Minority Population Tops 100 Million

The nation’s minority population reached 100.7 million, according to
the national and state estimates by race, Hispanic origin, sex and age
released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. A year ago, the minority
population totaled 98.3 million.

"About one in three U.S. residents is a minority," said Census Bureau
Director Louis Kincannon. "To put this into perspective, there are more
minorities in this country today than there were people in the United
States in 1910. In fact, the minority population in the U.S. is larger than
the total population of all but 11 countries."

The population in 1910 was 92.2 million. On Oct. 17, 2006, the Census
Bureau reported that the overall population had topped 300 million.

California had a minority population of 20.7 million -- 21 percent of
the nation’s total. Texas had a minority population of 12.2 million -- 12
percent of the U.S. total.

There were other milestones reached as well during the July 1, 2005, to
July 1, 2006, period: The nation’s black population surpassed 40 million,
while the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander group reached the 1
million mark.

Hispanic remained the largest minority group, with 44.3 million on July
1, 2006 --14.8 percent of the total population. Black was the
second-largest minority group, totaling 40.2 million in 2006. They were
followed by Asian (14.9 million), American Indian and Alaska Native (4.5
million), and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (1 million). The
population of non-Hispanic whites who indicated no other race totaled 198..7
million in 2006.

With a 3.4 percent increase between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006,
Hispanic was the fastest-growing minority group. Asian was the second
fastest-growing minority group, with a 3.2 percent population increase
during the 2005-2006 period. The population of non-Hispanic whites who
indicated no other race grew by 0.3 percent during the one-year period.
(See Table 1.)

Four states and the District of Columbia are "majority-minority."
Hawaii led the nation with a population that was 75 percent minority in
2006, followed by the District of Columbia (68 percent), New Mexico (57
percent), California (57 percent) and Texas (52 percent). No other state
had a minority population exceeding 42 percent of the total. (See Table 2..)

Highlights for the various groups:

Hispanic

-- Hispanics accounted for almost half (1.4 million) of the national
population growth of 2.9 million between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006.

-- California had the largest Hispanic population of any state as of
July 1, 2006 (13.1 million), followed by Texas (8.4 million) and Florida
(3.6 million). Texas had the largest numerical increase between
2005 and 2006 (305,000), with California (283,000) and Florida (161,000)
following. In New Mexico, Hispanics comprised the highest proportion
of the total population (44 percent), with California and Texas
(36 percent each) next in line.

-- The Hispanic population in 2006 was much younger, with a median age
of 27.4 compared with the population as a whole at 36.4. About a third
of the Hispanic population was younger than 18, compared with one-fourth of
the total population.

Black

-- The black population increased by 1.3 percent, or 522,000, between
2005 and 2006.

-- New York had the largest black population in 2006 (3.5 million),
followed by Florida (3 million) and Texas (2.9 million). Texas had the
largest numerical increase between 2005 and 2006 (135,000), with
Georgia (101,000) and Florida (86,000) next. In the District of Columbia,
the black population comprised the highest percentage (57 percent);
Mississippi (37 percent) and Louisiana (32 percent) were next.

-- The black population in 2006 was younger, with a median age of 30.1,
compared with the population as a whole at 36.4. About 31 percent of the
black population was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the total
population.

Asian

-- The Asian population rose by 3.2 percent, or 460,000, between 2005
and 2006.

-- California had the largest Asian population on July 1, 2006 (5
million), as well as the largest numerical increase during the 2005 to 2006
period 114,000). New York (1.4 million) and Texas (882,000)
followed in population; Texas (43,000) and New York (34,000) followed in
numerical increase. In Hawaii, Asians made up the highest proportion of
the total population (56 percent), with California (14 percent) and New
Jersey and Washington (8 percent each) next.

-- The Asian population in 2006 was younger with a median age of 33.5,
compared with the population as a whole at 36.4.

American Indian and Alaska Native

-- The American Indian and Alaska Native population rose by 1 percent or
45,000, from 2005 to 2006.

-- California had the largest population of American Indians and Alaska
Natives (689,000) on July 1, 2006, with Oklahoma (397,000) and Arizona
(331,000) next. Arizona had the largest numerical increase (8,000) since
July 1, 2005, followed by Texas (7,000) and Florida (4,000). In Alaska,
American Indians and Alaska Natives made up the highest proportion of the
total population (18 percent), with Oklahoma and New Mexico, at 11
percent each, next.

-- The American Indian and Alaska Native population in 2006 was younger,
with a median age of 31, compared with the population as a whole at
36.4. About 28 percent of the American Indian and Alaska Native population
was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the total population.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

-- The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population rose by 1..7
percent, or 17,000, from 2005 to 2006.

-- Hawaii had the largest population (275,000), followed by California
(260,000) and Washington (49,000); California had the largest numerical
increase (3,400) of people of this group, with Texas (2,000) and
Florida (1,500) next. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific
Islanders comprised the largest proportion (21 percent) of the total
population, followed by Utah (1 percent) and Alaska (0.9 percent).

-- The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in 2006 was
younger, with a median age of 28.6, compared with the population as a
whole at 36.4. About 30 percent of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific
Islander population was younger than 18, compared with 25 percent of the
total population.

Non-Hispanic White

-- The non-Hispanic, single-race white population, which represented 66
percent of the total population, accounted for less than a fifth
(18 percent) of the nation’s total population growth.

-- California, New York and Texas had the largest population of this
group (15.7 million, 11.7 million and 11.4 million, respectively), but
Texas experienced the largest numerical increase (104,000),
followed by North Carolina (91,000) and Arizona (78,000). Maine and Vermont
had the highest proportion of single-race non-Hispanic whites (96
percent each), followed by West Virginia (94 percent).

-- The non-Hispanic, single-race white population in 2006 was older than
the population as a whole: The respective median ages were 40.5 and
36.4. About 21 percent of the population of this group was younger than 18,
compared with 25 percent of the total population.

Also released today were tabulations by age, which showed:

-- There were 37.3 million people 65 and older in 2006, accounting for
12 percent of the total population. In 2005, this group numbered an
estimated 36.8 million.


-- The number of people 85 and older reached 5.3 million, up from 5.1
million in 2005.

-- In 2006, working-age adults (18 to 64) totaled 188.4 million, which
was 63 percent of the population. A year earlier, the total was 186.2
million.

-- The number of preschoolers (younger than 5) in the United States in
2006 was estimated at 20.4 million, up slightly from 20.3 million.

-- The number of elementary school-age (5 through 13) children was 36.1
million, with high-school age (14 through 17) children numbering 17.2
million.

-- States with the highest percentages of older people (65 and older)
include Florida(16.8 percent), West Virginia (15.3 percent) and
Pennsylvania(15.2 percent). States with the lowest percentages were
Alaska (6.8 percent), Utah (8.8 percent) and Georgia (9.7 percent).

-- States with the highest percentages of preschoolers include Utah (9..7
percent), Texas (8.2 percent) and Arizona (7.8 percent). States with the
lowest percentages were Vermont (5.3 percent), Maine (5.3 percent)
and New Hampshire (5.6 percent).