White children in the minority in 10 states
April 6th, 2011
07:24 PM ET

White children in the minority in 10 states

White children are now in the minority among people under 18 in 10 U.S. states and 35 large metro areas, according to a Brookings analysis of 2010 Census data.

The number of white children in metro areas including Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Phoenix, Arizona, fell below that of other children in the last decade as the population of white children nationwide declined by 4.3 million, the report said.

The decline occurred as the number of children identified as "new minorities" - Hispanics, Asians and other racial groups apart from whites, blacks and American Indians - grew by 5.5 million, the report said.

Hispanics registered an increase of 4.8 million, which kept the nation's overall child population from declining, the report said. The findings reflect changes in the racial makeup of the overall U.S. population with Hispanics becoming the nation's largest and fastest growing minority group.

Hispanics now comprise 23% of children, up from 12% in 1990, while whites now comprise just 53% of youth, down from nearly 70%  in 1990.

The findings also underscore projections that the country will become "white minority" by 2042 as the race's median age keeps increasing. The child population stands to hit that mark in 2023.

"Slower growth among whites owes in part to their lower fertility rate - about 1.9 births per white woman, compared with 3.0 births per Hispanic woman - as well as a relatively low contribution to population growth from immigration" the report stated.

From 2000 to 2009, only 15% of growth in the immigrant population was attributable to whites, compared with 78% for Hispanics, Asians and other new minorities.

The report also said the aging white population contributes to a lower growth rate because proportionately, fewer white women are in their child-bearing years.

"The median age of whites is 41, compared to 27 for Hispanics, 35 for Asians, and a staggering 20 for the population of more than one race. As a further reflection of these age differences by race and ethnicity, just one-fifth of U.S. whites are under age 18, compared with one-third of all Hispanics."

The study also found that the decline in white children reduced the growth rate of the overall child population, from 13.7% in the 1990s to 2.6% in the 2000s. Though variation from state to state in child growth was considerable, on the whole, 46 states registered declines in their white child populations.

Not surprisingly, most of the states that experienced growth in populations of minority children are the ones where white children are in the minority: California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and Maryland.

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Filed under: Census
soundoff (904 Responses)
  1. A

    The whole "white minority" is a myth. Most Hispanics consider themselves white. In the next generation of Hispanics most wont speak spanish, and mos wont exclusively procreate with other hispanics. Being Hispanic is a culture. Not a racial group. Check out the 2010 Census. Hispanics don't have a racial group. They either choose white, native or other. Most choose White or Other.

    August 1, 2011 at 11:38 am | Report abuse |
  2. oldfan

    But who will pay for all the welfare?

    August 25, 2011 at 2:30 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Victoria BC

    you americans are all pretty silly.

    First you pillage africans by the 10's of 1000's, then you move them to your country, now you complain because there's too many of them. Its comical realy.. You made your bed, now sleep in it.

    As for the native americans.. sure, lets think of what would be if the white man and spanish never arrived – you'd be pretty much about in the same boat now as the Somalians or Congolese. Starving, over run with militias, huge lack of technology or infrastructure, feudal lords running the show, big foreign industry raping your resources.

    So I say time to get over it.. Blacks, you make the bed you sleep in. Learn to say 'ask' properly and speak proper english and you might get a job. Natives, pull your head out of the sand and get used to the fact that you cannot go back in time, and be thankful for the science and technology the white man brought you and beglad your arent Somalians.

    Whites, you brought them here, you freed them so get used to it, at the end of the day we are all equals, you arent so superior with your pasty skin and lack of dance moves.

    August 25, 2011 at 5:30 pm | Report abuse |
    • BrandonN

      VictoriaBC, there isn't a single American alive today who pillaged black people and brought them here. The African slave trade was outlawed in the early 19th century and slavery was outlawed in 1865.

      May 15, 2012 at 8:49 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Garcia

    Hispanic isnt a race, my family came from Spain to Cuba to the US what makes me different from someone whos family came from germany to the US. Look this is a myth, they are doing what the leaders of Brasil do. They make it seem like the majority is a minority so a small select group can control

    September 20, 2011 at 10:47 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Julie

    What absolutely "hateful" comments from people who white people have lovingly helped, upheld and now What I see had it been the other way around they woukd never have been the same to whites – thanks for the warning – truth comes out – pure hatred from people on this board for whites – shameful

    August 6, 2012 at 9:17 pm | Report abuse |
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