A new New York Times map has revealed something that may surprise Albanian-Americans across the country: the largest Albanian population in any U.S. county is not in New York. It is in Michigan.

The New York Times recently published an interactive map showing where Americans with different ancestry backgrounds live, using U.S. Census data down to individual census tracts.

Search for “Albanian” and the map immediately lights up across some of the most important Albanian-American communities in the country — the Bronx, Westchester, Queens, Detroit, Waterbury, Worcester, Chicago and New Jersey.

But the numbers tell a different story than many might expect.

According to the map, Macomb County, Michigan, has about 14,000 residents reporting Albanian ancestry, making it the largest Albanian population of any U.S. county.

Westchester County, New York, follows with around 11,000, while Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn each have roughly 10,000.

That puts suburban Detroit at the top.

Macomb County stretches northeast from Detroit and includes communities such as Warren and Sterling Heights, areas that have become major centers of Albanian-American life.

New York City remains one of the country’s most important Albanian-American centers, and the wider New York metropolitan area is still home to a massive Albanian population.

But when individual counties are compared, Macomb County comes out on top.

The map becomes even more interesting when it measures the percentage of residents reporting Albanian ancestry rather than the total number.

Richmond County — Staten Island — ranks among the places with the highest concentration of Albanian residents. Macomb County is also near the top, showing that its Albanian population is not simply large — it is highly concentrated.

That distinction matters.

Queens and the Bronx are enormous counties with millions of residents. A large Albanian population therefore represents a relatively small percentage of the total population.

In places such as Staten Island, Macomb County and parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, Albanian-Americans make up a much more visible part of the local population.

The map also reflects a major shift in Albanian-American migration.

For generations, the Bronx was one of the country’s best-known Albanian centers. Albanian restaurants, businesses, churches, mosques and community organizations helped establish a powerful presence in the borough.

But many families have gradually moved north into Westchester County and beyond.

The result is visible on the map: Westchester now ranks ahead of both Queens and the Bronx by Albanian population.

The Albanian-American story is therefore no longer simply a Bronx story.

It stretches through Westchester and the Hudson Valley, across northern New Jersey and Connecticut, and westward into the Detroit metropolitan area.

Zoom further into the map and some unexpected places appear.

Garfield, New Jersey, has one of the country’s most concentrated Albanian populations. Sterling Heights, Michigan, is another major center.

Worcester, Massachusetts — home to one of the oldest Albanian-American communities in the United States — also remains highly visible.

Connecticut’s Naugatuck Valley, including Waterbury and surrounding communities, is another historic Albanian stronghold.

These are places where Albanian surnames, businesses, churches, restaurants and community organizations have become part of the local landscape.

But there is an important limitation to the map.

The Census measures people reporting Albanian ancestry. That is not necessarily the same thing as the total Albanian-American population.

Many Albanian-Americans were born in the United States and may identify differently on Census forms. Others may have family origins in Kosova, North Macedonia or Montenegro but report a different ancestry — or no ancestry at all.

That means the Census numbers should not be interpreted as a definitive count of everyone who considers themselves Albanian-American.

The latest American Community Survey estimate counts about 228,500 Americans reporting Albanian ancestry nationwide.

Community organizations have historically estimated the Albanian-American population to be substantially larger.

So the map is best understood as a picture of how the U.S. Census currently sees Albanian America, rather than a perfect count of everyone in the community.

And that picture is fascinating.

From Detroit to New York, from Connecticut to New Jersey and from Massachusetts to Florida, the map reveals something Albanian-Americans have known for generations:

our community is far bigger and more geographically diverse than the traditional image of “Albanians in the Bronx.”

And perhaps the biggest surprise is sitting just outside Detroit.

Michigan has beaten New York — at least when it comes to the U.S. county with the largest reported Albanian population.

So the next time someone asks where the biggest Albanian community in America is, there is a new answer:

Macomb County, Michigan.