By 
Sudarshan Pyakruel
By Sudarshan Pyakruel MA, MSW-LSW
Introduction
You may be wondering about the actual number of Bhutanese Americans currently residing in Central Ohio. In 2025, our research team analyzed National Census data and collaborated with local entities to calculate a reliable baseline. Our best conservative estimate places the Bhutanese American population in Central Ohio at approximately 31,540, with residents primarily concentrated across three counties: Franklin, Licking, and Fairfield.
How did we arrive at this number? To contextualize this growth, a 2017 Ohio State University publication estimated the local population to be around 24,347 (Ohio State University, 2017). Over the last decade, approximately 10,000 individuals have been added to the Central Ohio region. Is this a significant, organic increase, or is it an underestimation? These questions gain profound importance when evaluated against population claims made by other states. Most notably, assertions have circulated in Pennsylvania (PA) that roughly 79,000 Bhutanese Americans live in that state alone. If true, that claim would represent nearly 80% of all Bhutanese ever resettled in the United States, including their American-born children. This staggering claim sparked an intense online debate late last year among Bhutanese community members and leaders. Consequently, the inquiry was reignited.
The Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (BCCO) assembled a team to work alongside researchers who have spent the past decade diligently tracking regional demographic shifts. We chose to publish our findings and detail our methodology to offer a transparent, data-driven explanation. This initiative also aims to set a rigorous precedent for other Bhutanese community organizations to adopt similar, verifiable tracking practices by examining data from national to local levels.
The National Landscape: Baseline Resettlement Data
The broader demographic story is anchored in federal data. According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), housed within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 92,537 Bhutanese individuals had been resettled in the United States as of December 2018 (Office of Refugee Resettlement, 2018). Factoring in subsequent arrivals and adjustments, cumulative data indicates that approximately 105,700 Bhutanese have been resettled in the U.S. (Office of Refugee Resettlement, 2024). Globally, an additional 6,500 Bhutanese remain in refugee camps in Nepal, while roughly 21,000 were resettled across international third countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark.
If a single state in the United States claims to house 80% of the entire resettled Bhutanese population, including children born in the US, it leaves a critical question unanswered: where are the remaining individuals, and in what numbers do they exist? Bhutanese American leaders across the seven other states with significant baseline populations must find a reliable methodology to calculate their regional footprints. While this paper offers one structured framework to accomplish that, we welcome alternative approaches utilizing more localized or comprehensive data sources.
Demographic Insights: Estimating the Bhutanese American Population in Central Ohio
It is important to acknowledge that tracking small demographic subsets is notoriously challenging. Linear equations are constantly disrupted by variables such as births, marriages, family reunifications, and most critically, interstate internal migration. Because much of the published regional data is over five years old, even standard decennial Census data can fail to capture real-time shifts. However, we have mitigated these gaps by analyzing secondary localized tracking sources.
The State of the Debate: Reality vs. Anecdote
In Ohio, we estimate that between 48,825 and 56,175 Bhutanese Americans reside statewide, with a concentrated hub of 34,513 in Central Ohio. To understand why this creates a national statistical contradiction, look at the combined claims:
| Region / Claim | Population Estimate |
| Pennsylvania Claim | ~79,000 |
| Ohio Estimated Population | ~52,500 |
| Combined PA & OH Total | ~131,500 |
This combined figure 131,500 already vastly exceeds the total number of individuals originally resettled plus their US born children in the entire country, without even accounting for states with known, thriving Bhutanese communities. New York holds an estimated 7,500 to 9,800 residents. Sizable populations reside across Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Michigan, and Illinois, alongside established family networks in Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Nebraska, Washington, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
When you add up the anecdotal figures floating around among local community leaders, the estimated U.S. Bhutanese population balloons to over 200,000. This number flies in the face of statistical and biological reality. Fortunately, calculating a more accurate estimate backed by real, verifiable data is not as difficult as it might seem.
The math is straightforward. Approximately 92,000 individuals arrived during the primary resettlement window (2008–2018), with arrivals peaking between 2010 and 2015. If we account for children born in the U.S. over the subsequent years using an average annualized natural growth rate of 2.08% (White House Data), we calculate roughly 1,850 births per year.
Demographic Insights: Estimating the Bhutanese American Population in Central Ohio
Extrapolated over a conservative 10-year average, keeping in mind that the majority arrived between 2010 and 2015, this natural growth adds approximately 18,500 individuals. This brings the statistically viable national population total to roughly 111,037. While this baseline excludes minor external variables, such as direct subsequent migration from Bhutan or marriages to non-Bhutanese nationals from Nepal and India, it clearly demonstrates that the rumored national figure of 200,000 Bhutanese Americans is mathematically unsupported and statistically flawed.
Conversely, the formula [92,000 Baseline Resettled] + [18,500 Natural Growth / Births] = ~111,037 Projected National Total is anchored in verifiable, historical data. While this baseline holds strong logical merit, it does not mathematically eliminate the possibility of a large population in Pennsylvania; however, it places the burden of proof squarely on those making the 80% claim. If Pennsylvania truly houses nearly 80,000 Bhutanese Americans, local leaders there must present verifiable, data-driven evidence to prove it.
Overcoming Census Limitations Through Local Indicators
Why are official government tallies missing this picture? The 2010 and 2020 U.S. National Censuses failed to capture the exact scale of the community because the forms lacked a specific origin checkbox for Bhutanese individuals. Many respondents naturally defaulted to the broader “Asian” category, obscuring specific ethnic trendlines. Furthermore, state agencies do not publicly release administrative datasets, such as driver’s license, address updates, employment records, or benefits registrations without explicit legal or academic mandates.
To bridge this gap, local community organizations must utilize applied demography. As social science researchers, we can build reliable localized calculators. While these methods carry an inherent margin of error, they allow us to bypass state data restrictions by triangulating public datasets across three primary local indicators: school districts, county welfare systems, and decennial demographic growth rates.
Factor 1: School District Enrollment Data
There are approximately 5,500 Bhutanese American students enrolled across major Central Ohio public school systems, including Columbus City, Westerville, Gahanna, Licking Heights, Reynoldsburg, Southwest Licking, and Pickerington. This metric captures a precise age bracket: youth aged 5 to 17. According to historical UNHCR and Pew Research datasets tracking the demographic architecture of the Bhutanese diaspora, individuals aged 5 to 17 consistently comprise 17% of the total population (Pew Research; UNHCR). Using a basic demographic multiplier, if 5,500 students represent 17% of the whole, the total implied regional population is 32,350.
Factor 2: County Welfare System Case Volumes
Demographic Insights: Estimating the Bhutanese American Population in Central Ohio
Declassified county administrative data provides a second clear lens. Franklin County Job and Family Services (JFS) records approximately 4,200 Bhutanese clients. Licking County tracks 2,300, and Fairfield County records 1,100, representing a baseline total of 7,600 active clients (with broader estimates scaling up to 10,000).
To calculate total population from this subset, we look at historical benefit utilization rates. In 2015, the Urban Institute noted that up to 67% of newly arrived Bhutanese refugees accessed SNAP benefits (Urban Institute, 2015). However, as the community achieved long-term economic integration over the last decade, utilization rates normalized toward the national poverty baseline. Pew Research indicates the poverty rate for settled Bhutanese mirrors the general U.S. average at roughly 13% (Pew Research), with an estimated 21% utilizing supplemental state benefits. If 7,600 individuals represent 21% of the total community, this indicator projects a total regional population of 36,190.
Factor 3: Comparative Decennial Asian Population Growth
Between 2010 and 2020, Ohio’s overall Asian population grew by 55%, adding over 106,000 individuals (Ohio.gov; U.S. Census Bureau). Central Ohio absorbed roughly 60% of this total expansion, translating to an influx of 63,600 people. While Indian American and Chinese American communities grew steadily, data from local immigrant and refugee-serving agencies confirms that the single largest net-new demographic driver in Central Ohio during this decade was the Bhutanese community (Ohio.gov; U.S. Census Bureau; Columbus Dispatch). Isolating these census growth vectors and subtracting baseline growth from established Asian demographics yields an estimated local Bhutanese population of approximately 35,000 (Ohio.gov; U.S. Census Bureau; Columbus Dispatch).
Conclusion: Triangulating the Final Numbers
By averaging the outputs of our three distinct local calculators, we arrive at a fairly reliable, triangulated population estimate for Central Ohio:
- School Enrollment Methodology: 32,350
- Welfare System Triangulation: 36,190
- Isolated Census Growth Tracking: 35,000
- Composite Triangulated Average: 34,513
(32,350 + 36,190 + 35,000) ÷ 3 = 34,513 (Central Ohio Estimate)
This final figure of 34,513 fits perfectly within our historical growth models, showing a steady trajectory from 24,347 in 2017 to our mid-decade baseline models (Ohio.gov). This leads to a compelling national conclusion: out of the roughly 111,037 Bhutanese Americans living in the United States, approximately 31% reside within Central Ohio, establishing our region as one of the preeminent hubs of the diaspora. When adding the Bhutanese communities thriving in Akron, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, the state of Ohio holds an estimated 52,500 residents.
Applying a standard 5% to 10% margin of error gives us a dependable statewide range of 48,825 to 56,175 individuals.
Applying this same methodology across state lines suggests that Pennsylvania’s true population likely sits between 42,500 and 47,500, while New York approaches 7,200. Summing up these refined figures across the remaining states yield a national total of approximately 112,325, which aligns almost perfectly with our macro-level natural growth projection of 111,037.
While secondary interstate migration presents a minor threat to internal validity, this analysis provides a clear, scalable blueprint for community organizations nationwide. By replacing rumors with demographic science, we can protect our community’s narrative, close persistent data gaps, and build a solid foundation for future civic planning and resource allocation.
In conclusion, while our multi-factor triangulation offers a highly compelling look into our community’s footprint, it is prudent to caution readers that these figures represent a calculated best estimate rather than an absolute census. The reality of rapid demographic shifts driven by fluid interstate migration, shifting economic baselines, and regional family realignments means that tracking a population of this scale will always present an evolving target. However, by replacing unverified anecdotes with a transparent, data-backed methodology, this paper does more than just estimate numbers; it establishes a scalable blueprint for civic transparency. Ultimately, these insights provide local leaders, policymakers, and community organizations with the solid, defensible foundation necessary to advocate for the resources, representation, and recognition the Bhutanese American diaspora truly deserves.
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