Census results show younger, more diverse America

New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that white America is going gray. White Americans under the age of 5 are now outnumbered by minority youngsters, the estimates show, marking the first time in U.S. Census history that the 0-4 population is a minority-majority. Meanwhile, the white population's median age hit 43, an all-time high.

Several states are actually populated by more minorities than non-Hispanic whites, including Hawaii (77 percent), California (61.5 percent), New Mexico (61.1 percent), and Texas (56.6 percent). Nevada nearly makes the cut too, with 48.5 percent of the population consisting of minority groups. Data also reveals that China has replaced Mexico as the primary source of immigration to the U.S., with Hispanic migration generally slowing.

While estimates earlier this year projected that millennials would outnumber Baby Boomers, it appears the gap is larger than expected: Americans born between 1982 and 2000 make up an entire quarter of the nation's population, clocking in at 83.1 million. Boomers, by comparison, are estimated at 75.4 million.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up