Nevada's Immigrant Population is ~650K with ~320K Eligible to Vote

Roughly 650,000 foreign-born residents live in Nevada, accounting for nearly 20% of the state's population, well above the national average of 14.8%. Of these immigrants, approximately 320,000 are naturalized U.S. citizens eligible to register and vote in elections. These legal citizens represent roughly half of Nevada's immigrant population and form a growing part of the electorate, while the remaining immigrants are ineligible to vote under federal and state law.

Nevada ranks fifth among U.S. states in the share of foreign-born residents. Only California (27.7%), New Jersey (24.2%), New York (23.1%), and Florida (22.1%) have higher proportions. At the opposite end, the states with the smallest foreign-born populations are West Virginia (2.1%), Montana (2.3%), Wyoming (3.4%), and Mississippi (3.5%). Among metropolitan areas, the greater Miami area leads the nation at 41.9% foreign-born, followed by San Jose (40%) and New York City (38%). The lowest share belongs to Parkersburg, West Virginia, at just 0.98% of foreign-born residents. Within Nevada, Reno has the highest proportion at 13.4%, followed by Carson City at 12.7% and Las Vegas at approximately 12%.

Eligible foreign-born citizens vote at lower rates than native-born citizens. In the 2020 presidential election, 59% of eligible foreign-born citizens turned out, compared with 71% of native-born citizens. Although their overall participation rate is lower, foreign-born Hispanic and Asian voters often equal or exceed the turnout of their native-born counterparts.

Nevada remains a closely contested swing state where immigration consistently ranks among the top voter concerns. With roughly 320,000 legal immigrants eligible to vote—forming a sizable and growing segment of the electorate—candidates in future elections are likely to continue actively courting this population for votes through targeted messaging, Spanish-language outreach, community events, and policy positions that address immigration as an asset or pathway to citizenship.