2020 Census data shows U.S. population is more diverse and urban

The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from the 2020 Census on Thursday, showing for the first time ever a drop in the non-Hispanic white population.

Nicholas Jones, director of race and ethnic research and outreach for the Census Bureau's population division, said analysis of the 2020 Census results "show that the U.S. population is much more multiracial and more racially and ethnically diverse than what we have measured in the past."

The data — which will be used to redraw congressional and legislative districts in the country just one year before the 2022 midterms — indicates growth among Latino, Asian, and multi-racial Americans, the Los Angeles Times reports. White people are still the largest racial or ethnic group in the United States, comprising 57.8 percent of the total population, down from 63.7 percent in 2010. Latinos are the second largest group, making up 18.7 percent of the population.

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The national population rose by 7.4 percent over the last decade, the second slowest rate of growth in U.S. history. About 80 percent of urban areas saw population gains, as more people are leaving rural regions, and more Americans who are on the move are choosing homes in the West and South, compared to the Midwest and Northeast.