New census data that is more narrowly focused reveals that some urban areas have reversed the trend from majority white populations to having more minority inhabitants. New York, Washington, San Diego, Las Vegas and Memphis all now boast white minorities according to the Brookings Institute’s demographer, William Frey. In fact, white people are in the minority in 46 of the nation’s 366 metro areas. That’s up from 32 in 2000, 10 in 1990, and nine in 1980, Frey revealed.
The results are nothing sinister. Whites are simply moving out of metropolitan areas with large numbers of Latino and Asian populations moving in. Diversity is happening regardless of how anybody feels about it. Another analysis of the census data revealed that white children are the minority in 10 states. “[The 2010 Census figures] show we’re becoming a more diverse nation, especially in our metropolitan areas, and it’s filtering out from there,” Frey stated.
The population of the city of Atlanta grew by only 3,500. But, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta metro area, as the Census Bureau calls it, grew by more than 1 million. Houston and Dallas had growth of over 1 million, while Phoenix and Riverside, Calif., metro areas both grew by more then 900,000. The Census Bureau determined the geographic perimeters of these defined metropolitan areas.
The census data reveals further race-based surprises. Some are studying the effects of segregation. For instance, using African American and whites as the focus groups, it seems that the most segregated areas in the country were Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland.
