Washington Minority Population Growth Continues
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—September 30, 2004
OLYMPIA—Racial and Hispanic projections by the Washington Office of Financial Management show that by mid-decade, minorities will increase to about 1.4 million and represent 23 percent of Washington’s population, top state demographers said today.
“Washington’s minority populations continue to grow significantly,” Theresa Lowe, state chief demographer, said. “What’s more, we expect these populations to rise faster than the non-minority population,” added Yi Zhao, senior OFM forecaster.
Census counts show minorities in Washington increased from 15.7 percent in 1990 to 20.8 percent in 2000, and to 22 percent by 2003, according to newly released estimates by the Census Bureau.
The Hispanic population continues to be the largest minority group at over 500,000 in 2003. The Asian population, the largest racial group, is approaching 400,000 in 2003.
Nationwide, 2003 estimates by the Federal Census Bureau show Washington ranks among the top ten states with the largest percentage of the minorities in nearly all of the minority categories. Washington ranked 3rd for Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 6th for Multiracial, 7th for Asian (API) and 9th for American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN).
Washington also ranked 11th in the Hispanic category with 8.3 percent of its population in this group. Minority populations represent more than 20 percent of the population in 11 Washington Counties. The counties showing the largest percentage minority population all have large Hispanic populations: Franklin County with 54 percent, Adams County with 51 percent, Yakima County with 45 percent and Grant with 35 percent.
Washington ranks 4th nationwide in terms of total minority population growth. The Hispanic population is estimated to have the largest growth rate at 15.1 percent between 2000–03, followed by Asian at 11.7 percent. The multiracial group is 3rd at 9.3 percent and the black population has grown by 8.3 percent. Although Washington’s minorities continue to increase, growth has slowed compared to the last decade. The Hispanic population was growing at 10.6 percent annually between 1990 and 2000. However, between 2000 and 2003 the annual growth rate is a little more than 5 percent.
Minority populations show different patterns as to where they live. 58 percent of the Asian population live in King County, and 74 percent of African Americans live in King and Pierce counties. The Hispanic population tends to reside in both large metropolitan and rural agricultural counties. The top 10 counties with the largest minority populations comprise 75 percent or more of the state’s total minority population.
The minority population should continue to grow faster than the Non-Hispanic white population. Hispanics are expected to show the fastest growth. The state forecast shows that between 2003–05, the Hispanic population will increase by 5 percent to 6 percent annually, compared to the Asian and Pacific Islander growth at about 3 percent, and the Black increase at about 2 percent. Half of the increases in Hispanic population are likely to occur in the rural agricultural areas such as Adams, Franklin, Grant, and Skagit Counties. Two major factors contribute to the fast growth in Hispanic populations: the high fertility rate and immigration. In counties such as Adams, Franklin, Yakima and Grant, more than half of the births are of Hispanic origin.
While the Asian and Pacific Islander populations are expected to be the fastest growing racial group, the pace of growth has decreased since the late 1990’s. Births are not a large component of growth for the Asian and Pacific Islanders. Their fertility rates are the lowest among all race categories.
For data supporting minority growth click on http://www.ofm.wa.gov/pop/race/minority_data_release.xls
Contacts:
Theresa Lowe, State Chief Demographer: (360) 902-0588
Yi Zhao, Senior Forecaster: (360) 902-0592
