Census: Latino Population Skyrockets
WASHINGTON—The Latino population has grown by more than 30 percent since the year 2000 in the first 16 states for which the U.S. Census Bureau has released data, reports EFE. The Latino population doubled in in South Dakota, Mississippi, Maryland, and Arkansas in the last decade, growing at 10 times the rate of the non-Latino population in those states. Latinos are also responsible for the majority of population growth in the states of Texas, Florida, Arizona and Nevada, where new electoral seats will be added.
In Nevada, the Latino population grew by 82 percent in the last decade, according to a National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund analysis of Census 2010 data. Latino residents account for nearly half (46 percent) of overall population growth in that state over the last 10 years, and now represent nearly one-third (27 percent) of Nevada's residents.
Latino population growth will be a key element in this year's redistricting process, which will have a major impact on Latino political representation over the next decade.
View ImpreMedia's interactive Census 2010 map here.