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Jose Maria Serrano 2017 Comercial President MIAMI Association of Realtors®

Miami was the top U.S. city for growth from international immigration last year, a sign of the global demand to live, work, and play in sunny South Florida.

Miami's population increased 1.1 percent from international immigration, the highest of any U.S. metro area, from 2015 to 2016, according to U.S. Census numbers from March 2017. Many of the immigrants are highly-educated, according to a 2017 study by Florida International University and the Creative Class Group. Miami ranked No. 1 in the nation for the percentage of foreign-born in its highly educated ranks (some college through Ph.D. holders).

The foreign born comprise nearly four out of ten of the South Florida professional workers in business, the sciences, tech, education, media, and the arts.

Cultural diversity is critical for a strong economy. Businesses in a multicultural, multilingual region like South Florida can draw employees from different backgrounds and experiences and those contrasting perspectives create innovative ideas and industries.

This innovation is critical for cities as they aim to stay competitive in the global marketplace. With its long history of welcoming all cultures, Miami is positioned to continue its growth. While other U.S. cities have stopped adding residents, Miami is growing its population and adding jobs - two factors that will boost the local real estate market.

Miami, which is America's most diverse city with 51 percent of its residents foreign born, is seeing the positive impact from its cultural diversity. The region's unique diversity has long attracted home buyers from around the world, but it's also spurring a South Florida population boom and launching major startup businesses and commercial development.

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