There are localized concentrations of Italian Americans in many metropolitan areas of the United States, especially in the industrial cities of the Northeast and Midwest, as well as certain cities in California. Today, the state of New York has the largest population of Italian-Americans, while Rhode Island and Connecticut have the highest overall percentages in relation to their respective populations.

In contrast, most of the rest of the country (exceptions being South Florida and New Orleans) have fewer Italian-American concentrations.

According to a recent United Census Bureau estimate, 17.8 million Americans are of Italian descent. Communities of Italian Americans were established in many major industrial cities of the early 20th century, such as Baltimore (particularly Little Italy, Baltimore), Boston (particularly in the North End and East Boston) along with numerous nearby cities and towns, Philadelphia proper (particularly South Philadelphia) and the Philadelphia metro area (particularly neighborhoods in Delco, Atlantic City, Little Italy, Wilmington; and Vineland), Pittsburgh (particularly Bloomfield), Northeastern Pennsylvania cities, Lehigh Valley cities, Detroit, Providence (particularly Federal Hill), St. Louis (particularly The Hill), Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Youngstown, Erie, Cleveland, Buffalo, Newark, Utica, Syracuse, New York's Capital District, and New York City, which boasts the largest Italian-American population, which live in several concentrated communities in the New York metropolitan area, including the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester County, Fairfield County and North Jersey. New Orleans, Louisiana was the first site of immigration of Italians into America in the 19th century, before Italy was a unified nation-state. This was before New York Harbor and Baltimore became the preferred destinations for Italian immigrants.

Alabama Daphne – Prior to the 1978 annexation of the Lake Forest subdivision, Daphne was a heavily Italian community, and pre-1978 Daphne territory remains Italian, with street names such as Guarisco. The Archdiocese of Mobile considers Christ the King Parish in Daphne an Italian-American parish.

Arizona North Phoenix Scottsdale has an Italian community

Arkansas Lake Village, a farming community in southeastern Arkansas, enticed a number of families from northern Italy to become sharecroppers in the 1890s. Following a harsh and deadly winter, about half the families left and established Tontitown, west of Fayetteville, Arkansas in Benton/Washington counties. Little Italy in unincorporated northern Pulaski County near Little Rock.

California Northern California Cotati – Italian community in the area's grape-growing industry. Excelsior District, San Francisco – Italian-American Social Club is on Russia St., and Calabria Brothers Deli is around the corner on Mission Street. Fresno and some Italian descendants in portions of the San Joaquin Valley (i.e. Kern County with its grape industry). Gilroy – Italian community in the area's grape-growing industry. "Italian Colony", Oakland. Marin County (Albert Park, San Rafael). Napa – Little Italy is the East Napa historic neighborhoods of First-Juarez-Third Streets and Alta Heights. The Napa Valley wine industry owes its heritage to Italian vintners. North Beach, San Francisco – baseball legend Joe DiMaggio grew up here. The Italian Heritage Parade (formerly the Columbus Day Parade) is the oldest in the U.S. and one of the largest. North Beach is also the home of City Lights Books, which helped to give birth to the Beats literary movement. Sacramento metro area – descendants of the 1849 California Gold Rush. In December 2021, 49th to 59th streets and J Street to Folsom Boulevard of East Sacramento was designated as "Little Italy". The neighborhood historically had many Italian immigrants in the early 1900s, with businesses about, with lesser in number today. San Jose – San Jose's old Italian neighborhoods are Goose Town, North San Jose and the River Street/San Pedro Neighborhood. Each of these neighborhoods consisted of an Italian Church built by the Italian American community. The River Street Neighborhood is currently being revitalized and is now referred to as Little Italy San Jose. This neighborhood is located adjacent to the SAP Center and is anchored by a Gateway Arch and Italian Cultural Center & Museum and has several authentic Italian businesses. Santa Cruz County – CA coastal county. Sonoma County –the Italian Swiss Colony coop founded in the 1880s by Andrea Sbarbaro from Switzerland. Spaghetti Hill, Monterey – birthplace of former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. The Salinas Valley also has many Italian descendants. South San Francisco – sizable Italian community. Stockton – descendants of the 1849 California Gold Rush. Temescal, Oakland was thriving with Italian immigrants since the 1960s.

Southern California Altadena/ Pasadena – once had a Little Italy. Nearby Arcadia and Monrovia is where the area's Italian community moved to. Beaumont – grape industry. Camarillo – wine and grape industry. Desert Ridge/Sun City Shadow Hills, Indio. Fontana – wine and grape industry. Highland. Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (Fashion District), Italian community currently located around S Los Angeles Blvd. Formerly Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles (East Los Angeles (region)) which had a Little Italy, before they relocated to nearby Alhambra and Montebello. Casa Italiana, further n on N Broadway, near Solono Canyon is a historical hall of Italian heritage.

Italian American Museum of Los Angeles Via Italia, San Pedro Long Beach has a community, among others in LA metro area. The Coachella Valley – Order of Sons of Italy America has a group there. Palm Springs has a neighborhood known as Little Tuscany, and the neighborhoods of Las Palmas and the Movie Colony. San Diego – Little Italy also in Point Loma. Ventura/Oxnard.

Colorado Denver – "Little Italy" has its roots in the Highlands neighborhood of North Denver. Italian miners, railroad workers and farmers developed Colorado in the late 19th century, and northern Italians are well represented. And South Denver along with Cherry Creek has a number of Italian-Americans. Pueblo – Hundreds of Sicilians, particularly, settled in Pueblo at the turn of the 20th century. They have influenced the culture of the city powerfully. Trinidad – retirement community in the Sunbelt region of the US typically have many elderly Italian-Americans from the east coast.

Connecticut 19.3% of Connecticut's population claims Italian ancestry, making it the second most Italian state in the U.S. after Rhode Island. Beacon Falls Berlin Bridgeport Little Italy Bristol Cheshire Cos Cob Danbury Derby East Haven (43% of residents claim Italian ancestry) Fair Haven Guilford Hamden Hartford Franklin Avenue, known as Little Italy of Hartford Madison Meriden Middlebury Middletown Large Sicilian population Milford Monroe Naugatuck New Haven Wooster Square (Little Italy of New Haven) – home of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Sally's Apizza, and a vast number of other purveyors of Apizza North Branford North Haven Norwalk Orange Oxford Prospect Seymour Southbury Southington Stamford West Side Torrington Waterbury West Haven

Delaware Little Italy, Wilmington Shawtown, New Castle

Florida Fort Lauderdale – Little Italy Neighborhood Oakland & A1A near Galt Ocean Mile. Miami Boca Raton Naples Pompano Beach Port St. Lucie Tampa / Ybor City

Illinois Chicago:

Armour Square Little Italy Berwyn Chicago Heights East Brooklyn Elmwood Park Franklin Park Herrin Melrose Park Norridge Peoria River Grove Rockford Rosemont Schiller Park South Wilmington

Indiana Indianapolis – The Holy Rosary Neighborhood ("Indy Little Italy") Gary – Midtown Clinton

Louisiana Independence – 30.7% Italian American Kenner Marrero New Orleans French Quarter nicknamed "Little Palermo" Metairie

Maine India Street, Portland Munjoy Hill, Portland (mostly historical)

Maryland Baltimore: Highlandtown Little Italy Locust Point Lombard Street Bel Air Elkridge Essex Joppatowne Laurel Middle River Parkville Perry Hall Towson

Massachusetts Boston: East Boston (Orient Heights) Hyde Park (Readville) North End (Little Italy of Boston) Brockton – birthplace of boxing champ Rocky Marciano East Cambridge Everett Framingham Gloucester Holyoke (Oakdale) Lawrence Leominster Lowell Lynn Medford Melrose Milford Newton: Nonantum Northampton, Massachusetts Methuen, Massachusetts – Merrimack Street Revere, Massachusetts Saugus Somerville South Quincy in Quincy Springfield (South-End) Taunton Waltham West Springfield, Massachusetts Worcester – Shrewsbury Street

Michigan Caspian Clinton Township, Macomb County Deerton Detroit (Eastern Market is sometimes referred to as Detroit's "Little Italy" and has fewer Italian-Americans and Italian residents than it did in the early 1900s, but some Italian stores and businesses in the area; East Detroit generally had a higher proportion of Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans) Gaastra Loretto Macomb Norway Saint Clair Shores (certain areas)

Minnesota Minneapolis – St. Paul area: West 7th Street and "Nord-east" Minneapolis is an Italian area. Beltrami Northern Minnesota Iron Mines region – Aurora Duluth Hibbing

Mississippi Mississippi Delta – Greenville Indianola Leland

Missouri The Hill, Saint Louis – Three famous baseball figures—Yogi Berra, Harry Caray and Joe Garagiola—grew up here. Kansas City – The northeast side is a "Little Italy" neighborhood called Columbus Park, known for its Italian culture.

Nebraska Little Italy, Omaha

Nevada Las Vegas Sparks Reno

New Hampshire Portsmouth

New Jersey New Jersey municipalities with over 25% of the population identifying themselves as of Italian ancestry (in those municipalities where at least 1,000 residents identified their ancestry):Italian Communities , accessed November 11, 2006 Fairfield – 50.3% (highest percentage for a town in the United States) Hammonton – 45.9% (second highest percentage for a town in the United States) Dover Beaches South – 42.8% East Hanover – 41.3% Totowa – 37.7% South Hackensack – 36.3% Nutley – 36.0% Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) – 34.3% Moonachie – 34.1% Lyndhurst – 33.8% Buena – 33.5% Lodi – 33.3% Rutherford – 33.2% Ocean Gate – 32.5% Carlstadt – 31.2% Hasbrouck Heights – 30.8% West Long Branch – 30.5% Netcong – 30.1% Gibbstown – 30.1% Raritan – 30.1% Newfield – 29.8% Saddle Brook – 29.8% Cedar Grove – 29.7% Greenwich Township – 29.3% Glendora – 28.7% Belleville – 28.7% Little Falls – 28.6% Wayne – 28.4% Kenilworth – 28.0% Oceanport – 27.7% Lavallette – 27.7% North Arlington – 27.4% Longport – 27.3% Folsom – 27.3% Hawthorne – 26.5% Bloomfield – 26.4% Rochelle Park – 26.1% Washington Township – 25.9% Mystic Island – 25.9% Seaside Heights – 25.7% Blackwood – 25.5% Belford – 25.3% Riverdale – 25.1% East Rutherford – 25.1%

Other places in New Jersey Asbury Park Atlantic City Ducktown Bayonne (20.1% Italian American) Camden Clifton Elizabeth Peterstown neighborhood was densely populated with about 90% Italian-Americans. It became less populated with Italians towards the late 1970s. Freehold Township (22.0% Italian-American) Garfield Hackensack Hoboken – Four popular Italian-American celebrities—Frank Sinatra, Buddy Valastro, Jimmy Roselli and Joe Pantoliano—grew up here. Howell Township (23.8% Italian-American) Jersey City, particularly The Village Kearny Manalapan Margate Neptune City Newark Ironbound, in the Italian Down Neck section. However, it has become less populated by Italian Americans since the 1970s. Seventh Avenue Orange Long Hill Paramus Paterson Little Italy