Diversity grows in 49 of 50 states

WASHINGTON — America's growing diversity has reached nearly every state.

From South Carolina's budding immigrant population to the fast-rising number of Hispanics in Arkansas, minority groups make up an increasing share of the population in every state but one, according to figures released today by the Census Bureau.

"This is just an extraordinary explosion of diversity all across the United States," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "It's diversity and immigration going hand in hand."

West Virginia is the exception, with its struggling economy and little history of attracting immigrants.

Frey said states that attract large numbers of immigrants can consider it a "badge of economic success." There have, however, been backlashes.

"In some places it will be awhile before they are accepted by the locals," Frey said. "All we have to do is look at this immigration debate."

Immigration policy is a big issue in this year's midterm congressional elections, and the new data help explain why. Immigrants — legal and illegal — make up a growing portion of the population in 46 states and the District of Columbia. Nationally, they went from 11.1 percent of the population in 2000 to 12.4 percent last year.

The 2005 figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which is replacing the "long form" on the 10-year census. Starting this year, the annual survey of about 3 million households provides yearly data on communities of 65,000 or larger.

The data released cover race, immigration, education and age characteristics. Economic and housing data will be released in the coming weeks.

Among the findings:

• Education levels increased in every state from 2000 to 2005. Nationally, the share of adults 25 and older with at least a high-school diploma increased from 80 percent to 84 percent. The share of adults with at least a bachelor's degree increased from 24 percent to 27 percent.

• Every state is getting older. Nationally, the median age — the one at which half the population is older and half is younger — went from 35.3 in 2000 to 36.4 last year.

• Hispanics increased their hold as the country's largest minority group, at 14.5 percent of the population, compared with 12.8 percent for blacks. Hispanic is a term for people with ethnic backgrounds in Spanish-speaking countries. Hispanics can be of any race.

• Non-Hispanic whites are a minority in four states — Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Texas — and the District of Columbia. Nationally, non-Hispanic whites make up about 67 percent of the population, down from 70 percent at the start of the decade.

California, New York, Texas and Florida have the nation's largest immigrant populations.

South Carolina's immigrant population grew by 47 percent since 2000, more than any other state. Hispanics grew by 48 percent in Arkansas, the most of any state.