San Diego, the nation's eighth-largest city, has received 626 Syrian refugees since October, more than any other in the United States. Many smaller cities have accepted outsized number of Syrians, including Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo, Ohio; and Boise, Idaho.

San Diego's newest arrivals include the Jouriyeh family of six from the city of Homs. On Sunday, they participated in a ceremony in Amman, Jordan, to mark the United States hitting its target of taking in 10,000 Syrian refugees under its year-old resettlement program. On Wednesday, they were buying groceries.

David Murphy of the International Rescue Committee — one of nine organizations that helps settle refugees — says refugees are typically assigned to cities where they have family or friends.