Indicator Spotlight | August 27, 2026

Silicon Valley: One of the World's Most Global Communities

By Rachel Massaro

Silicon Valley is recognized as a global center of innovation. It is also one of the world's most international communities. Two out of every five Silicon Valley residents were born outside the United States — a share that ranks among the highest in the nation and is comparable to some of the world's best-known global centers, including Geneva, Zurich, and Amsterdam — places that serve as major hubs for research, finance, innovation, trade, and international organizations. Like Silicon Valley, these regions are known for attracting talent from around the world through finance, research, higher education, international organizations, advanced industries, and global commerce.

This international character is more than a demographic distinction — it is one of Silicon Valley's defining strengths.

The region's economy has long depended on attracting people from around the globe. That influence becomes even more apparent within the workforce. While approximately two in five residents are foreign-born, that share rises to nearly one in every two workers. Among Silicon Valley workers in technical occupations, roughly two-thirds were born outside the United States, and among women working in technical fields, more than seven in ten are foreign-born. These figures underscore the central role immigrants play in the industries that have fueled Silicon Valley's growth and established its reputation as the world's leading innovation economy.

Among the 833 U.S. counties included in the analysis, only three have a higher share of foreign-born residents than Santa Clara County at 42.1% — Miami-Dade, FL (55.3%), Queens, NY (47.5%), and Hudson, NJ (44.8%) — while San Mateo County also ranks among the nation's leaders (10th highest at 35.6%).

Silicon Valley's immigrant population is also remarkably diverse. As of 2024, approximately two-thirds of the region's foreign-born residents were born in Asia, about one-quarter in Latin America, and the remainder in Europe and other parts of the world. While immigrants from Asia continue to make up the largest share, the composition of Silicon Valley’s international residents has gradually shifted across generations. Older immigrant generations are more heavily concentrated among those born in Asia, while younger generations include growing shares of residents born in Latin America and Europe, reflecting changing global migration patterns over time.

This diversity is reflected not only in where residents come from, but also in the breadth of experiences, languages, cultures, and perspectives they bring to the region. According to Mosaic America’s Mosaic Atlas Explorer, the region is home to more than 4,500 “assets of culturally distinct communities,” such as organizations, public art displays, venues, and festivals or events. Silicon Valley has become a destination for people from virtually every corner of the world, creating an unusually international community whose diversity extends well beyond any single country or region of origin.

The result is a region whose global character is evident throughout everyday life — from its neighborhoods and schools to its universities, research institutions, entrepreneurs, and employers. Silicon Valley's reputation as a world-leading center of innovation is inseparable from the people who have come here from around the globe to study, work, build businesses, raise families, and contribute to the community.

About the Author

Rachel Massaro is vice president of Joint Venture and director of research at the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies. Their work aims to bridge the gap between academia, council chambers, the boardroom, and the dinner table.