Columbus may have a growing economy and a relatively low unemployment rate, but that prosperity doesn鈥檛 necessarily translate into a high economic quality of life for the city鈥檚 immigrant residents.
That鈥檚 according to new data from Thoughtwell, the research firm formerly known as Community Research Partners.
The data set uses four factors related to economic well-being: immigrant entrepreneurship rate, the presence of other immigrants, household incomes compared to native households, and immigrant unemployment rates.
While Columbus doesn鈥檛 rank dead last in any single category, it doesn鈥檛 exactly excel either. The city鈥檚 best ranking came in immigrant unemployment, which stands at 5.9 percent. Compare that to the entire Columbus metro area, which in December 2017 had an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent.
When it comes to earnings, immigrant households earn 24.88 percent less than native households.
鈥淯nfortunately, the data does not explain why,鈥� says Thoughtwell researcher Lathania Butler. 鈥淚t could be the fact that they鈥檙e new. It could also be whether they鈥檙e being compensated fully based on their qualifications.鈥�
Columbus also has a relatively low concentration of immigrants compared to other large cities. The Thoughtwell report says immigrants represent 7.3 percent of all Columbus metro area residents. That鈥檚 lower than 37 other metro areas, but still much higher than the rates in Cincinnati (4.3 percent) and Cleveland (5.6).
Columbus鈥� worst ranking came in the entrepreneurship rate of local immigrants. Just 4.8 percent of immigrants are entrepreneurs鈥攖he same rate as Cincinnati, but slightly behind Cleveland鈥檚 rate of 5.9 percent.
The cities with the highest immigrant entrepreneurship rates tended to be in border states like California, Texas and Florida.
Thoughtwell researcher Lathania Butler, herself an immigrant from Jamaica, says she was surprised to see how Columbus compares to other large cities.
鈥淚 was very surprised," Butler says. "I love Columbus, and I was hoping that my decision to live here would not just be the fact that I love Columbus, but that economically it would a benefit to me. I was hoping to find that Columbus was at the top.鈥�
