The Changing Face of America

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Every 10 years, the census helps Americans answer a most fundamental question: Who are we?

The answer, according to the first race and ethnicity breakdowns from the 2020 Census, reveals that we are a much more diverse nation than ever before.

While the White population still remains the largest race or ethnic group in the United States, with 204.3 million people, it dropped for the first time since the census started being taken in 1790, slipping from 63.7 percent in 2010 to 57.8 percent in 2020.

People who identify as Hispanic, Asian, and more than one race drove all the population growth during the last decade. The Hispanic or Latino population grew 23 percent, while the population that was not of Hispanic or Latino origin grew by only 4.3 percent since 2010.

Hispanics, who have seen their population share double over the past three decades to 62.1 million people, are believed to account for half of the nation’s growth since 2010. They now represent about 19 percent of the country's total population.

The Black population grew by 6 percent and the Asian population by about 36 percent during that period.

The single biggest increase was among people who identified as more than one race. The Multiracial population was measured at 9 million people in 2010 and is now 33.8 million people in 2020, a 276 percent increase. Some of the changes may be due not only to increased diversity but also to changes in how people self-identify.?

The White population fell in three-quarters of counties, and in 35 states. Nationwide, the under-18 population is now a majority of people of color at 52.7 percent.

The changing face of the nation will continue, with Whites projected to fall below 50 percent nationally around 2045, at which point there will be no racial majority in the country. Between 2015 and 2060, the Hispanic and Asian populations are expected to approximately double in size, and the multiracial population could triple due to immigration and births.

With the changing face of America, it should be noted that the overall U.S. population grew by only 7.4 percent from 2010 to 2020, the slowest rate in nearly a century. Most economists do not see that as a good sign, as they equate less population growth with less economic growth.

Hispanic Texans Account for Growth

Texas has gained the most residents of any state since 2010. The 2020 census puts the state’s population at 29,145,505 — a 16 percent jump from 25.1 million in 2010. The Hispanic population is now nearly as large as the non-Hispanic white population. which now make up just 39.8 percent of the state's population, down from 45 percent in 2010.

Meanwhile, the share of Hispanic Texans has grown to 39.3 percent. Texas gained nearly 11 Hispanic residents for every additional white resident since 2010. That trend will likely set up a pitched battle for political control when state lawmakers redraw legislative districts.

Texans of color accounted for 95 percent of the state’s population growth. Hispanic Texans were responsible for half of that increase.

And much like the rest of the country, it is the metropolitan areas in Texas that are growing. Texas is home to three of the country’s 10 largest cities and four of the fastest-growing.

Here in Dallas County where I live, the more than 1 million Latino or Hispanic residents accounted for 40 percent of the total population compared with 35 percent for whites. A decade ago, whites comprised 53 percent of Dallas County’s population.

Metro America Gains, Rural America Loses

The country became more urbanized from 2010 to 2020, with 86.3 percent of Americans now living in metropolitan areas of more than 50,000 people, according to the US Census Bureau.

The trend toward rural depopulation continued during the decade, with massive swaths of Middle America seeing a decrease in population growth. More than half of U.S. counties—52 percent —had smaller populations in 2020 than in 2010.

Population growth was almost entirely in metropolitan areas, said Marc Perry, a senior demographer for the Census Bureau, noting that 312 of the 384 metro areas grew over the decade.

The cores of metro areas with more than a million people grew 9.1 percent, while their suburbs grew 10.3 percent, a Wall Street Journal analysis of the new data shows. Smaller metro areas grew 7.1 percent. By contrast, small towns and rural areas saw their combined populations drop 0.6 percent.

Dean Barber is the principal of BBA, a Dallas-based consultancy that helps economic development organizations unleash and create a better business environment within their communities. BBA also helps companies find optimal locations where risks are reduced and a return on investment is enhanced. Visit us at barberadvisors.com