Jewish Population in US 2025 | Statistics & Facts

Jewish Population in US 2025

The Jewish population in the United States has maintained a significant and influential presence throughout American history, with current estimates placing the total at approximately 7.5 to 7.7 million individuals across all age groups as of 2025. This represents roughly 2.4% of the total U.S. population, making America home to either the largest or second-largest Jewish community in the world, depending on measurement methodology. The U.S. Jewish population encompasses diverse denominational affiliations including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, and unaffiliated Jews, as well as individuals who identify as ethnically or culturally Jewish but do not practice Judaism religiously. This demographic complexity reflects the multifaceted nature of Jewish identity in contemporary America.

The evolution of the Jewish American community spans over three centuries, from the arrival of the first Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam in 1654 to the massive Eastern European immigration waves of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, through the post-Holocaust period, and continuing with contemporary immigration from the former Soviet Union, Israel, and other nations. Today’s Jewish population in the US demonstrates remarkable educational achievement, economic success, and cultural influence while maintaining strong connections to Jewish heritage, religious practice, and communal institutions. Understanding the demographics, geographic distribution, and social characteristics of this population provides crucial insights into American religious diversity, ethnic identity, and the continuing vitality of one of America’s oldest minority communities.

Key Stats & Facts About Jewish Population in the United States in 2025

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020; American Jewish Year Book 2024; American Jewish Population Project

The statistics presented reveal the multifaceted nature of the Jewish American population in 2025. The total population estimate of 7.5 million from Pew Research Center includes 5.8 million adults and 1.8 million children being raised in Jewish households with some form of Jewish identity. This figure closely aligns with the 7.7 million estimate from the American Jewish Year Book 2024, compiled by scholars Ira Sheskin and Arnold Dashefsky through aggregation of local community studies and demographic analysis. The distinction between Jews by religion (4.2 million adults) and Jews of no religion (1.5 million adults) reflects a significant phenomenon in contemporary Jewish identity, where substantial numbers identify as Jewish ethnically, culturally, or by family background while not practicing Judaism religiously.

The educational profile of Jewish Americans stands out dramatically, with 59% holding bachelor’s degrees or higher and 28% possessing postgraduate degrees, representing approximately double the national average for college completion and nearly triple for advanced degrees. This extraordinary educational achievement translates into professional success, with Jewish Americans disproportionately represented in medicine, law, academia, business, technology, and other high-skilled professions. The median age of 49 years for Jewish adults indicates an aging population compared to the national median of 46 years, though this varies significantly by denomination, with Orthodox Jews substantially younger than non-Orthodox Jews. Geographic concentration in the Northeast region (38% of the Jewish population) reflects historical settlement patterns, particularly the massive immigration through Ellis Island and the establishment of New York City as the primary center of American Jewish life. The intermarriage rate of 42% represents a significant social trend that has implications for Jewish identity transmission, community demographics, and institutional engagement in future generations.

Total Jewish Population in the US 2025

The measurement and definition of the Jewish population in the United States involves methodological complexities that result in varying estimates depending on definitional criteria and measurement approaches employed by different research institutions and scholars.

Data Source: Pew Research Center 2020; American Jewish Year Book 2024 (Sheskin & Dashefsky); American Jewish Population Project (Brandeis University); Hebrew University (Sergio DellaPergola)

The total Jewish population estimate of 7.5 million from Pew Research Center represents the most widely cited figure for 2025, derived from their comprehensive 2020 survey of Jewish Americans, which utilized address-based sampling methodology to reach a nationally representative sample. This estimate includes all adults who identify as Jewish either religiously or ethnically, plus children living in households with at least one Jewish adult who are being raised with Jewish identity (including those raised in both Judaism and another religion). The slightly higher figure of 7.7 million from the American Jewish Year Book 2024 results from aggregating local Jewish community studies conducted across the United States, which often utilize broader definitional criteria and benefit from local knowledge and outreach efforts.

The methodological differences producing varying estimates center primarily on definitional boundaries of Jewish identity. The core Jewish population concept, articulated by Hebrew University demographer Sergio DellaPergola, employs stricter criteria by including Jews of no religion only if they have two Jewish parents, yielding an estimate of approximately 6.0 million for 2025. This more conservative definition facilitates longitudinal comparisons with historical population estimates dating back to 1970 and earlier. Conversely, the Jewish connected population of approximately 8.0 million includes individuals with partial Jewish identity, those raised in both Judaism and another religion, and people who identify Jewishly but also with another religion. The Brandeis University American Jewish Population Project’s estimate of 7.6 million falls between these parameters, utilizing sophisticated statistical modeling combining multiple data sources including general population surveys, local community studies, and the Pew data.

The importance of these population estimates extends beyond academic interest, as Jewish communal organizations, federations, synagogues, and educational institutions rely on demographic data for strategic planning, resource allocation, and program development. The question of whether the U.S. Jewish population exceeds or falls slightly below Israel’s Jewish population (approximately 7.2 million as of 2025) carries symbolic and political significance in Jewish communal discourse. Additionally, the shadow of the Holocaust, which murdered approximately 6 million Jews, makes population recovery and growth matters of profound concern within Jewish communities worldwide. The fact that the global Jewish population may have only recently returned to its pre-Holocaust level of approximately 17 million underscores the demographic impact of that catastrophe and the importance of accurate population measurement.

Jewish Population Growth and Trends in the US 2025

The Jewish population in the United States has demonstrated relative stability in recent decades, with modest growth maintaining pace with the overall U.S. population expansion, though internal demographic shifts present significant implications for community composition and character.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Surveys 2013 and 2020

The Jewish population growth between 2013 and 2020 indicates modest but meaningful expansion, with the adult Jewish population increasing from 5.3 million to 5.8 million, representing approximately 9.4% growth over seven years. This growth rate roughly parallels the overall U.S. population increase during this period, suggesting that the Jewish share of the American population has remained relatively stable at around 2.4%. However, disaggregation of these figures reveals important internal dynamics. The Jews by religion population remained essentially flat at 4.2 million, while the Jews of no religion category grew by 25%, from 1.2 million to 1.5 million, indicating a significant trend toward ethnic or cultural Jewish identification without religious practice or affiliation.

The substantial increase in children living in Jewish households, from 1.8 million to 2.4 million (a 33% increase), represents one of the most significant demographic developments in recent Jewish population trends. This growth exceeds what would be expected from natural population increase alone and likely reflects multiple factors including the high fertility rates of Orthodox Jews (who tend to have significantly larger families), potential changes in survey methodology between 2013 and 2020 (the 2013 survey used telephone methodology while the 2020 survey employed mail and online approaches), and possibly genuine increases in families choosing to raise children with Jewish identity. The Orthodox population’s youth and high fertility rates contribute disproportionately to this trend, as Orthodox families average 3.3 children compared to 1.4 children among non-Orthodox Jews.

The growth in adults of Jewish background (from 2.4 million to 2.8 million) and adults with Jewish affinity (from 1.2 million to 1.4 million) indicates an expanding periphery of Jewish connection beyond the core population. Adults of Jewish background typically had a Jewish parent or Jewish upbringing but no longer identify as Jewish in any way or identify with another religion (often Christianity). Adults with Jewish affinity lack Jewish parents or upbringing but nevertheless consider themselves Jewish in some way, frequently due to conversion to Judaism or marriage into Jewish families. These expanding peripheral categories suggest that Jewish ancestry and connection extend into a significantly larger population than those who actively identify as Jewish, with implications for potential engagement with Jewish communal life and institutions.

Geographic Distribution of Jewish Population in the US 2025

The Jewish population in the United States demonstrates distinctive geographic concentration patterns, with certain states and metropolitan areas serving as major centers of Jewish life while other regions host smaller communities.

Data Source: American Jewish Year Book 2024 (Sheskin & Dashefsky); Jewish Virtual Library

New York State dominates the American Jewish demographic landscape with 1.67 million Jewish residents, representing approximately 22% of the entire U.S. Jewish population and comprising 8.54% of New York’s total state population. This extraordinary concentration reflects New York’s historical role as the primary port of entry for Jewish immigrants, particularly during the massive Eastern European immigration between 1880 and 1924 when approximately 2 million Jews arrived in the United States. New York City specifically hosts the largest urban Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, with substantial communities in Brooklyn (particularly Borough Park, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, Midwood, and other neighborhoods), Manhattan (Upper West Side, Upper East Side), Queens (Forest Hills, Kew Gardens), and the Bronx. The metropolitan area extends into Westchester County and Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk Counties, where large suburban Jewish populations established roots in the post-World War II era.

California ranks second with 1.26 million Jewish residents, concentrated primarily in the Los Angeles metropolitan area (particularly the Westside, San Fernando Valley, and Conejo Valley) and the San Francisco Bay Area (including San Francisco itself, the Peninsula, and East Bay communities). Florida’s 754,000 Jewish residents reflect both retirement migration from Northern states and families seeking warm weather and economic opportunities, with major concentrations in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties), the Tampa Bay area, and Orlando. New Jersey’s 581,200 Jews represent 6.26% of the state’s population, the second-highest percentage nationally, with communities in Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, and the Jersey Shore region serving as suburban extensions of the New York metropolitan Jewish population.

The Northeast region as a whole hosts 38% of American Jews according to Pew Research Center data, approximately double the region’s share of the overall U.S. population. The South contains 27% of Jewish Americans, the West houses 25%, and the Midwest comprises only 10% of the Jewish population. This geographic concentration creates both opportunities and challenges: major Jewish population centers can support extensive institutional infrastructure including synagogues, Jewish community centers, day schools, kosher restaurants, and cultural organizations, while smaller and more isolated communities may struggle to maintain critical mass for religious services, educational programs, and social connection. Recent decades have witnessed some geographic dispersion, with Jewish population growth in Sunbelt states including Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Georgia, driven by economic opportunity, climate preferences, and the general U.S. population shift toward these regions.

Educational Attainment of Jewish Population in the US 2025

The Jewish American population demonstrates extraordinary educational achievement levels, consistently ranking among the most highly educated demographic groups in the United States across multiple measures of academic attainment.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey

The statistic that 59% of Jewish adults hold bachelor’s degrees or higher represents an extraordinary achievement, placing the Jewish American population at nearly double the national average for college completion. Even more remarkably, 28% of Jewish adults possess postgraduate degrees including master’s, doctoral, or professional degrees (MD, JD, etc.), approximately 2.5 times the national rate of 11%. This educational attainment transcends denominational boundaries, though significant variation exists among Jewish subgroups. Reform Jews lead with 64% holding college degrees, followed by Jews with no denominational affiliation at 57% and Conservative Jews at 55%. Orthodox Jews report lower college graduation rates at 37%, though this figure requires contextualization.

The lower college completion rate among Orthodox Jews does not indicate lesser educational commitment but rather reflects different educational priorities and pathways within Orthodox communities. Many Orthodox Jews, particularly men, invest extensive time in advanced Talmudic and religious studies at yeshivas, which may not result in conventional college degrees but represent intensive intellectual engagement. Additionally, some Orthodox communities prioritize earlier marriage and family formation, which may lead some individuals to enter the workforce or pursue business opportunities without completing four-year degrees. Nevertheless, Orthodox communities maintain strong commitments to literacy, learning, and intellectual achievement within their religious and cultural frameworks.

The Jewish American educational advantage emerges from multiple reinforcing factors including cultural values emphasizing learning and scholarship (rooted in centuries of Jewish religious tradition prioritizing Torah study), immigrant selection effects (many Jewish immigrants arrived with educational credentials or intense motivation to achieve educational success for their children), socioeconomic status enabling investment in education, discrimination in other fields historically channeling Jewish talent toward professions requiring credentials, and community support systems including Jewish scholarship programs and educational organizations. This educational achievement translates directly into professional success, with Jewish Americans disproportionately represented in medicine (comprising estimated 10-15% of physicians despite representing 2-3% of the population), law (estimated 15-20% of lawyers), academia, business leadership, and technology sectors.

Age Distribution and Demographics of Jewish Population in the US 2025

The Jewish American population displays distinctive age distribution characteristics, with significant demographic differences between subgroups defined by religious practice and denominational affiliation.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020

The median age of 49 years for all Jewish adults positions the Jewish population as slightly older than the general U.S. adult population median of 46 years, though this aggregate figure masks substantial variation among Jewish subgroups. Jews by religion show a median age of 54 years, indicating an aging population within religiously-identified Jewish communities, while Jews of no religion demonstrate a much younger median age of 38 years, suggesting that younger individuals more frequently identify as ethnically or culturally Jewish without religious practice. This age differential has significant implications for Jewish communal institutions, as religiously-affiliated Jews who traditionally support synagogues, federations, and other organizations skew older, while younger Jews with ethnic-only identification may be less engaged with conventional Jewish institutions.

The dramatic age differences among denominational streams reveal profound demographic dynamics. Orthodox Jews maintain a median age of 35 years, approximately 19 years younger than Conservative Jews whose median age reaches 62 years. This gap reflects multiple factors: Orthodox communities’ significantly higher fertility rates (Orthodox Jews average 3.3 children compared to 1.4 for non-Orthodox Jews), younger age at first birth (23.6 years for Orthodox versus 28.6 for non-Orthodox), lower rates of intermarriage (Orthodox intermarriage rates approximately 2% compared to 42% overall), and strong retention rates of younger generations within Orthodox identity and practice. Conversely, the Conservative movement’s aging reflects declining younger cohort replacement, as many children raised in Conservative homes either become unaffiliated or move toward Reform or Orthodox identification.

Reform Jews at median age 53 years fall between Orthodox and Conservative, representing a more middle-aged population. The overall pattern indicates a bifurcation within American Jewish demographics: a growing, youthful Orthodox population with high fertility and strong Jewish identity transmission alongside an aging and potentially declining non-Orthodox denominational population facing challenges of intermarriage, lower fertility, and diminishing younger generation engagement. Nearly half (49%) of all Jewish adults are age 50 or older, compared to 45% of the general public, with this proportion rising to 56% among Jews by religion. These demographic realities shape debates about Jewish communal priorities, resource allocation, and strategies for engagement with younger generations who may maintain Jewish identity through different pathways than previous generations.

Fertility Patterns and Household Composition in the US 2025

Fertility rates and household structures within the Jewish American population reveal significant variations across denominational and identification categories, with profound implications for future demographic trajectories.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020

The average of 1.9 children among Jewish adults ages 40-59 (a cohort largely past prime childbearing years) falls below both the U.S. general population average of 2.3 children and the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1 children per woman necessary to maintain stable population size without immigration. This below-replacement fertility reflects multiple factors including high educational attainment (which correlates with delayed childbearing and smaller families), professional career emphasis, urban residence patterns (urban dwellers typically have fewer children), and secular cultural values often prioritizing career achievement and personal fulfillment alongside or instead of large families.

However, this aggregate figure obscures the most dramatic demographic story within American Judaism: the extraordinary fertility differential between Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews. Orthodox Jews average 3.3 children, representing more than double the 1.4 children average among non-Orthodox Jews and significantly exceeding replacement level. Combined with the earlier average age at first birth among Orthodox Jews (23.6 years versus 28.6 years for non-Orthodox), this fertility advantage generates faster generational turnover and compounds population growth. These patterns ensure that the Orthodox proportion of American Jewry will inevitably increase substantially in coming decades, even if Orthodox absolute numbers remain smaller than non-Orthodox populations in the near term.

The striking statistic that 20% of Jewish women ages 40-59 have no children, double the 10% rate among American women generally, contributes significantly to below-replacement fertility. This childlessness reflects various factors including career prioritization, delayed marriage (which reduces fertile years), voluntary childlessness, and possibly fertility challenges. Jews of no religion demonstrate particularly low fertility at 1.0 children average, suggesting limited Jewish identity transmission potential within this growing segment. Intermarried Jewish couples average 1.5 children compared to 2.3 children among in-married Jewish couples, further affecting denominational and communal population dynamics.

Household size averaging 2.7 people (2.1 adults and 0.6 children) reflects these fertility patterns alongside aging population dynamics. Orthodox households differ dramatically, averaging 2.0 children per household compared to 0.3 children among Conservative households and 0.5 among Reform households, indicating that Orthodox families comprise an increasingly large proportion of Jewish households with children. These demographic realities profoundly impact Jewish communal institutions, as demand for Jewish day schools, youth programs, and family services grows in Orthodox communities while potentially declining in non-Orthodox sectors.

Religious Identity and Denominational Affiliation in the US 2025

The landscape of Jewish religious identity and denominational affiliation in the United States reflects significant diversity, with multiple movements, high rates of non-denominational identification, and evolving patterns of religious practice and connection.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020

Reform Judaism maintains its position as the largest denominational movement within American Judaism, claiming affiliation from 37% of Jews by religion. The Reform movement, which originated in 19th-century Germany and developed distinctly American characteristics, emphasizes ethical monotheism, gender equality, LGBTQ inclusion, and adaptation of Jewish practice to contemporary circumstances while maintaining connection to Jewish tradition and peoplehood. Reform congregations typically feature mixed-gender seating, egalitarian ritual participation, instrumental music during services, and flexibility in religious observance requirements. The movement’s openness to patrilineal descent (accepting as Jewish children with Jewish fathers and non-Jewish mothers raised with Jewish identity) and welcoming stance toward interfaith families contributes to its numerical dominance.

Conservative Judaism, representing 17% of Jews by religion, occupies middle ground between Reform and Orthodox, maintaining traditional practices including keeping kosher dietary laws and Sabbath observance while accommodating modernity through egalitarian gender roles, driving to synagogue on Sabbath, and critical-historical approaches to sacred texts. However, Conservative Judaism faces significant challenges including aging membership, difficulty retaining younger generations who often drift toward Reform or unaffiliation, and identity confusion about movement boundaries and expectations. The movement’s numerical decline from previously larger proportions represents one of the most significant denominational shifts in recent American Jewish history.

Orthodox Judaism, comprising 9% of Jews by religion, represents the most traditional and strictly observant segment, maintaining traditional gender roles, strict Sabbath and dietary observance, traditional liturgy, and comprehensive Jewish lifestyle integration. Orthodox communities subdivide into Modern Orthodox (integrating secular education and professional careers with traditional observance) and Haredi or ultra-Orthodox groups (including Hasidic dynasties and Lithuanian-tradition yeshiva communities) that maintain greater separation from secular culture. Despite currently representing the smallest major denominational category, Orthodox Judaism’s dramatically higher fertility rates, younger age profile, strong community cohesion, and effective intergenerational transmission ensure substantial future growth both proportionally and potentially in absolute numbers.

Remarkably, 32% of Jews by religion claim no denominational affiliation, identifying simply as “Jewish” without alignment to any movement. This large non-denominational category reflects several dynamics: millennials and younger generations’ general movement away from institutional religious affiliation, geographic dispersion reducing access to denominational synagogues, personal preference for flexible or individualized Jewish practice, and reaction against perceived denominational politics or rigidity. Additionally, 1.5 million adults identify as Jews of no religion, maintaining Jewish ethnic or cultural identity while not practicing Judaism religiously or identifying with Jewish religion at all. This phenomenon, sometimes termed “secular Jewish identity,” represents a distinctly American pattern enabled by the voluntary, non-established nature of American religious life and the possibility of maintaining ethnic identity separate from religious practice.

Intermarriage Patterns in Jewish Population in the US 2025

Intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews represents one of the most significant and discussed demographic trends affecting the American Jewish population, with substantial implications for community size, identity transmission, and institutional engagement.

Data Source: Pew Research Center Survey of Jewish Americans 2020

The overall intermarriage rate of 42% among all currently married Jewish adults represents a profound shift from the early 1970s when intermarriage rates hovered around 20%, and from the pre-1960 period when intermarriage was relatively rare (approximately 10% or less). However, this aggregate figure masks significant generational trends: among Jews who married since 2010, the intermarriage rate reaches 61%, indicating that the majority of recently married Jews have non-Jewish spouses. This dramatic increase reflects multiple factors including declining social stigma against interfaith marriage, geographic dispersion reducing density of Jewish communities, increased interaction between Jews and non-Jews in educational and professional settings, and generational shifts away from religious particularism toward universalist values.

Substantial variation exists across Jewish subgroups. Orthodox Jews maintain extraordinarily low intermarriage rates of approximately 2%, reflecting tight-knit community structures, separate educational systems (yeshivas and day schools limiting interaction with non-Jews during formative years), strong social pressure favoring endogamy, and theological commitments to Jewish continuity. Conversely, Reform Jews experience intermarriage rates estimated at 50% or higher, reflecting the movement’s theological openness, welcoming approach to interfaith families, and demographic characteristics (Reform Jews more likely to live in areas with smaller Jewish populations). Jews of no religion show the highest intermarriage rate at 79%, which is partly definitional (those with weaker Jewish religious identity less likely to prioritize finding Jewish partners) and partly consequential (intermarriage may contribute to movement away from religious Jewish identity).

The critical question surrounding intermarriage concerns Jewish identity transmission to children. Among in-married couples (both partners Jewish), 93% report raising children as Jewish, demonstrating strong intergenerational transmission. However, among intermarried couples, only 28% raise children exclusively as Jewish, while others raise children in multiple religions, in no religion, or in the non-Jewish partner’s religion. This transmission differential means that intermarriage significantly affects Jewish demographic trajectories. Nevertheless, approximately 25% of non-Jewish spouses in interfaith marriages eventually convert to Judaism, and many intermarried families maintain Jewish connections through Reform or Conservative synagogue membership, Jewish cultural activities, and holiday observances. Contemporary Jewish communal organizations increasingly focus on engaging intermarried families rather than viewing intermarriage solely as demographic loss, recognizing that welcoming approaches can strengthen Jewish identification among children of interfaith marriages.

Economic Status and Income of Jewish Population in the US 2025

The Jewish American population demonstrates relatively high economic status and income levels compared to other religious and ethnic groups, though with recognition of internal diversity and the problematic nature of aggregate generalizations.

Data Source: Pew Research Center; American Jewish Committee surveys; Economic studies of religious groups

The estimated median household income of $120,000-$140,000 for Jewish American households significantly exceeds the national median of approximately $75,000, positioning Jews among the most economically successful religious groups in America. This economic advantage correlates directly with educational attainment, as the 59% college graduation rate and 28% postgraduate degree holding among Jews translates into professional occupations in law, medicine, academia, business, and technology that command substantial salaries. Approximately 30-35% of Jewish households earn $150,000 or more annually, roughly double the national rate, indicating concentration in upper-income brackets.

However, aggregate statistics can mislead. Poverty exists within the Jewish American population, affecting an estimated 10-12% of Jewish households, similar to the national poverty rate. Orthodox Jewish communities, particularly Haredi/ultra-Orthodox populations, often experience poverty rates of 25-30% or higher in some neighborhoods due to large family sizes (with many dependents and single-earner households), prioritization of religious study over secular employment (particularly among men engaged in full-time Torah learning), limited secular education in some communities, and religious lifestyle costs including kosher food, Jewish education, and observance requirements. New York City neighborhoods including parts of Brooklyn (Williamsburg, Borough Park) and suburban communities like Kiryas Joel and Monsey contain substantial populations living at or below poverty levels despite maintaining vibrant religious and cultural life.

The Jewish American economic profile also reflects historical patterns including historical exclusion from certain industries and social institutions that channeled Jewish talent toward entrepreneurship, professions requiring credentials (law, medicine) rather than social connections, and commerce. The entrepreneurial tradition continues, with Jews overrepresented among small business owners and startup founders, though contemporary Jews work across all economic sectors. The combination of education, geographic concentration in high-income metropolitan areas (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC), family emphasis on professional achievement, and historical adaptations to minority status collectively contribute to economic success. Nevertheless, recognition of internal economic diversity, including poverty within Orthodox communities and economic challenges facing elderly Jews, young adults, and those in smaller Jewish communities with limited economic opportunities, provides more complete understanding than simplistic generalizations about Jewish affluence.

Major Metropolitan Centers of Jewish Population in the US 2025

The Jewish American population concentrates heavily in specific metropolitan areas, with a small number of urban regions hosting the majority of American Jews and providing the infrastructure supporting Jewish communal, cultural, and religious life.

Data Source: Local Jewish Federation studies; American Jewish Year Book; Jewish community surveys

The New York metropolitan area stands as the undisputed center of American Jewish life, hosting approximately 2.1-2.3 million Jews, representing roughly 28-30% of the entire U.S. Jewish population and constituting the largest urban Jewish population globally outside Israel. This concentration spans all five boroughs of New York City plus suburban counties in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, and northern New Jersey communities including Bergen, Essex, Morris, and Middlesex Counties. Brooklyn alone contains an estimated 600,000-800,000 Jews, including large Orthodox and Hasidic populations in Borough Park, Williamsburg, Crown Heights, and Midwood, alongside secular and Reform communities in Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, and other gentrifying neighborhoods.

Los Angeles ranks second with 650,000-700,000 Jews, concentrated on the Westside (Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, West LA), the San Fernando Valley (particularly Encino and Tarzana), and extending into Ventura County’s Conejo Valley (Thousand Oaks, Calabasas) and Orange County. The LA Jewish community reflects California’s diversity, including large Persian Jewish, Israeli, Russian Jewish, and Latin American Jewish populations alongside established American Jewish communities. South Florida’s 550,000-650,000 Jews span Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, with particularly high concentrations in Miami Beach, Aventura, Boca Raton, and Delray Beach, driven substantially by retirement migration from Northeastern states but increasingly including working-age families attracted by climate, economy, and established Jewish infrastructure.

The San Francisco Bay Area’s 350,000-400,000 Jews distribute across San Francisco proper (particularly neighborhoods like Pacific Heights, the Richmond, and Noe Valley), the Peninsula (Palo Alto, Los Altos, Hillsborough), East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, Piedmont), and South Bay/Silicon Valley (Los Gatos, Saratoga). The region’s concentration of technology companies attracts highly educated Jewish professionals and entrepreneurs. Boston’s 260,000-300,000 Jews concentrate in Brookline (so densely Jewish it’s sometimes called “Jewline”), Newton, Cambridge, and North Shore communities, supported by proximity to Harvard, MIT, Brandeis University, and other academic institutions. The Washington DC metropolitan area’s 300,000-350,000 Jews concentrate in Montgomery County, Maryland (particularly Bethesda, Rockville, Potomac), Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County), and DC neighborhoods including Cleveland Park and upper Northwest.

These metropolitan concentrations enable sophisticated Jewish institutional infrastructure including multiple synagogues representing all denominations, Jewish day schools and supplementary education programs, Jewish community centers with recreational and cultural programming, kosher restaurants and grocery stores, Jewish social service agencies, and active Federation support systems. Smaller cities and towns throughout America host Jewish communities ranging from thousands to mere hundreds, often centering on one or two synagogues and struggling to maintain sufficient populations for religious quorums (minyan), educational programs, and vibrant communal life. The tension between metropolitan concentration providing rich Jewish infrastructure and geographic dispersion reducing Jewish population density represents an ongoing challenge for American Jewish demography and communal planning.

Holocaust Survivors and Immigration Patterns in the US 2025

The Jewish American population includes Holocaust survivors and their descendants, as well as more recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Israel, and other nations, contributing to community diversity and demographic complexity.

Data Source: Holocaust survivor organizations; Jewish immigration studies; Community surveys

The population of Holocaust survivors living in the United States has declined dramatically to approximately 30,000-40,000 individuals as of 2025, as these survivors, who were typically teenagers or young adults during World War II (1939-1945), are now in their late 90s or over 100 years old. The youngest survivors (children during the Holocaust) are in their 80s. This population’s rapid decline due to advanced age represents the impending end of direct witness testimony from the Holocaust, placing increased importance on recorded testimony, Holocaust education, and memory preservation through museums and educational institutions. Holocaust survivors and their families particularly concentrated in New York, South Florida, and Los Angeles, where support services, survivor organizations, and memorialization efforts remain active.

Second-generation children of Holocaust survivors, numbering approximately 100,000-150,000, now range from their mid-50s to 80 years old and have played significant roles in Holocaust commemoration, education, and ensuring the atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated. Many second-generation individuals report psychological impacts transmitted from survivor parents, including anxiety, overprotectiveness, and deep connections to Jewish identity and Israel. Third-generation grandchildren of survivors now comprise a substantial portion of the American Jewish population, though Holocaust experience may be more distant in their consciousness and identity formation.

Former Soviet Union immigrants represent one of the largest recent Jewish immigration cohorts, with 350,000-500,000 arriving primarily in the 1970s (facilitated by Jackson-Vanik Amendment pressuring Soviet emigration), the late 1980s-early 1990s (as the Soviet Union collapsed), and continuing through the 1990s and early 2000s. These immigrants settled particularly in New York (Brighton Beach, Brooklyn earned the nickname “Little Odessa”), Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, and other major cities. Former Soviet Jews often arrived with high educational credentials but limited religious Jewish knowledge after decades of Soviet religious suppression, creating unique integration challenges and opportunities. Many have successfully integrated economically while maintaining distinctive cultural identity combining Russian language and culture with emerging Jewish identification.

Israeli immigrants, termed “yordim” (literally “those who go down” from Israel), number approximately 200,000-300,000, though exact figures are difficult to establish as many Israelis initially arrive on temporary visas but remain. Israeli Americans often maintain strong Israeli identity, Hebrew language use, and connections to Israeli culture while establishing lives in the U.S. attracted by economic opportunities, educational access, or family reunification. Iranian Jewish immigrants, fleeing the 1979 Islamic Revolution, established particularly significant communities in Los Angeles (especially Beverly Hills and the Westside, earning the area the nickname “Tehrangeles”) and Great Neck, New York. This population maintains distinctive Persian Jewish cultural traditions, Farsi language, and synagogue customs while integrating into American Jewish communal life. Recent French Jewish immigration, accelerating in the 2010s-2020s due to rising antisemitism in France, represents a newer phenomenon, though numbers remain smaller than other immigration waves.

The Jewish population in the United States faces complex demographic trajectories through 2025 and beyond, characterized by competing trends that will fundamentally reshape American Jewish community composition, size, and character. The continued growth of the Orthodox Jewish population, driven by fertility rates exceeding 3.3 children per family and strong intergenerational transmission, ensures that Orthodox Jews will comprise an increasing proportion of American Jewry in coming decades. Current estimates suggest Orthodox Jews may constitute 15-20% or more of the U.S. Jewish population by 2040-2050, compared to approximately 9% in 2025, with particularly dramatic growth among ultra-Orthodox/Haredi communities. This demographic shift will likely affect Jewish communal priorities, institutional character, and public perceptions of Jewish identity as Orthodox visibility and influence expand. Simultaneously, the 61% intermarriage rate among recently married Jews and declining identification with Judaism as religion among younger generations present significant challenges to non-Orthodox denominational Judaism and overall Jewish population maintenance. The growth of the Jews of no religion category, particularly among millennials and Generation Z, indicates that secular or cultural Jewish identity may increasingly predominate over religious Jewish identity, requiring Jewish institutions to adapt engagement strategies beyond conventional religious frameworks.

Geographic dispersion beyond traditional concentration areas will continue as Jews increasingly settle in Sunbelt states, smaller metropolitan areas, and regions previously hosting minimal Jewish populations, creating both opportunities for Jewish life in new contexts and challenges of maintaining community critical mass and institutional infrastructure in dispersed settings. The ongoing aging of non-Orthodox Jewish populations, with Conservative and Reform Jews demonstrating median ages in the 50s and early 60s, requires increased attention to senior services while potentially reducing resources available for youth and family programming. The question of whether overall Jewish population numbers will grow, stabilize, or decline depends substantially on defining boundaries of Jewish identity, as broader definitions including ethnic and cultural identification yield larger populations while stricter religious definitions suggest stagnation or decline. Addressing poverty within Orthodox communities, strengthening Jewish education and engagement for non-Orthodox Jews, responding to rising antisemitism, supporting intermarried families’ connections to Jewish life, and fostering meaningful Jewish identity for secular Jews comprise critical priorities for Jewish communal organizations navigating these demographic transitions.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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