Santa Clara County boasts highest share of Vietnamese restaurants in the US

We’re diving into the numbers behind how Santa Clara County ousted Orange County for the highest number of Vietnamese restaurants in one region.

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Where do you find your favorite Vietnamese food in San Jose?

Graphic by SJtoday staff, images via @mommysbanhmicart , Wikimedia Commons, and @roamingmouths

It’s not called Little Saigon for nothing.

According to a new study from the Pew Research Center on Asian cuisine in the US , Santa Clara County (SCC) now leads the country with the highest percentage of Vietnamese restaurants.

Vietnamese restaurants make up 6% of all eateries in Santa Clara County, and our region leads in the highest amount of Asian restaurant offerings. Coincidentally, recent Census numbers show that:

  • More than half of US Asians (55%) live in California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Washington.
  • Asians have become the Bay Area’s largest racial group in the last decade — surpassing white residents.
  • In SCC, Asians make up 40% of the population.

Additionally, San Jose boasts the largest number of residents of Vietnamese descent within one city. Currently, Orange County leads with the most Vietnamese residents at 180,000.
Craving some Vietnamese cuisine now? Check out our suggestions on the best banh mi + pho spots .

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Alyson is based in San Jose, CA, and helped launch SJtoday in February 2022. She graduated from San Jose State, where she reported on the city’s arts + culture scene for her alma mater’s paper, The Spartan Daily. You can find her scouting new South Bay eateries or thrifting around town.
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