Non-Hispanic whites are no longer the biggest ethnic group in California

According to the results of the 2014 census, which were released last month, about 14.99 million Latinos live in California, just barely exceeding the state’s white population of 14.92 million. According to the Los Angeles Times, which released the story earlier today, California is now the third state in America where white people do not comprise the largest ethnic group. Hawaii and New Mexico are the other two states.

People have been expecting racial and ethnic minorities — including those who identify as Latino, black, Asian, or mixed-race — to eclipse the number of white people living in California for some time. Demographers expect that the Latino population in California will only continue to increase, and could possibly account for nearly half of the state’s population by 2060.

The demographic shift in the state is part of a larger national trend, as America’s white population has continued to shrink relative to other groups. Both Latino and Asian communities have seen increases in their numbers.