According to a new study by media company Axios, Queens is the third most diverse county in America and the most diverse county in the continental U.S.
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Researchers said the study analyzed U.S. Census data to create a diversity index for each American county. The number represents the probability that two people chosen at random will be of a different race or ethnicity.
On average, two Americans chosen at random have a 57% chance of being of different backgrounds. In Queens, that probability jumps to 76%.
The only two counties that rank above Queens are Hawaii and Maui counties in Hawaii. Both have populations under 200,000, while Queens is home to more than 2 million people.
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All of New York City, most New Jersey counties along the Hudson River, and Westchester County in New York ranked as diverse or more diverse compared to the national average. Suffolk County, Long Island, and counties in Western New Jersey, like Hunterdon, Morris, and Sussex, were labeled as less diverse.
Experts said more diverse counties tend to be located in or near larger cities, and rural counties far from coasts are less diverse.
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