2023’s Most Irish Cities in America

Image showing a group of friends wearing St. Patrick's day-themed attire to celebrate the holiday

Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, but which of the 200 biggest U.S. cities really know how to celebrate the Celtic spirit?

To mark Irish American Heritage Month, LawnStarter ranked 2023’s Most Irish Cities in America. 

We looked beyond green bloodlines — we also looked at access to Irish pubs, dance schools, and social groups among 10 total indicators of Irishness.

See how much luck your city carries in our ranking below. You’ll also find highlights and lowlights from our data crunching, along with tips on the best ways to learn about Irish culture from Irish historians. 

Contents

City Rankings

Which cities are wearing the green?

Overall Rank (1=Most Irish)CityStateOverall ScoreCommunity RankFood and Drink RankCultural Enrichment RankOrganizations Rank
1New YorkNY68.371121
2ChicagoIL56.49314
3BostonMA42.362244
4PhiladelphiaPA38.493873
5San FranciscoCA34.5265432
6PittsburghPA31.965391310
7DenverCO29.652114563
8San DiegoCA29.3501096
9SeattleWA29.081354513
10OmahaNE2866712149
11NapervilleIL27.2841038058
12BuffaloNY26.9728561412
13Los AngelesCA25.8871567
14WorcesterMA25.778779758
15SpokaneWA25.6910496870
16PortlandOR25.01141723159
17WashingtonDC24.877912854
18SyracuseNY24.4525565155
19Colorado SpringsCO24.4227383363
20MinneapolisMN24.3433132677
21PhoenixAZ24.3335303757
22ScottsdaleAZ24.1318583482
23ColumbusOH23.99162254128
24Fort CollinsCO23.12158911763
25LouisvilleKY22.71113268176
26Overland ParkKS22.48710893178
27EugeneOR22.051211683159
28MadisonWI22.051710360133
29AustinTX2242473077
30St. PaulMN21.9544602777
31St. PetersburgFL21.5730397282
32Virginia BeachVA21.4263534178
33LakewoodCO21.392413912763
34St. LouisMO21.33531123149
35Huntington BeachCA21.240719915
36BoiseID21.17197652178
37Cape CoralFL20.8431668882
38ClevelandOH20.62722617124
39CharlestonSC20.53463150128
40RochesterNY20.3910041318
41Des MoinesIA20.322213153178
42RaleighNC20.12763711149
43RosevilleCA20.1155939915
44YonkersNY20.1672712410
45IndianapolisIN20.07493429159
46PeoriaAZ19.922914213182
47LexingtonKY19.7326355178
48Santa RosaCA19.64567712415
49TacomaWA19.6251528870
50WichitaKS19.534716018178
51JolietIL19.445212711058
52RenoNV19.35396467149
53Fort LauderdaleFL19.2978293677
54DaytonOH19.17579940133
55JacksonvilleFL18.9164855782
56KnoxvilleTN18.82543632178
57CincinnatiOH18.78585965124
58TucsonAZ18.7773504882
59SurpriseAZ18.77378315982
60Kansas CityMO18.763471144147
61LincolnNE18.6523108158159
62Sioux FallsSD18.64389778159
63AlexandriaVA18.43364286178
64AkronOH18.394512781133
65ToledoOH18.354110894133
66CharlotteNC18.23831927149
67Las VegasNV18.285657149
68RockfordIL18.274979158
69OlatheKS18.1920177152178
70VancouverWA18.11616113270
71DallasTX18.1136231076
72NashvilleTN17.96694421178
73HoustonTX17.75130211569
74TulsaOK17.63665161149
75Port St. LucieFL17.624310818982
76Oklahoma CityOK17.4717142159
77TampaFL17.379297382
78SacramentoCA17.13120534715
79BaltimoreMD16.991232416124
80SavannahGA16.91033325133
81HuntsvilleAL16.887511744175
82HendersonNV16.8648131132149
83Fort WayneIN16.83626283159
84AlbuquerqueNM16.74822865133
85MesaAZ16.65709311082
86New OrleansLA16.64132454913
87AnchorageAK16.63604899159
88ChandlerAZ16.3180779082
89MilwaukeeWI16.31126252281
90ThorntonCO16.217717715563
91SpringfieldMA16.13958512455
92OceansideCA16.111018114515
93TempeAZ16.03861069182
94AtlantaGA161221638124
95SpringfieldMO15.996371127159
96OrlandoFL15.9513473982
97San AntonioTX15.87127422082
98AuroraIL15.71061277458
99Grand RapidsMI15.79110341159
100RichmondVA15.531054619176
101ChesapeakeVA15.525914297178
102Fort WorthTX15.4599856882
103ModestoCA15.4410811711715
104SalemOR15.46893141149
105DentonTX15.15901609982
106Santa ClaritaCA15.111410812315
107AuroraCO14.969611714663
108NorfolkVA14.8949943178
109Long BeachCA14.76141207415
110Elk GroveCA14.6811617713915
111TorranceCA14.5111516015215
112San JoseCA14.35144655615
113ProvidenceRI14.34936879159
114TallahasseeFL14.129710813282
115FriscoTX13.979816013282
116Salt Lake CityUT13.961135363133
117ChattanoogaTN13.77889394178
118GlendaleAZ13.7210214214682
119Rancho CucamongaCA13.6812515117715
120OaklandCA13.561408110815
121McKinneyTX13.521099111082
122MurfreesboroTN13.5181160110178
123ClarksvilleTN13.4784117117178
124WacoTX13.4210416011782
125OrangeCA13.4212814217715
126PlanoTX13.2711113911082
127WarrenMI13.0689117168159
128LubbockTX12.9511716010582
129BakersfieldCA12.921531516315
130Little RockAR12.561297774133
131EscondidoCA12.5214310814015
132Kansas CityKS12.3811217759178
133FullertonCA12.3513916018915
134AmarilloTX12.3111015118982
135BellevueWA12.271319915970
136FresnoCA12.2514615113215
137IrvineCA12.2414215115915
138RiversideCA12.0114714214615
139ArlingtonTX11.941331179982
140FayettevilleNC11.8111914287159
141PasadenaCA11.814814215215
142MobileAL11.761076999178
143CoronaCA11.0915514215515
144GreensboroNC11.071378374159
145SunnyvaleCA11.071579115915
146DurhamNC10.8511885168159
147CarrolltonTX10.8413517715982
148Baton RougeLA10.7815017710570
149Winston-SalemNC10.72121151146159
150GlendaleCA10.721641771779
151FremontCA10.2816116017715
152Newport NewsVA10.25124131127178
153LancasterCA9.9416517714615
154ShreveportLA9.7915817713270
155AnaheimCA9.7516913114115
156GarlandTX9.7314517716882
157Jersey CityNJ9.7115169117128
158ColumbusGA9.54149117117133
159HollywoodFL9.491598911582
160Corpus ChristiTX9.4315210614682
161HamptonVA9.35138142105178
162MemphisTN9.081565562178
163StocktonCA9.0717415115915
164Garden GroveCA9.0417315116815
165HaywardCA9.0217517715915
166Chula VistaCA8.4217716018915
167San BernardinoCA8.1418217717715
168OntarioCA8.0918317716815
169MaconGA8.05154160189133
170AugustaGA816715182133
170MesquiteTX816317717782
172KilleenTX7.9516217718982
173HonoluluHI7.9317218115133
174El PasoTX7.71791398382
175PalmdaleCA7.6818417718915
176Pembroke PinesFL7.6616611716882
177North Las VegasNV7.54160135168149
178FontanaCA7.5118517718915
179OxnardCA7.2518812515915
180Santa AnaCA7.0419316012715
181PasadenaTX6.8517117718982
182DetroitMI6.841917146147
183Moreno ValleyCA6.7518916018915
184IrvingTX6.7217616015582
184SalinasCA6.7219017717715
186Grand PrairieTX6.6918016014182
187PomonaCA6.5919217715915
188BridgeportCT6.52178127109133
189West Valley CityUT6.2170160189133
190MiamiFL5.871941257182
191MontgomeryAL5.66168177132178
192BirminghamAL5.3518110894178
193McAllenTX5.118713516882
194MiramarFL3.8819517717782
195JacksonMS3.04186135177178
196PatersonNJ2.8196177168128
197NewarkNJ2.78197102177128
198BrownsvilleTX2.7319913517782
199LaredoTX2.5719816018982
200HialeahFL2.1820017717782
Infographic showing the Most Irish Cities in America, a ranking based on Irish population and access to Irish pubs, dance schools, social groups, and more
Note: For presentation purposes, not all ties may be displayed for some metrics above.

Highlights and Lowlights

It’s Paddy Time in New York

The Big (Green) Apple is our Most Irish City this year, leaving our previous gold medalist, Boston, green with envy. 

How did New York riverdance its way to the top spot? The city dominated three out of four categories and finished just behind Chicago in Cultural Enrichment — despite Irish Americans making up a tiny fraction, 4.4%, of the city’s total population. 

By sheer number, though, New York is home to the most Irish Americans, over 386,000 as of 2021, nearly double the group’s size in Chicago. 

Generally, the larger a cultural group, the higher the demand for culturally specific amenities in their area, such as Irish pubs, Irish social groups, and Irish dance schools, all of which are most abundant in New York City.

An Unlikely Paddy Destination

While the biggest U.S. cities traditionally put on the largest and most popular St. Patrick’s Day parades, there’s one other city in the Heartland that can indulge the party animal in you.

No, it’s not Chicago, Minneapolis, or St. Louis.

At No. 50 overall, Wichita, Kansas, is a pot of gold when it comes to St. Pat’s celebrations, ranking No. 9 in this particular metric — even above more Irish cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon.

This might come as a surprise, but Kansas’ connection to Ireland stretches back centuries. According to the Kansas Historical Society, most immigrants to Kansas arrived from Ireland in 1870. And the Kansas Jayhawk? The men’s basketball team mascot traces its roots to Irish folklore.

Low in Green Blood, High in Green Spirit

The cities with the smallest Irish American populations — both in number and proportion — unsurprisingly landed at the bottom of our ranking. They include cities like Hialeah, Florida, in last place and Laredo, Texas, just ahead of it. 

Paterson, New Jersey (No. 196), counts among them, too. The Irish were once the dominant culture here — its Dublin neighborhood still exists — but waves of new immigrants have transformed the face of the city.

However, the lack of Irish residents in these cities today doesn’t mean they aren’t welcome. You’ll find Irish pubs, for example, in Newark, New Jersey (No. 197), Jackson, Mississippi (No. 195), and Birmingham, Alabama (No. 192). 

In Miramar, Florida (No. 194), and McAllen, Texas (No. 193), you have an excuse to don your greenest outfit — each city hosts St. Paddy’s celebrations.

Ask The Experts

We all could think a little more “green” by understanding one of the biggest ethnic groups in America and its traditions.

To help our readers with their “Irishification,” LawnStarter reached out to researchers who study Irish culture. See what they had to say below.

  1. What are the three best ways to learn about Irish culture?
  2. What’s the best way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year?
  3. What Irish cultural practices have had the biggest influence on modern U.S. culture?
Karen Sonnelitter
Assistant Professor of History
Mary C. Kelly
Historian and Director of the Global Irish Studies Certificate Program
Karen Sonnelitter
Assistant Professor of History
Siena College

What are the three best ways to learn about Irish culture?

1. Depending on your city, there may be an Irish cultural center or a branch of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Cultural centers are great ways to learn about Irish music, arts, dancing, and sports. Many of them also offer Irish language classes.

There might even be an annual Irish festival in your community.

2. Even if your city doesn’t have an Irish cultural center, it probably has an Irish pub. Irish pubs started appearing in the U.S. in the 19th century during a huge wave of Irish immigration. Lots of pubs put on traditional Irish music sessions, so that’s a great way to experience Irish culture.

3. You can also learn about Irish culture without leaving your home. You can start learning the Irish language (Gaelic) using apps like Duolingo, and there are plenty of online communities where people connect to learn the Irish language.

Increasingly, many Irish cultural events are also available online. The Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, New York, now livestreams most of its events via its Facebook page.

What’s the best way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day this year?

Many cities are reinstating their annual St. Patrick’s Day parades this year, so attending one of those is always a good way to celebrate. Heading to an Irish pub for a pint of Guinness is always a great way to celebrate.

The traditional Irish-American celebration is to make corned beef and cabbage. This isn’t a common celebration in Ireland. Instead, this meal became popular with 19th-century Irish immigrants. But for many Irish American families, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage, along with Irish soda bread, is a cherished tradition.

So, you can always choose to stay in with a good meal and try your hand at baking your own soda bread. Soda bread is quick bread that was being made in Ireland as far back as 1836.

What Irish cultural practices have had the biggest influence on modern U.S. culture?

The Irish have been coming to the United States since before we were the United States. But the 19th century saw a huge wave of immigration beginning with the Great Famine in Ireland.

It was this wave of emigration that transformed many American cities, and chances are most of the cities on this list began to be seen as Irish cities during that era. This wave of Irish immigrants helped to build massive infrastructure projects such as the Erie Canal or the transcontinental railway.

There are tons of lingering effects from the ubiquity of Irish surnames to the presence of Irish pubs everywhere. Thirty-one and a half million Americans claim some Irish descent.

One of the biggest ways the effects of this immigration lingers is through our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Back in the 19th century, Irish immigrants faced considerable discrimination, but these days everyone is a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.

Mary C. Kelly
Historian and Director of the Global Irish Studies Certificate Program
Franklin Pierce University

What are the three best ways to learn about Irish culture?

1. Visit Ireland. May to September is an ideal timeframe to plan a visit, with May to June and September offering good possibilities of fine weather, shorter queues at popular historical sites and attractions, cheaper fares and accommodations, and greater choice in flight options and hotels, B&Bs, and Airbnb availability.

Travel around the coast, across the midlands, around Ulster — the country is travel-friendly in terms of public transportation or car hire, and you will learn so much about Irish culture.

2. Read Irish history, fiction, and poetry. The breadth of focus stretches from studies of monastic centers of learning in the Middle Ages to post Celtic-Tiger Ireland today, and the wealth of historical and literary offerings will engage you deeply with the national culture.

Irish literature is world-renowned, from canonical writers and poets such as Swift, Joyce, Yeats, Wilde, Shaw, and Heaney to newer stars like Sally Rooney and Donal Ryan — reading Irish authors will educate you on Ireland in deep and satisfying ways.

3. Identify a cultural theme to explore and pursue it by means of online, film, and published sources. Such themes might include Irish folklore, traditional crafts, pilgrimage sites, or sports played in Ireland. Your selected focus will draw you in to an Irish cultural cornerstone and assuredly educate you on what it means to be Irish.

What’s the best way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year?

Watch one of the recent historical or cultural documentaries on a selected aspect of Ireland (for example, “The Hunger, The Story of the Irish Famine of the 1840s” or “The Burren: Heart of Stone”). And offer a greeting for the big day in Irish: La Fhéile Phadraig shona dhuitse!

What Irish cultural practices have had the biggest influence on modern U.S. culture?

The legacy of Irish arrival and settlement in America is a rich incorporation of a broad spectrum of influences and effects.

From historic neighborhoods where Irish Famine refugees settled, such as the Five Points and Bowery in New York or the old North End in Boston, to the ethnic foundations they established in spheres of politics, education, and business, the Irish imprint is deep and enduring.

The range of Irish Studies academic programs, Irish-themed dramatic-arts outlets, Irish clothing and crafts, and general interest in all things Irish across the United States continues to expand, and the reach is extraordinary.

And celebration of immigrant Irish achievement in these forms has become as much a part of the deeper meaning of St. Patrick’s Day as the more visible forms of engagement we witness on the day.

Behind the Ranking

For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below. 

We then grouped those factors into four categories: Community, Food and Drink, Cultural Enrichment, and Organizations.

Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category. 

Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories. 

The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Most Irish” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Least Irish” (No. 200).

Notes: 

  • The “Least Irish” among individual factors may not be No. 200 due to ties among cities.
  • “Local” and “State Irish organizations” include, among others, Irish cultural and heritage centers and clubs; museums; dance schools; libraries; immigration, legal, and welfare support centers; and networking associations.
MetricWeightingLowest ValueHighest ValueBest
Community
Irish Population5413386,020Highest
Share of Irish Population50.18%15.13%Highest
Food and Drink
Number of Irish Restaurants and Pubs30124Highest
Number of Fish and Chips Vendors0.50101
Cultural Enrichment
Number of St. Patrick's Day Events50222Highest
Number of Irish Cultural Groups1012Highest
Number of Irish Dance Schools1014Highest
Number of Irish Landmarks0.504Highest
Organizations
Number of Local Irish Organizations2026Highest
Number of State Irish Organizations106Highest

Sources: Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, Global Irish, Google Events, The Ireland Funds, Irish-American Heritage Museum, Irish Network USA, Mark Holan’s Irish-American Blog, Meetup, Transceltic, TripAdvisor, and U.S. Census Bureau

Local Tips

Finding corned beef and green beer throughout the year can be like searching for a four-leaf clover. Not now. 

For those who claim Irish ancestry — and everyone else — a green March Madness is already in full swing. Check out the slideshow below to help you plan your St. Patrick’s Day itinerary in our top five Most Irish Cities in America.

A large group of bagpipers formed by U.S. Army soldiers leads the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade up 5th Avenue.
New York: Be among the 2 million spectators at the country’s biggest and oldest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a six-hour-long line of Irish dancers, bagpipers, and jugglers marching down Fifth Avenue.

Crowd-averse? Buy an all-day pass for $30 to “40 Shades of Green,” a slightly more intimate, six-hour event featuring 50 music and dance acts at the New York Irish Center. Don’t forget to stop by St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a bucket-list landmark for any architecture-obsessed tourist but especially Irish Catholics.

Photo Credit: New York National Guard / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0
A female Irish dance trio performs at Celtic Fest in Chicago.
Chicago: Few cities dye their rivers green for St. Paddy’s Day. Witness the dyeing process at the Riverwalk on March 11 at 10 a.m., but get there early to secure the best viewing spot

The McNulty School of Irish Dance traces its humble beginnings to the Windy City, more specifically its suburb Naperville, which has the highest share of Irish residents. If you missed their March 5 performance, you can book the dancers for your own private event or enroll your kids in the McNulty program to keep your Irish heritage alive.

Photo Credit: goatling (cropped) / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
A statue of an Irish family of three, forming part of the Irish Famine Memorial along the Irish Heritage Trail, stands in the foreground surrounded by community members.
Boston: Stop by one — or all — of the top Irish restaurants and pubs in (Green) Bean Town. Watch a rugby game at the Banshee, catch fiddlers at Mr. Dooley’s Tavern (if you’re lucky), or snap a selfie for the ’Gram at L Street Tavern, where scenes of “Good Will Hunting” were filmed.

When you’re not downing a pint of Guinness, explore dozens of the city’s Irish-themed sites and landmarks through a three-mile, self-guided tour on the Irish Heritage Trail.

Photo Credit: Robert Linsdell / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
Members of the Rosenbach Museum & Library and Spiral Q Puppet Theatre parade on a Boston Street, featuring Bram Stoker's famous vampire novel, “Dracula.”
Philadelphia: Get a taste of the Old Country at favorite local haunts like McGillin’s (open since Abraham Lincoln was elected), Moriarty’s (hailed for its extensive menu of traditional Irish fare), and Fergie’s (TV-free so you can focus on your pint and posse).

Lit fan? Experience history at your fingertips — literally — by visiting The Rosenbach Museum & Library, where you can touch over 100 pages of Irish author Bram Stoker’s notes and outlines on his famous vampire novel, “Dracula.”

Photo Credit: Pablo Virgo / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
A close-up, focused shot of the Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista in San Francisco, recreated from the original version invented at the Shannon Airport in Ireland
San Francisco: At the popular Irish Times, enjoy classics like a traditional Irish breakfast, or indulge your palate with menu choices that marry Irish and other cultures. Try their “Irish” nachos or poutine.

Nostalgic expats must include The Buena Vista in their itinerary. Here, you can grab an Irish Coffee, recreated from the original version invented at the Shannon Airport in Ireland. Once you’ve filled up on caffeine and rashers, head over to the United Irish Cultural Center of San Francisco for a deep dive into Irish history and culture — or to score some Irish goodies.

Photo Credit: isuperwang / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

You don’t need the luck of the Irish to keep your grass brilliantly green, so stop looking for that four-leaf clover and hire a local LawnStarter pro instead.

Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Richie Bernardo

Richie Bernardo

Richie Bernardo is a managing editor who previously wrote about personal finance and immigration. Philippine-born, Kansas City-bred, and barbecue-fed, Richie enjoys baking, deal hunting, and binging “Ancient Aliens.”