Indian Community • United States
Where Jain Families Live in America
Jain centers in every major metro • Chicago’s is the largest in North America • JAINA federates them all
Jains are a religious community rather than a linguistic or regional one, so nothing in the Census counts them. What can be counted is infrastructure — and by that measure Jain America is remarkably well built: derasars and Jain centers in every major metro, pathshala programmes running hundreds of students, and a national federation, JAINA, linking them. If you keep a Jain diet or want your children in pathshala, the center is the thing to choose a city around.
Last updated: August 2026 • All Indian community guides →
The Short Answer
Chicago has the largest Jain center in North America — JSMC, founded 1970, with around 1,900 member families. The Bay Area’s JCNC is next, founded 1975, with 2,200+ members and a community reach of around 5,000.
New Jersey is the East Coast centre: JCNJ since 1980, five temple campuses, more than 500 pathshala students and Siddhachalam nearby. Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth both have large communities with no state income tax — Houston reports 800–1,000+ Jain families and 350+ pathshala students.
Jain Centers, City by City
| Metro | Center & founded | Scale and notes | State income tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| The largest | |||
| Chicago | JSMC — 1970 | Around 1,900 families — the largest Jain center in North America, and the oldest. | Yes |
| Bay Area | JCNC — 1975 | 2,200+ members with a community reach around 5,000. | Yes |
| New Jersey | JCNJ — 1980 | Five temple campuses, 500+ pathshala students, and Siddhachalam — the first Jain pilgrimage site established outside India. | Yes |
| Large, no state income tax | |||
| Houston | JSH — 1982 | 800–1,000+ Jain families and 350+ pathshala students, centred on Sugar Land and Stafford. | None |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | JSNT — 1982 | A JAINA model derasar, with Irving’s Little India providing pure-vegetarian and Jain-friendly dining. | None |
| Established and growing | |||
| Washington DC | JCGW | A Maryland nonprofit with a JITO chapter, and Mahavir Jayanti observed at the Indian embassy. | Yes |
| Austin | JSGA — 2001 | A derasar in Cedar Park, JAINA-affiliated, with pathshala running. | None |
| Seattle | 2 organisations | Concentrated on the Bellevue and Bothell–Mill Creek corridor. | None |
| Atlanta | Jain center | Serving the Alpharetta and Johns Creek corridor. | Yes |
| Los Angeles | Jain center | Southern California, with Artesia providing the vegetarian dining base. | Yes |
About the Data
There is no Census figure for Jains. The Census asks about language and place of birth, not religion, and Jains are not a linguistic community — most Jain families in America speak Gujarati, Hindi or Marwari at home and appear in those counts alongside everyone else.
That means every number on this page comes from organisations rather than government statistics: membership figures, pathshala enrolment, temple campuses. We have labelled them as such throughout. They are self-reported and not directly comparable between metros, since some centers count families and others count individuals.
For a religious community this is genuinely the better measure anyway. A Jain family choosing a city cares whether there is a derasar within driving distance, whether pathshala runs, and whether the local restaurants understand a Jain diet — none of which a population count would tell you.
Which City Fits Your Situation
You want the largest, most established community
Chicago. JSMC has around 1,900 member families and has operated since 1970 — the biggest and oldest Jain center in North America.
Pathshala for your children is the priority
New Jersey runs 500+ pathshala students across five temple campuses, and Houston more than 350. Both indicate programmes with real structure rather than an informal weekend class.
Jain dietary practice shapes where you can eat out
Dallas-Fort Worth is unusually good — Irving’s Little India has pure-vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants that understand no onion, no garlic and no root vegetables. New Jersey’s Oak Tree Road corridor and Los Angeles’ Artesia are the other strong options.
You want no state income tax
Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth both combine large Jain communities with purpose-built derasars. Austin and Seattle are the smaller, faster-growing alternatives.
Pilgrimage access matters to you
New Jersey. Siddhachalam was the first Jain pilgrimage site established outside India, and its presence is part of why the New Jersey community is as institutionally deep as it is.
JAINA, Derasars and Pathshala
JAINA — Federation of Jain Associations in North America
The umbrella body linking local Jain centers across the United States and Canada. Its biennial convention is the largest Jain gathering outside India, and JAINA affiliation is a reasonable signal that a local center is established rather than informal. Several centers, including Dallas-Fort Worth’s, follow a JAINA model derasar design.
Sects share centers in America
Svetambara and Digambara traditions differ in practice and iconography, and in India they generally maintain separate temples. In America, most metros have a single Jain center serving both, often with separate shrine areas within one building. This is one of the more distinctive features of Jain life in the diaspora, and it is worth knowing before you assume a center matches your family’s tradition.
Pathshala is the second-generation institution
Pathshala — weekend religious education — carries more weight in Jain communities than language schools do elsewhere, because the tradition rather than the language is what is being passed on. Enrolment is the single best indicator of a community investing in continuity: 500+ in New Jersey, 350+ in Houston.
Diet is a practical constraint, not a preference
Jain dietary practice — vegetarian, and typically excluding onion, garlic and root vegetables — means a metro’s restaurant scene matters more than it would for other communities. Where local Indian restaurants have Jain menus rather than just vegetarian ones, the community has reached a size that businesses respond to.
Common Questions
How many Jains are there in the United States?
There is no Census figure — the Census asks about language and birthplace, not religion, and Jain families appear in the Gujarati, Hindi and Marwari language counts alongside everyone else. Community estimates rely on center membership; Chicago alone reports around 1,900 families.
Which US city has the largest Jain community?
Chicago. JSMC, founded 1970, is the largest Jain center in North America with around 1,900 member families. The Bay Area’s JCNC is next with 2,200+ members and a reach of about 5,000.
Where is the oldest Jain center in America?
Chicago, founded 1970, followed by the Bay Area in 1975 and New Jersey in 1980.
Do Svetambara and Digambara Jains share temples in America?
Usually yes. In India the traditions generally maintain separate temples; in most American metros a single Jain center serves both, often with separate shrine areas within one building.
Which city is best for Jain dietary practice?
Dallas-Fort Worth is unusually good — Irving’s Little India has pure-vegetarian and Jain-friendly restaurants that understand no onion, no garlic and no root vegetables. New Jersey’s Oak Tree Road corridor and Artesia in Los Angeles are the other strong options.
What is Siddhachalam?
The first Jain pilgrimage site established outside India, located in New Jersey. Its presence is part of why the New Jersey Jain community is so institutionally developed.
Jain City Guides
- Jain in Chicago — JSMC, the largest center in North America
- Jain in the Bay Area — JCNC and the South Bay
- Jain in New Jersey — five campuses, 500+ pathshala students and Siddhachalam
- Jain in Houston — JSH, Sugar Land and Stafford
- Jain in Dallas-Fort Worth — JSNT and Irving’s Jain-friendly dining
- Jain in Washington DC — JCGW and the JITO chapter
- Jain in Atlanta — Alpharetta and Johns Creek
- Jain in Los Angeles — Southern California and Artesia
- Jain in Seattle — Bellevue and the Bothell corridor
- Jain in Austin — JSGA and the Cedar Park derasar
Data Sources
There is no Census figure for Jains — the American Community Survey records language and place of birth, not religion. Every figure on this page is organisation-reported: center membership, pathshala enrolment and temple campus counts, drawn from our individual city guides and organisation sources. These are self-reported and not strictly comparable between metros, since some centers count families and others count individuals. Read our full research methodology →