Age and Ethnic Diversity

Demographics: Age and Ethnic Patterns

Projections for the racial and ethnic composition of the United States show somewhat dramatic changes through 2050. The total U.S. population is expected to grow from 312.8 million in 2012 to 458.1 million by 2050. Over the same period, the non-Hispanic population is expected to increase from 261.6 million to 314.6 million, and Hispanics from 51 million to 143.5 million.

The distribution and location of the population throughout the United States has significant implications. For example, 50 percent of the Asian population lives in the western part of the United States and comprises 11 percent of that region's population; 45 percent of the Asian population lives in the northeast states. The Hispanic population is concentrated in California, Texas, and Florida. The American Indian and Alaska Native population is concentrated in the south and west. The largest percentage of the black population are in the south (54.3 percent), followed by the northeast (17.8 percent), and midwest (17.7 percent).

Concentrations of racial and ethnic groups in urban areas have grown, according to the 2010 U.S. census. In 2010, approximately 12 percent of the population moved to another location, some within their own county but most to another county. The age group with the most mobility was 20 to 29, with 25 percent reporting a move; the next most mobile age group was 30 to 44, with 14 percent reporting a move.

Traditional locations for Asian and Hispanic immigrants have been gateway areas—California and New York for Asians, with Florida, Texas, and New Mexico for Hispanics. However, an increasing number of immigrants and especially persons of Hispanic origin are settling in the south and midwest, in rural areas and small towns. They are attracted by a lower cost of living as well as jobs in agribusiness, meat-packing industries, roofing industries, and minimal skilled labor positions, such as in health care. The children of these minorities make an impact on the educational institutions, retail and grocery stores accommodate new tastes, and cultural institutions adapt to integrate them. Bilingual or multilingual education and culturally responsive ethnic social services are created to serve these populations. Shifts in the age distributions of various racial and ethnic groups by birth cohort or generation provide insight into the implications of ethnic diversity across the age span.

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