Indian Americans Top 5.4 Million in New Census Survey Making Them the Largest Asian Population in America
- California remains home to the most Indian Americans, at about 1.02 million, or nearly one in five nationwide.
The Indian American population in the United States grew to an estimated 5.41 million in 2025, according to new American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates that the U.S. Census Bureau released on Oct. 29, 2026.
The figure counts people who identified as Asian Indian alone, the bureau’s category for Indian Americans. It compares with about 5.09 million a year earlier, a one-year gain of roughly 315,000 people, or about 6%, as reports from the bureau’s detailed Asian-group table said. The 2025 estimate carries a margin of error of about ±77,000.
At that size, Indian Americans account for about 1.6% of the U.S. population, which the same survey put at roughly 341.8 million.
Largest Single Asian group
Among people who reported only one Asian group, Asian Indians are now the largest Asian population in the country. Chinese Americans (excluding Taiwanese) followed at about 4.65 million, according to the ACS figures.
The ranking shifts when multiracial and multiethnic Americans are included. Counting everyone who reported Asian Indian alone or in combination with another group or race, the total rises to about 5.91 million, up from about 5.56 million in 2024.
On that broader measure, the Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was about 5.97 million. That is roughly 60,000 more than the Asian Indian total, leaving the two groups close to level.
Where Indian Americans Live
California remains home to the most Indian Americans, at about 1.02 million, or nearly one in five nationwide. California and Texas together hold more than 1.7 million.
The six largest state populations add up to about 3.15 million, close to three in five of all Indian Americans.
| Rank | State | Asian Indian population, 2025 (approx.) |
| 1 | California | 1,020,000 |
| 2 | Texas | 708,000 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 471,000 |
| 4 | New York | 420,000 |
| 5 | Illinois | 288,000 |
| 6 | Florida | 239,000 |
Source: 2025 ACS 1-year estimates.
India-born Immigrants
India remained the second-largest country of birth among U.S. immigrants in 2025, behind only Mexico. About 3.40 million U.S. residents were born in India, up from about 3.16 million in 2024, an increase of roughly 7.6%.
Mexico-born residents numbered about 10.61 million. China (excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan) ranked third at about 2.40 million, and the Philippines fourth at about 2.24 million, according to the IANS report.
People born in India made up about 6.7% of the nation’s roughly 50.41 million foreign-born residents.
The two counts measure different things. The Asian Indian figure includes U.S.-born Indian Americans, while the India-born figure counts everyone born in India, regardless of how they identify.
Income and What the Numbers Can’t Say
The same ACS release showed national median household income at $84,780 in 2025, up from $81,604 in 2024. Income figures specific to Indian American households from the 2025 survey were not part of the initial coverage.
That ACS figure differs from the $87,460 national median the bureau reported in September. That number comes from a separate survey, the Current Population Survey’s annual supplement, which uses different methods.
All ACS numbers are survey estimates with margins of error, so year-to-year changes should be read with that in mind. The 1-year estimates cover areas with populations of 65,000 or more, per the Census Bureau. The bureau has said release dates for its remaining 2025 ACS products will come later.