Immigration to Kentucky
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 KENTUCKY IMMIGRATION STATISTICS |
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Total Population: |
4,200,000 (2006) |
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Foreign Born: |
100,000 (2005) |
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Illegal Immigrants: |
FAIR Estimate: 25,000 (2005) |
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USCIS/DHS Estimate: 15,000 (2000) |
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Pew Hispanic Center Estimate: 30,000-60,000 (2005) |
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About Kentucky
Kentucky’s population increased by 10 percent (356,000 people) between 1990 and 2000. With Spencer County increasing by 73 percent between 1990-2000 it was the fastest growing county in the state. Trends for the future, according to The Census Bureau,
include a 16 percent increase in Kentucky’s population amounting to 4.3 million
people by the year 2025. Demographic indicators show that Kentucky, although not
yet having suffered an explosive growth in population as other states in the
south, is well under way with a projection of 45 percent by 2030. As the
population increases strains on the community are inevitable. Undoubtedly,
concerns will surmount relating to improved infrastructure and water supply.
Illegal Immigration to Kentucky
With a rise of 150 percent the USCIS projects that 15,000 illegal immigrants resided in Kentucky as of 2000. Kentucky continues to draw in illegal immigrants to the state every spring and fall as illegal aliens arrive to plant and
harvest crops. Many illegal immigrants end up living in overcrowded or substandard housing, as many are not able to afford housing on their wages. In 1999, Kentucky requested compensation of $643,000 from the federal government towards the incarceration of
illegal immigrants. However, Kentucky taxpayers
were responsible for $395,000 as the federal government only paid $248,000 in compensation.
Immigration to Kentucky
The increase in the foreign-born population accounted for 135 percent in Kentucky (13 percent for the United States overall) during the 1990s. As the country’s tenth highest percent increase between 1990-2000 (amounting to 80,000 residents) Kentucky’s population increased by 46,000 immigrants.
Kentucky marks the state with the sixth highest immigration population
including, immigrants or
children of immigrants. Since 1990 a total of 59 percent of Kentucky’s
immigrant population arrived. In 1990 47 percent of Kentucky’s foreign-born were
naturalized
U.S. citizens. The percentage has since then decreased. In 2000 the percentage was only 34 percent. As Kentucky’s population is booming, enrollment in elementary and
high school has increased with up to nearly 40 percent between 1990-2000. At 109 percent capacity the school district officials are worried that the classrooms will become even more crowded. Due to this potential problem the planning commission has been asked by the school superintendent to temporarily stop developments of new residential areas.
Kentucky is facing increasing problems in meeting the demand of affordable housing. A correlation with
an increase in population often correlates with severely crowded housing. With a 16 percent increase in the number of foreign-born individuals, approximately 8,000 households in Kentucky are severely crowded. 23 percent of foreign-born, non-citizens in Kentucky are living in poverty. Immigrants in Kentucky make up 10 percent. With most elderly and low-income renters in Kentucky paying 30-50 percent of their monthly earnings for rent, it is a fact that Kentucky is severely crowded. Able to pay no more than $268 a month in rent, a family living on a minimum-wage job will not support the fair market of $445 rent for a two-bedroom home in Kentucky. Thousands of families, or 40 percent of Kentucky renters, are unable to pay that much in rent.
In turn, many sign up to be on waiting lists for subsidized housing and rental assistance. With
a population increase, disappearing open space, crowded housing, increasing commute
times, and air pollution often result. With more people moving to Kentucky, many families feel that the open space they moved there for is disappearing. Kentucky continues to
be losing 47,400 acres of farmland and open space due to development each year. With
an increasing amount of people in the state, Kentucky’s traffic and commute has increased with 14 percent between 1990-2000. It is estimated that
the average commute time for a resident of Kentucky was 24 minutes in 2000.
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