America's Shifting Populations

Traditionally, demographic, ethnic and racial shifts happen slowly over time. Here, you can explore nearly 100 years of racial patterns for each state. Roll over with your mouse to see changes over time.

Interactive

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With this interactive graphic, users can explore census data at the state and national level from 1910-2009 — by race (white, black, Asian, American Indian) or Hispanic origin.

Notes

- Census data for Alaska and Hawaii are not available until the 1960 census.
- The Census Bureau counts Hispanic origin as an ethnicity rather than a race (so a Hispanic person might be counted as both "white" and "Hispanic"). Hispanic numbers are inconsistently available prior to the 1980 census.
- 2009 Census population estimates did not include a category for "other race." (About the Census Bureau's methodology for estimates.)
- The "Two or more races" category was introduced with the 2000 census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Credit: Sarah Gonzalez and Alyson Hurt / NPR

 

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