Market Study: Asian-Indian American Consumers
Third largest Asian American group with a population of 1,645,510.
About 1.68 million Asians reported more then one Asian group or race in Census 2000 and are not included in these numbers. Actual number of Indians would thus be more.
Population growth rates of 106% from 1990 to 2000 and 125.6% from 1980 to 1990.
Comprise for 16.38% of the Asian American population and 0.58% of the US population.
South Asian Affiliation
Indian Americans, known more commonly as Asian Indians (to differentiate them from American Indians) comprise the largest subgroup of South Asians consisting of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The countries and their respective immigrant communities share some common cultural, social and linguistic characteristics and thus are often clubbed together as one homogeneous region.
Some immigrants from Caribbean, East Africa and Fiji also identify themselves as South Asians.
South Asian Population
Indians - 1,645,510
Pakistanis - 153,533
Bangladeshis - 41,280
Sri Lankans - 20,145
Asian Indians were the fastest growing US ethnic group from 1990-2000 with a growth rate of 105.9%.
Geographical Distribution
In contrast to East Asian Americans who tend to be concentrated in California and other areas near the Pacific coast, Asian Indians are more evenly distributed throughout the country. The community however has a preference for metropolitan areas where 90% of them are resident.
Asian Indian Population by US Metropolitan Areas
| New York |
400,194 |
| SF/Oakland/San Jose |
144,231 |
| Chicago |
116,868 |
| Los Angeles |
104,482 |
| Washington/Baltimore |
88,211 |
| Philadelphia |
52,380 |
| Houston |
51,959 |
| Dallas/Ft. Worth |
49,669 |
| Detroit |
45,731 |
| Boston |
43,732 |
| Atlanta |
37,162 |
| Miami/Ft. Lauderdale |
23,467 |
| Seattle/Tacoma |
20,332 |
| Sacramento |
16,992 |
| Minneapolis/St. Paul |
14,535 |
| Orlando |
12,952 |
| Cleveland |
12,648 |
| Phoenix |
11,534 |
| Tampa/St. Petersburg |
10,854 |
| San Diego |
10,148 |
| Denver |
8,827 |
| Pittsburgh |
8,725 |
| Portland, OR |
8,642 |
| St. Louis |
8,277 |
| Cincinnati |
7,893 |
Asian Indian Population by US States
| California |
314,819 |
| New York |
251,724 |
| New Jersey |
169,180 |
| Texas |
129,365 |
| Florida |
70,740 |
| Pennsylvania |
57,241 |
| Michigan |
54,631 |
| Maryland |
49,909 |
| Virginia |
48,815 |
| Georgia |
46,132 |
| Massachusetts |
43,801 |
| Ohio |
38,752 |
| North Carolina |
26,197 |
| Washington |
23,992 |
| Connecticut |
23,662 |
| Minnesota |
16,887 |
| Arizona |
14,741 |
| Indiana |
14,685 |
| Tennessee |
12,835 |
| Wisconsin |
12,665 |
| Missouri |
12,169 |
| Colorado |
11,720 |
| Oregon |
9,575 |
| Oklahoma |
8,502 |
| South Carolina |
8,356 |
| Louisiana |
8280 |
| Kansas |
8153 |
| Alabama |
6900 |
| Kentucky |
6771 |
| Iowa |
5641 |
| Nevada |
5535 |
| Delaware |
5280 |
| New Hampshire |
3873 |
| Mississippi |
3827 |
| Utah |
3605 |
| Nebraska |
3273 |
| Arkansas |
3104 |
| New Mexico |
3104 |
| Rhode Island |
2942 |
| West Virginia |
2856 |
| District of Columbia |
2845 |
| Hawaii |
1441 |
| Idaho |
1289 |
| Maine |
1021 |
| Vermont |
858 |
| North Dakota |
822 |
| Alaska |
723 |
| South Dakota |
611 |
| Montana |
379 |
| Wyoming |
354 |
Age
40% are between the age of 20 and 40 years with a median age of 30 years.
Language
Indian American subgroups have preference for their native Indian tongues like Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Urdu, Kashmiri, and many other regional languages representing different communities.
Asian Indians also have a good comprehension of the English language and thus often get an edge over other immigrants overseas. About 73% of South Asians speak English and at least one other language.
Limited English Proficiency of Asian Indians – 23%; (Bangladeshi – 52%, Pakistanis – 32%; Sri Lankan – 18%).
Media Preferences
50% of online South Asians read a South Asian newspaper, 22% read South Asian publications on a regular basis.
Cultural Characteristics
Indian Americans comprise of people from various cultures and widely varying socioeconomic status, education, place of residence, generation, views, values, lifestyles and appearance. They constitute one of the most diverse communities in the nation.
Household Size
Asian Indians – 3.1; Pakistani – 3.7; Bangladeshi – 3.7; Sri Lankan – 2.8.
83% have nuclear families and 6% have extended families.
Education
75% of Asian Indians who work have a bachelors degree or higher.
Incomes
Highest annual median household income of $61,322 - among all US ethnic groups (Pakistanis – $45,576; Bangladeshi – $37,074, Sri Lankan – $52,392).
Highest per capita income of $26,415 - among all US ethnic groups (Sri Lankan – $26,330; Pakistanis – $17,685; Bangladeshi – $13,532).
Combined disposable income of $88 billion.
Estimated annual buying power of $20 billion.
Employment
Asian Indians are very well educated and many are doctors, engineers, and technology experts.
Business Ownerships
The community is well represented as small business owners, motel owners and taxi cab drivers.
About 55% of motels in the US are owned by Asian Indians.
Home Ownerships
Asian Indian – 47%; Sri Lankan – 51%; Pakistani: 40%; Bangladeshi – 26%.
Immigration
50% of the H1-B work visas each year are taken by Asian Indians.
26,000 Asian Indians enter the US every year on student visas.
Foreign born populations: Asian Indians – 73%; Bangladeshi – 83%; Sri Lankan – 79%; Pakistani – 74%.
We offer a host of Asian Indian marketing solutions that will provide your business with immediate and measurable results. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have via email or phone and offer you a free marketing campaign recommendation and proposal without any obligation, so contact us today!
