253 years ago, we celebrated the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade, in New York City.
But New York is not the state with the most residents with Irish ancestry. Actually, Massachusetts, has more than 21 percent of residents who have some Irish in them.
As we get ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a look at some facts about the Irish in America.:
- Foreign-born residents with Irish ancestry: 251,033. Nearly 60 percent are naturalized citizens, according to the US Immigration bureau.
- Education. Irish Americans are more educated than the nation as a whole, with more than 35 percent older than 25 holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. For the nation as a whole, that rate is nearly 30 percent.
- There’s no place like home. There are 16 places in the United States named Dublin, which is Ireland’s capital. Dublin, Calif., claims the largest population of any of them, with more than 52,000 people.