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New census data reveals how Irish the United States really is

34.5 million claim Irish ancestry, second largest group in America

MATT KEOUGH,

IrishCentral Intern

Published Sunday, March 10, 2013, 7:42 AM

Updated Sunday, March 10, 2013, 7:42 AM

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See more: Irish Ancestry

The latest US Census Bureau report for Irish Americans reveals the strong Irish presence in the states.

Photo by Gotireland.com

As the month of Irishness is upon us, take a look at how Irish the United States really is. The latest US Census Bureau report for Irish Americans reveals the strong Irish presence in the states.

* There’s 34.5 million people who claimed Irish ancestry in 2011 in the United States. That is the second largest group after German Americans.

* 150,990 of them were US citizens born in Ireland.

* New York’s population alone is about 13 percent people who claim Irish ancestry.

* 92.9% of people of Irish ancestry, 25 or older, have at least a high school diploma.

* For the nation as a whole that number is 85.9%.

* The percentage of people of Irish ancestry, 25 or older, who have a bachelor's degree or higher is 33.3%, nearly 5% higher than the national number.

* The average annual income for Irish-American households is $57,319 compared to the national average of $50,502.

* Irish influence has even breached the naming of US cities and towns. There are 7 places in the United States named Shamrock and 13 places named after the Irish capital, Dublin.

* The celebration of St. Patricks Day has even caused major increases in the value of U.S. imported beer. In 2012, the value of US imported beer in March was $86,0002,408 more than in February.

* The United States imported $538.1 million worth of alcoholic beverages from Ireland in 2011. The total value of imports from Ireland to the US in 2011 was $39.4 billion.

* Numbers don’t lie. Irish influence is a prominent aspect of all things that make up the United State’s unique, diverse culture.

Source US Census Bureau.

See more: Irish Ancestry , Irish Roots , Irish Genealogy , Irish History , St Patrick's Day , Irish American

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38 Comments

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Seanmor | Mar 13, 2013, 07:59 PM EDT

Are the Anglo-Saxons included in these statistics? My wife's ancestors came to Massachusetts from England around the mid-1600s and she has forebears on both sides who were in the Revolutionary War. In the last centuary both her grandmothers were D.A.R ,members (Daughters of the American Rvolution. During the past 20 or 30 years the prestige and influence of the WASPs seem to be diminshing.

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ancavker | Mar 13, 2013, 05:30 PM EDT

STEVENSTAIR: You need some meds my fried. Now take off the Man U Jersey, and get over yourself.

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Barry | Mar 13, 2013, 12:15 PM EDT

@curtisjohnson: You ask "Do you define well off as a job as a union laborer?" Well yes I do actually. They're certainly better paid than non-unionised workers. Most Irish immigrants of the 50s and 60s in the States were able to buy their own homes (I know some who ended up buying two and three houses) despite having only a primary school education. Hard to comprehend for someone of someone of my generation, who was led to believe you had to have skills and a good education to be successful. What galls me most of all is how these kind of jobs were usually filled by Whites, with Blacks often being excluded, despite having been born in the country. Do you think that's fair? As for it being a felony to receive an education in Ireland in the past, I think you may be referring to some long-past era, whereas I'm actually talking about 20th century immigrants.

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Smyrnian | Mar 13, 2013, 08:08 AM EDT

STEVENSTAR - You live in a fantasy world. Where do you get your crazy and typically incorrect ideas about people? I am Irish born and probably lived more years in Ireland than you are alive. I have an Irish passport. I have a home in Ireland. I pay taxes in Ireland. I don't have a great auntie Mary in Boston. Your obsession with Irish Americans is disturbing; I sense envy there. Your inability to think clearly is clouded with your anti-American obsession. Get a grip on yourself man.

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curtisjohnson | Mar 12, 2013, 10:46 PM EDT

Good point, wp. british patriotards like swill are really brave against unarmed women and children while backed up by all the resources of a security council member.

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warrenpoint00 | Mar 12, 2013, 10:24 PM EDT

Willie Hamilton you belong on the Netownards road, throwing stones at Irish people ,while shoving your foreign british flag in Irish people,s faces, backed up by RUC personnel carrier,s, of course,you ball,less foreign subordinate.Get a life and go live in your own country ,you foreign orphan.

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STEVENSTAR | Mar 12, 2013, 08:54 PM EDT

@@@Smyrnian | Mar 12, 2013, 06:54 AM EDT Stevenstar - You are where you were born and that's it? Really? Very profound and thoughtful statement. You are beyond help or understanding. You need a thorough education, preferably outside of Ireland so you can experience the real world. I think it's way too late for you, though.>>>>>>>>>>>LISTEN HERE YANKEE DOODLE DANDY .. IVE BEEN TO AMERICA MANY A TIME TO SEE THE CARRY ON OF YOUR PEOPLE PRETENDING TO BE FROM SOME OR OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY BE IT IRELAND, ITALY IS ANOTHER POPULAR ONE..AMERICANS ARE 'FACINATED WITH EUROPE.. BECAUSE WE ARE MORE CULTURED AND LIFE IS BETTER HERE...IN AMERICA EVERYTHING IS NEW, PLASTIC, AND SOULESS..EVERYTHING IS FOR THE $$$ PEOPLE LIVE FOR MONEY AND NOTHIN ELSE.. THE AMERICAN DREAM IS ALL ABOUT MONEY MONEY MONEY . OVER HERE WE PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON QUALITY OF LIFE AND AMERICANS THINK JUST BECAUSE GREAT AUNTY IRENE LEFT IRELAND 86 YEARS AGO TO GET A JOB IN BOSTON.. THAT THEY ARE NOW ALL SUDDENLY MORE INTERESTING AND ARE IRISH ALSO.. THATS HOW WE SEE IT OVER HERE MATE ..SORRY !!! :) YOUR AMERICAN BE PROUD TO BE AMERICAN !!

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curtisjohnson | Mar 12, 2013, 07:46 PM EDT

@barrythebrit "“I know lots of Irish people in the States who're quite well off but are as thick as s**t.” Are they as dumb as you? Do you define well off as a job as a union laborer? “I've no doubt that a lot of more recent Irish immigrants to America are well educated but those of earlier generations were not” Because it was a felony for them to receive an education, maybe?

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curtisjohnson | Mar 12, 2013, 07:44 PM EDT

@swillhamilton “The number of Irish people (as in real Irish people actually born in Ireland) is in decline” The Irish birth rate is the highest in the EU, dumbass.

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warrenpoint00 | Mar 12, 2013, 11:23 AM EDT

Thank you Seanmor,I have seen those census questions while doing my research and the 1930 US Census in particular was quite interesting.It being just after partition and many Irish seemed to be at pains to express their nationality.Some were quite proud and wrote Irish Free State in bold letters, while some in the northern counties of Ireland wrote N Ireland, others wrote Ireland of course,which was and is right, my own address is Co Down Ireland.Noticed too back then when being naturalized a US citizen, everyone had to renounce their allegiance to their old home land "but especially to the English king and great britain".Now I wonder why a US government would want anyone to renounce their allegiance to an English king and great britain?. Maybe because the king was a devious thief and heir to a succession of thieves that had already stolen half the land in the world.

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Seanmor | Mar 12, 2013, 09:41 AM EDT

Warrenpoint: Your comment indicates your true definition of Irishess and it reminds me of captions in the U.S. census forms which I filled in the spring of 1960 as a marine recruit in basic training at Parris Island, SC. One caption was for foreign-born residents and it required us to indicate the nation of which they were citizens. The census form also told us to be specific if we came from a partitioned country and listed East and West Germany, also the two parts of Ireland. In answer to this question. I simply wrote IRELAND in very big letters. I was releived that there was NOT any question about one's birth place because I did NOT want to show that I was born in London, England. Four years later I was HONORABLY discharged and applied for U.S. citizenship, but no bishop, congressman, govrnor or anyone else of influence ever suggested that my naturalization process be expidated on account of my military service. Nowadays high ranking politions and prelates are vigerously campaigning to grant full amnesty and fast citizenship to 12 million ILLEGAL aliens, including those who speak little or no English.

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Smyrnian | Mar 12, 2013, 06:54 AM EDT

Stevenstar - You are where you were born and that's it? Really? Very profound and thoughtful statement. You are beyond help or understanding. You need a thorough education, preferably outside of Ireland so you can experience the real world. I think it's way too late for you, though.

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Will Hamilton | Mar 12, 2013, 05:03 AM EDT

You know you've reading a delusional pompous idiot as soon as you read "I represent the views of all decent Irish people...". Ireland is stuffed full of delusional buffoons who try to overcome their own personal insignificance by convincing themselves they speak for people who've never heard of them. It's called Parish Priest Syndrome.

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warrenpoint00 | Mar 11, 2013, 09:44 PM EDT

I think I can speak here and I represent the views of all decent Irish people living in Ireland, and when I say Irish people, I mean all Irish people in all counties of Ireland.Now that excludes those poor unfortunate losers that created a free statlet for themselves that is, what is now and always was an utter failure.We call those poor people free staters over here. We Irish are very proud of our Irish diaspora,especially those that reside in the U.S.A .We have a very common bond that no other ethnic institute enjoy,s, and that is our proud Gaelic heritage.We are not talking here about,Normans, anglos or anyone else here ,and we are proud to share our rich heritage where ever in the wide world we go.God bless the United States of America and the 32 county nation of Ireland.To all of our new emigrants to our country we hope you will be as proud of our rich heritage as we Irish are of sharing it.That is the view from the great province of Ulster, the warrior stronghold of UiNeill and the people of Ireland

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STEVENSTAR | Mar 11, 2013, 08:45 PM EDT

SURELY THERE ARE MORE HISPANIC PEOPLE MIGRATING INTO AMERICAN NOW DAYS.. SO REALISTICALLY IN A FEW YEARS TIME MOST AMERICANS WILL PROBABLY BE HISPANIC... AND WHAT IF AN AMERICAN OF IRISH DECENT MARRIES SOMEONE FROM MEXICAN DECENT ARE THEM KIDS IRISH TOO ... HAHA AMERICANS ARE SOOOOO CONFUSED ABOUT WHO AND WHO THEY ARE NOT ... YOU ARE WHEREVER YOU WERE BORN SIMPLE AS THAT !! :)

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