt?)

 

“…we want to live in a city that currently has an Asian population significantly higher than the national average, which hovers right around 7%, according to Pew Research Center.”

 

I point out that first statistic to underline that these aren’t necessarily the most diverse cities overall, as we’re seeking solely the percentage of Asian populations for our particular situation.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Median Gross Rent: $1,745

A big part of my brain doesn’t think I’m allowed to live in a place like Hawaii, because it feels like a reward I haven’t earned. But if I can get past the mental block of whether or not I deserve to live and work on a tropical island, it actually seems like a great setup. In a reversal from every other city on this list, Caucasians are in the minority in Honolulu—people of solely Asian descent represent 42.9% of the population, as compared to 17.9% white people. And that doesn’t even include native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders (9.6%), or those who represent multiple races (22.8%), which boosts the numbers even higher.

Seattle, Washington

Median Gross Rent: $1,614

Across the pond and nestled snuggly into my beloved Pacific Northwest, we have chilly little Seattle, one of the few cities on this list that my partner and I have visited together. We stayed in a pretty industrial area during our visit, which neither of us was super keen on, but I’m still thinking about our day trip out to Bainbridge Island. I’m betting there’s a neighborhood that would check all our boxes.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to argue with the gorgeous views, fresh seafood, and younger-skewing demographics—plus it hits our checkboxes with an Asian-American population of 15.4%.

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Portland, Oregon

portland

Median Gross Rent: $1,248

Sooner or later, they all come crawling back. (At least, according to my social media-stalking of my former high school classmates.) I’ve so far resisted making the full move back to my hometown, but it always shimmers on the horizon. And now that I’m back on the same coast, it feels like just a matter of time. This is especially due to the fact that while Portland has a genuinely terrible record in terms of a lot of diversity, it does host a not-too-shabby Asian population at 8.2%, so it’s worth considering for us. Rents seem great at the moment, but once we’re looking to buy property, we’d probably steer clear of the Portland housing market for a few years, because it is going absolutely bananas right now.

San Diego, California

san diego

Median Gross Rent: $1,695

There are quite a few cities in California that match our requirements, but since I didn’t want to pull more than one option from any given state, the best choice is definitely San Diego. My partner and I visited earlier this year, and all I kept saying was, “Los Angeles wishes!” Same gorgeous weather as LA, same basic lifestyle vibe, similar diversity (with 16.9% Asian population), but cheaper, less sprawling, and way more laid back. (Sorry, LA, but you are a bit of a try-hard in the coolness department.) 

Chicago, Illinois

chicago

Median Gross Rent: $823

Continuing our jaunt eastward, we have to leapfrog a few particularly homogenous states before landing in the lovely little enclave that is Chicago. This is another city that I visited and just had an absolute blast in, although I’ll note that it was in summer, and I’m told that to really get a feel for it, I need to try my hand at Chicago in the winter. But I adored the energy. I found the public transportation system super intuitive, and I simply love to see a median gross rent in the triple-digits.

And while the Asian population currently registers at 6.6%, the midwest is currently home to the fastest-growing Asian American communities, so I’m betting that number will rise. Plus, my partner and I both do long-form improv (humiliating), so Chicago would be an excellent place to keep our comedic skills sharp.

Austin, Texas

austin

Median Gross Rent: $1,280

I gotta be honest, I initially thought the majority of the South would probably be out, but Texas went and surprised me! I’ve not had the pleasure of visiting the state in the past, but I always toyed with the idea of moving to Austin, which I’ve been told has similar vibes to Portland. With an Asian population of 7.6%, it’s just above the national average. But the fact that there’s a significant Latinx community (33.9%) is a nice boost to our search. So Barton Springs, here we (maybe) come!

Newton, Massachusetts

newton

Median Gross Rent: $1,940

After a decade in New York City, I’m a little hesitant to settle in a nearby city like Boston. I scooted next door to Newton to check out the scene and am very happy with what I found.

Once again, it’s close enough to the city that we wouldn’t have to quit urban sprawl cold turkey, but could instead take it in manageable doses. Plus, Newton actually has a significantly larger Asian population—14.8% compared with Boston’s 9.7%—along with great public schools, a suburban feel with great parks, coffee shops, restaurants and multiple awards for being one of the nicest places to live in the United States. (One con? It also has the prices to go with all those pluses.)

Rockville, Maryland

rockville

Median Gross Rent: $1,921

Alright, if my hometown can be on this list, so can his. Not only does Rockville boast a double-digit Asian population at 21.1%, but it’s truly a suburban dream. Rockville is both close enough to DC that it’s not a total nightmare to get to, but secluded enough that I can sleep through the night without getting jolted awake by car alarms or helicopters like we do in LA. Plus, my partner still has a tightly-knit community of friends out there that would be amazing to live nearby. 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

PHILADELPHIA

Median Gross Rent: $1,042

Once again, Philly is just a sliver above the national average at 7.2%, but I’m leaving Philadelphia on the list because I’m intrigued, okay?

Personally, I visited the city once, back in college, and found it very approachable with locals who are very direct, which is a personality type I absolutely love. Plus, I feel like I can’t stop reading headlines about what a great place it is to live, with excellent historical and cultural institutions, and an impressive confluence of affordable housing and job growth. 

Fort Lee, New Jersey

fort lee

Median Gross Rent: $1,923

Does it feel absolutely counterintuitive for me to move all the way back to within eyeshot of New York City without actually moving into the city itself? Yes, yes it does, which is why Fort Lee is at the very end of the list. But it has an Asian population of 42.5%, which is exactly what we’re looking for!

But for me, I’ve already lived at one end of the George Washington Bridge and had about as great an experience as I’d imagine I could, living in a well-priced Manhattan studio for seven glorious years. Trying my hand at a life on the opposite side of the bridge feels like it would only invite—and suffer from—comparison. But truly, all the blessings in the world to everyone who does live there now.


Final protip

Those are the cities we have so far, but to add to the list, my partner had an excellent suggestion that you could potentially use as well: search H-Mart locations. (If a city has an H-Mart, you should consider moving there regardless, because it’s an incredible store.)

If you’re searching for “asian communities near me”, this can also tell you that the area has the population to support this kind of store, and is a great indicator for pockets of diversity that might not necessarily show up in the cold hard stats I’m relying on here.

Illustrations by Celine Lau

Portland Real Estate Guide 2021: Neighborhood by Neighborhood

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Like many millennials, I’ve exclusively shopped for rentals in the past, so I don’t know the first thing about the housing market—in my current city or any other. But since my long-term boyfriend and I are living that “DINK” life (“Dual Income, No Kids”), we started wondering just how much money we’d need to bring to the table and what we’d need to know in order to make the leap to homeownership in Portland.

But here’s the real question: where should we be house hunting in Portland, what types of housing we should consider, and when should we take the plunge?

To answer those questions, I turned to Jo Lavey, a principal broker at John L. Scott Real Estate. She gave me an inside look at the hottest Portland neighborhoods, the obstacles that have been tripping up aspiring buyers, and advice for navigating a housing market that’s churning through inventory at truly unprecedented levels. And I, in turn, am giving it all to you.

Here’s your 2021 guide to moving to Portland, Oregon.

Some Portland home-buying statistics that blew my actual mind

A quick word to the wise before I get too far into this: based on everything I heard from Jo, this really is not the best time to be looking for a single-family home in Portland. (Or many other cities in the United States, to be frank.) As of March 31, 2021, average sale prices in Portland have increased by 16.6%, from $461,600 to $538,200, and they show no signs of slowing.

Here are some other stats Jo shared with me that had my eyebrows vanishing into my hairline:

  • At the time of this writing, the Portland market has just .45 months of inventory for sale, meaning that if no new properties were listed, there would be nothing left to sell within about two weeks. (For context, Jo told me that a market with six months of inventory used to be considered a balance between a buyer’s and a seller’s market. So it’s a seller’s market in a serious, almost unprecedented way.)
  • This trend is predicted to continue for the next three to five years, largely due to construction constraints. Portland has an urban growth boundary which limits the amount of land for new construction of homes in favor of maintaining farmland. With very little space to work with, builders have had to rely on in-fill lots (splitting larger lots and building vertically on smaller lots) or spreading out into the suburbs. 
  • Additionally, new construction on multi-family homes in Portland’s Multnomah County is down 70%. In 2013, far more apartments were built than single-family homes, and now the previous inhabitants of those spaces are aging into buying single-family homes.
  • Oregon has been in the top ten states that people are migrating to for three years now, with many coming from California—specifically San Francisco and LA. (Oopsies, guess I’m not so original after all.)

In case those stats have you as intimidated as they have me, there is some good news. Average rents are at $1,500, which is a 2% decrease year-over-year, and condominiums aren’t seeing the same surge in pricing or popularity as single-family homes. (At least for now.) While houses are selling at an average of 5% above list price after a low of four days and a high of 14 days on the market, condos have been selling at or below list price, after lingering on the market for an average of 48 days.

 

“As of March 31, 2021, average sale prices in Portland have increased by 16.6%, from $461,600 to $538,200, and they show no signs of slowing.”

 

If you’re me, this sure is looking like the moment to consider purchasing a condo while I wait out the market. But you’re you—so if you’re absolutely dead set on becoming a Portland homeowner in 2021 and have the cash in hand to back it up, these are the hot neighborhoods that everyone has their eyes on.

Where People Want to Live in Portland

The city is divided into directional quadrants: north, south, east, and west, and then further divided into more specific areas (it’ll be clear below), which is how I’ll lay out this list. The following is a three-month snapshot of properties sold between January and March of 2021, and the pricing is an average cost for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family home.

Northeast

Laurelhurst

Laurelhurst
crystaltrulove.com

Average List Price: $906,225 

Average Sold Price: $922,304 (102% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 16

Mostly residential and with its own truly gorgeous, historical landmark of a park, Laurelhurst is snuggled up to other nearby neighborhoods like Hollywood, which offer schools, restaurants, and shopping, so residents get the best of both worlds.

Irvington

Irvington
Adam Fous Photography

Average List Price: $838,455 

Average Sold Price: $844,412 (101% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 15

Brimming with historic charm, Irvington’s location makes it extremely convenient for commuters. The leafy neighborhood has multiple public transportation options within blocks, and easy access to I-84 and I-5 on-ramps.

Sabin

Sabin
airbnb.com

Average List Price: $814,919 

Average Sold Price: $841,583 (103% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 10

Right next door to Irvington is Sabin, its slightly more youthful neighbor—great for young professionals. In addition to the old world homes are more recent builds and modern restaurants, and the area is abutted by the ultra-cool Alberta Arts District to the north.

Parkrose

Parkrose
Homes.com

Average List Price: $460,463 

Average Sold Price: $460,219 (99.5% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 7

Parkrose prices have yet to soar as high as its northeast neighbors, because crime-wise, it isn’t the safest option on this list. That said, it has its own dedicated school district with an elementary, middle, and high school, and the area is becoming more revitalized by the day.

 

“Average rents are at $1,500, which is a 2% decrease year-over-year, and condominiums aren’t seeing the same surge in pricing or popularity as single-family homes.”

 

Southeast

Woodstock

Woodstock
soldbysagato.com

Average List Price: $602,894 

Average Sold Price: $626,650 (104% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 4

Considered one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Portland, Woodstock has its own adorable little town center and farmer’s market. Plus, it’s steps away from nearby Reed College, making it a popular area with students.

Sellwood/Westmoreland

sellwood
sellwoodmoreland.com

Average List Price: $677,421 

Average Sold Price: $708,571 (105% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 5

Built along the flank of the Willamette River, the cobbled-together neighborhood that is Sellwood/Westmoreland is its own self-sustaining community. It features local grocery stores, food trucks, coffee shops, and even Oaks Park—a roller rink and theme park that features in many of my happiest childhood memories. (As well as the TV show “Shrill”, which is potentially more relevant to your interests than my personal history.)

Montavilla

montavilla

Average List Price: $462,411 

Average Sold Price: $488,429 (106% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 6

Named one of the country’s “top ten neighborhoods you need to visit” by Lonely Planet in 2017, Montavilla has a lot to offer. Namely, the historic Academy Theater, where second-run tickets cost just $4, as well as craft cocktail bars, microbreweries, antique shops, and quirky boutiques.

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Mt. Tabor

Mt. Tabor
reddit.com

Average List Price: $695,221 

Average Sold Price: $723,077 (106% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 5

Built atop an extinct volcano (!), Mt. Tabor is perched high above the rest of the city, offering breathtaking views of downtown. The area has its own 200-acre park featuring miles of biking and running trails, making it a dream destination for anyone craving an active, outdoorsy lifestyle within reach of the city.

Southwest

Multnomah

multnomah
statesmanjournal.com

Average List Price: $641,245 

Average Sold Price: $641,350 (100% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 11

A quaint and artsy village nestled in the heart of Portland, Multnomah boasts the kinds of shop-lined streets you might have thought only existed in Christmas Hallmark movies: bookstores, toy shops, sidewalk cafes, and the massive Gabriel Park.

Hillsdale

hillsdale
roblevy.com

Average List Price: $687,450 

Average Sold Price: $707,450 (102% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 6

I grew up between here and nearby Raleigh Hills, which is how I can tell you that Hillsdale is extremely family-friendly, with great schools, some excellent restaurants, and walkability. Plus a suburban, residential feel that belies the short distance to the city center.

Vermont Hills

vermont hills
portlandrealestateblog.com

Average List Price: $579,257 

Average Sold Price: $624,429 (108% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 6

Just west of Hillsdale is Vermont Hills, which if anything has an even more impressive school district — and even fewer businesses. If you’re looking for a quiet, park-filled area to raise a family or work from home, you couldn’t do much better than Vermont Hills. But consider looking elsewhere if the traditional amenities of a big city are important to you.

North

St. Johns

st. johns bridge
steveschwindt.com

Average List Price: $457,125 

Average Sold Price: $479,813 (105% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 8

At the convergence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers sits St. Johns, rife with excellent antique shops, beloved coffee roasters, and even a floating home community. The neighborhood is slightly isolated and undeniably odd (I mean that in the best way), but if you’re someone who enjoys a unique, small-town vibe, you’ll feel right at home.

Arbor Lodge

arbor lodge
farrellrealty.com

Average List Price: $620,325 

Average Sold Price: $618,725 (100% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 26

Nudged up right against the MAX line – it’s Portland’s light rail system, standing for “Metropolitan Air Express” – living in Arbor Lodge allows for easy access to downtown. Or you can stick close to home and take advantage of the area’s excellent grocery stores, bike shops, or enjoy an evening of live music and pub trivia.

Northwest

Alphabet District & Kings Heights

Alphabet District & Kings Heights
portlandrealestateblog.com

Average List Price: $1,121,996 

Average Sold Price: $1,122,196 (100% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 12

As you can probably tell from the prices, we’ve entered the always red-hot downtown area, so hold onto your butts (and grab your wallets). Everything you could possibly want as far as restaurants, nightlife, and shopping is at your fingertips, plus the Willamette waterfront, Forest Park, and the Portland Zoo. So yes, you’re going to pay for the privilege of having all this bounty in one place.


What if I can’t afford literally any of that, but I still want to buy?

Great question, Alexis Rhiannon. First of all, you could look for smaller houses and hope to get lucky. Or, for you and anyone else in your same boat, I’m gonna drop some condo pricing in here before we go our separate ways.

Average Prices of Condos in the Portland Area

Northwest

Average List Price: $460,386

Average Sold Price: $452,005 (98% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 78

Southeast*

Average List Price: $341,043

Average Sold Price: $343,878 (101% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 74

Southwest**

Average List Price: $332,795 

Average Sold Price: $332,833 (100% of listing)

Average Days on Market: 18

**In both cases, Jo pulled data for properties closer into the city center; prices are likely to be lower as you get further out.

Other things to bear in mind with Portland real-estate

Cash offers are obviously king in this cuckoo market, but since the majority of places are going above listing, I recommend you factor that in if you’re getting a loan. Once you’re approved, consider mentally cutting your budget by $25,000 or so, so that if you really fall in love with a place, you have the funds to put in a compelling offer and downpayment even as the price creeps up. (Rates are going up at a rate of 1% per month, according to Jo. ????)

Overall, $500,000 and a strong stomach should get you something in most any neighborhood you’re interested in in Portland. (Just be aware that a cramped one-bedroom does count as “something” in this case.)

If you’re coming in with $350,000 or under, your best bet is going to be a condo or a townhome, which won’t appreciate as quickly as a single-family home, but that can at least serve as a place to land while you wait for things to calm down… we hope.

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