The United States of America is one of the leading destinations for Kenyan immigrants who migrate for various reasons, including education, employment, or familial ties.
According to the International Organisation on Migration, the US has the highest number of Kenyan migrants at 157,000, followed by the United Kingdom, which hosts around 139,000.
The country accounts for 50 percent of remittances, followed closely by countries in the Middle East.
The American economy’s dynamic nature allows for greater mobility and the potential for higher earnings, with Kenyans able to take up more than one job to support their lifestyle.
Some of the most attractive sectors for Kenyans in the Us are healthcare, technology, and finance, which offer competitive salaries.
According to the Federation of Kenya Employers, a large section of Kenyans in the US hold bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees than the US population overall, with over a quarter being in the nursing population.
The high demand for nursing professionals in the US has been caused by various factors, including an aging population and many nurses qualifying for retirement.
Among the cities with the highest level of employment for nurse practitioners are Texas, California, New York, Florida, and Tennessee.
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According to the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, high-demand nursing specialties include Nurse educator, Intensive care unit nurse, Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner, Clinical nurse specialist, and Pediatric nurse practitioner.
American cities with the highest Kenyan population
According to data from ZipAtlas, below are the top cities in the USA with the largest Kenyan population.
- Texas: Approximately 14,373 Kenyan Americans reside here.
- Washington: Around 8,304 individuals of Kenyan descent.
- California: About 8,087 Kenyan Americans.
- Minnesota: Nearly 7,862 individuals with Kenyan heritage.
- Massachusetts: Approximately 7,043 Kenyan Americans.
- Maryland: Around 5,937 individuals of Kenyan descent.
- New Jersey: About 4,229 Kenyan Americans.
- Georgia: Approximately 3,621 individuals with Kenyan heritage.
- Virginia: Around 3,294 Kenyan Americans.
- New York: Nearly 3,201 individuals of Kenyan descent.