There is no question about it; Seattle is a very well diversified city in terms of ethnic representation. Due to the fact that it is essentially a port city, and that it is the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, large numbers of immigrants are drawn to Seattle each year. The result is large areas of ethnic concentration, were people live, work, and play among those with similar backgrounds and who speak same languages.



What this means for the potential Seattle resident, or for the real estate speculator, is that the city literally has something for everyone, and that includes those who may not speak English as their first language. Perhaps Seattle's most obvious immigrant population are those who have arrived from Asia; currently, Asian cultures make up over 16% of Seattle's total population. The city enjoys a rich diversity because of these residents ? Seattle's Chinatown is among the largest and most well developed on the West Coast, and there are similar enclaves of Asian communities, including neighborhoods made up primarily of Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean households.

Beyond the Asian community, Seattle is also home to large numbers of European immigrants. Notably, the Hungarian and German languages are prevalent in some of the city's most influential communities.

The numbers of people who speak another language other than English as their first language are only expected to rise in Seattle over the coming years. The 2000 United States census showed that the immigrant population of Seattle actually grew by 40 percent in between 1990 and 2000, an incredible number that is expected to continue. For the individual real estate owner, this means that identifying likely areas of similar language congregation is well worth it, and for immigrants this means that a home in any enclave will likely increase in value over the next few years.

Immigration and real estate have long been tied together. As a rule, immigrants tend to settle in areas that remind them of home and where there is already an established community. In recent years, many immigrants to cities such as Seattle are quite wealthy, making a home purchase in particular neighborhoods an even more secure investment. When it comes to Seattle, language barriers are no impediment to secure real estate investments!