By 2060, more than half of the American population will be a racial or ethnic minority, according to a US Census Bureau report released on Thursday.
Millennials outnumber baby boomers, and 6 other facts about America’s changing population
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The report’s findings show us just how dramatically diverse America is. Below are six other interesting facts we know today — and what the census doesn’t tell us about race and ethnicity.
The majority of US children under 5 are minorities
For the first time, there are slightly more children under 5 (50.2 percent) who are part of any ethnic or race group besides non-Hispanic white:
The dramatic shift in the makeup of the American population starts very young. (Census Bureau)
There are more millennials in the US than baby boomers
Do you find young adults annoying? Too bad. There are now more millennials in America than the generation best known for its size. You’ve just got to get used to millennials:
Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers.
Women have taken over Washington ... sort of
At least in terms of how much of the population they make up, though perhaps not in political representation:
The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of females of any state or equivalent (52.6 percent), followed by Delaware (51.6 percent).
Most of the biggest ethnic populations live in California
Except in the case of African-American populations, in which California doesn’t even make the top three:
New York had the largest black or African-American population of any state or equivalent in 2014 (3.8 million); Texas had the largest numeric increase since July 1, 2013 (88,000). The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of blacks (50.6 percent), followed by Mississippi (38.2 percent).
Older Americans commonly move to their retirement homes
Migration seems to be a normal part of American life after 65. As Ben Bolender reviews on the census blog, both young adults and older adults tend to move around the country:
The tendency to migrate is highest for young adults. However, in the ages following retirement (commonly around 65), we see another spike in migration. With the baby boomers being the largest cohort yet to enter these ages, the question of where people move when they retire is becoming increasingly important.
Five states have a majority population made of “minorities”
DC isn't technically a state, to the chagrin of those who support making it one. Setting aside the question of statehood, the District joins these four states, which have the most diverse populations in the country:
Hawaii (77.0 percent), the District of Columbia (64.2 percent), California (61.5 percent), New Mexico (61.1 percent) and Texas (56.5 percent).
What the US Census doesn’t tell us
The government can’t tell us whether, how, and why we should value ethnicity or race in the first place.
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