People Group Profiles

“All nations will come and worship before you."

- Revelations 15:4

Costa Rican of North America


People Group Info

Total Population: 136,340

ROP3 Code: 102297
IMB Affinity Group: American Peoples
Affinity Bloc: Latin-Caribbean Americans
People Cluster: Hispanic
Language: Spanish - (spa)
Religion: Christianity - Roman Catholic
Country of Origin: Costa Rica

Photo courtesy of Joshua Project. By The Master's View / Howard Erickson

Majority Located Where

  Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL - 8,726

  New York-Newark-Jersey City, NJ - 7,241

  Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA - 6,432

  Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA - 2,195

  Toronto (Mississauga, Brampton), ON - 2,165

Click here to recommend other locations where this People Group resides.

Learn More

Brief Profile

Costa Ricans, also called Ticos, are from the Central American country of Costa Rica. Costa Ricans are predominantly whites, castizos (mix of white and mestizo) and mestizos. Their home country is considered a multiethnic society, and as a result, modern-day Costa Ricans do not consider their nationality as an ethnicity but as a citizenship with various ethnicities.

Unlike immigrants from many other Central American countries, there have never been large waves of migration of Costa Ricans to North America. Due to Costa Rica's political stability, high standard of living, and well-developed social benefits system, most Costa Ricans have not immigrated because of political oppression or extreme economic circumstances, but rather because of family reunification, research opportunities, educational opportunities at American universities, or to practice a job or a trade.

Costa Ricans tend to either blend in the English-speaking population or form working and friendly relationships with other Hispanics. Most Costa Rican Americans maintain their heritage, but they also tend to integrate and adjust to their environment quickly. Most Costa Ricans are Roman Catholic, although there is also a significant population of Protestant Christians.

Prayer Points

  • Pray for Costa Rican Christians to live lives that are above reproach and to be bold in their testimonies.
  • Pray for Costa Rican Churches to grow and thrive in the USA.
  • Pray for Costa Rican believers and Churches to catch a vision for reaching not only their people, but the least reached peoples around them.


Learning Resources

Learn more about "Learning Paths"
Online Courses for embracing, encountering and engaging diaspora people. Work at your own pace. Begin anytime and complete the course according to your schedule. Interactive, Hands-On Application.

Learn more about "Reaching the Nations"
This book delineates five disciplines Christians should develop in order to effectively reach the nations. More specifically, it will guide Christians to develop an engagement strategy in their locale.

World Religions - Beliefs Overview
An overview of major world religions and cults - their beliefs and practices.


Other Resources

Know God in 98 Languages
A CRU resource with 9 different witnessing models (e.g. 4 Spiritual Laws, etc.) in 98 languages.

Prayer Guide for Unreached Peoples
A 30 day guide to pray for unreached people groups.

Online Talking Bible - Spanish
The purpose of Talking Bibles is to give non-readers and the blind access to the Bible in their native language.

Prayer Guide using the GOSPELS acronym
A prayer guide that utilizes the acronym GOSPELS to pray for workers among diaspora.

Scripture Resources in Latin-American Spanish
Scripture Resources in Latin-American Spanish

Displaying 1-12 of 12 results.
Country City Metro Area Name State / Prov. Baseline Population
United StatesSunriseMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm BeachFL8,726
United StatesSummitNew York-Newark-Jersey CityNJ7,241
United StatesDowneyLos Angeles-Long Beach-AnaheimCA6,432
United StatesRialtoRiverside-San Bernardino-OntarioCA2,195
CanadaTorontoToronto (Mississauga, Brampton)ON2,165
United StatesPhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-WilmingtonPA1,958
United StatesTampaTampa-St. Petersburg-ClearwaterFL1,728
United StatesKatyHouston-The Woodlands-Sugar LandTX1,700
United StatesNorwalkBridgeport-Stamford-NorwalkCT1,174
United StatesPalatineChicago-Naperville-ElginIL1,120
United StatesDallasDallas-Fort Worth-ArlingtonTX1,000
United StatesWilmingtonWilmingtonNC183