It's Happening Again

People who identify themselves as some "other race" besides Asian, Black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, or white are the second-largest racial group in the United States, according to 2020 census results. If you're scratching your head trying to figure out just what this "other race" could be, you're not alone. The fact is, most people of "other race" are Hispanics. They checked the "other" category because they could not find the terms "Hispanic" or Latino" as options on the race question of the 2020 census. The federal government considers Hispanic to be an ethnicity, not a race, and it collects information on Hispanic origin with a separate ethnicity question. 

This has happened before—on the 2010 Census. Even then, the Census Bureau was concerned about Hispanics checking "other race" on the race question, so it tested an alternative that asked for race and Hispanic origin in a single question. The test proved that the combined question worked much better, reducing the "other race" category to the residual it was meant to be. When presented with separate race and Hispanic origin questions, a substantial 7.1 percent of the population in 2010 checked "other race." When presented with the combined question, just 0.2 percent of the population checked "other race." After these test results were released in 2012, Demo Memo predicted: "Expect a combined race and Hispanic origin question on the 2020 census." 

Alas, it was not to be. Although a combined race and Hispanic origin question was planned for the 2020 census, the Trump administration nixed it. So, it's happening again—an enormous "other race" population and lots of confusion.

Race and Hispanic origin of U.S. population

2020 Census	number	% distribution
Total population	331,449,281	100.0%
RACE:
American Indian	9,666,058	2.9%
Asian	24,000,998	7.2%
Black	46,936,733	14.2%
Native Hawaiian	1,586,463	0.5%
White	235,411,507	71.0%
Other race	49,902,536	15.1%
HISPANIC ORIGIN:
Hispanic	62,080,044	18.7%
Non-Hispanic white	191,697,647	57.8%

Note: Numbers by race will not add to the total population because people could identify themselves as more than one race. Hispanics may be of any race.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of 2020 Census results

10% Are Intermarried

Ten percent of marriages are between spouses of two different races or between an Hispanic and a non-Hispanic, according to a Census Bureau analysis of 2016 American Community Survey data. The analysis examined intermarriage patterns among currently married women who have married only once. 

Percent intermarried* by race and Hispanic origin

52.1% of American Indians/Alaska Natives

22.4% of Hispanics

20.6% of Asians

  8.0% of Blacks

  5.1% of non-Hispanic whites

Percent intermarried* by age

16.7% of those aged 15 to 24

15.2% of those aged 25 to 34

13.3% of those aged 35 to 44

10.3% of those aged 45 to 54

  5.9% of those aged 55 or older

Percent intermarried* by education

  7.2% of high school dropouts

  8.1% of high school graduates

11.5% of those with some college

11.3% of those with a bachelor's degree

11.7% of those with a graduate/professional degree

*Among currently married women who have married only once.

Source: Census Bureau, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2016

Who Is Multiracial?

The size of the multiracial population depends on how questions about race are asked, reports Pew Research Center. In a test of how different questions produce different results, Pew surveyed a nationally representative sample of adults and found the following...

Standard two-questions: This is the methodology currently used in the decennial census, Current Population Survey, and American Community Survey. Respondents are first asked to select their race(s), then they are asked about Hispanic origin. Result: 3.7 percent of the population is multiracial.

Single question with Hispanic as an option: This single race-or-origin question is being considered for the 2020 census, replacing the above methodology. Respondents are asked to select their race or origin, with Hispanic as one of the choices. Result: 4.8 percent of the population is multiracial (not including Hispanic responses).

Family history questions: Respondents are asked not only about their own race but also the race of their parents and grandparents. Result: 6.9 percent of the population is multiracial. When respondents are asked about the race of great-grandparents and earlier ancestors, the multiracial share rises to 13.1 percent.

Source: Pew Research Center, Who Is Multiracial? Depends on How You Ask

Race and Hispanic Origin, 2012

The diversity of the American population is growing rapidly, as revealed by the Census Bureau's latest population estimates. As of July 1, 2012, only 63.0 percent of the nation's population was non-Hispanic white, down from 63.4 percent a year earlier. During those 12 months, the non-Hispanic white population grew by a minuscule 0.09 percent. This compares with a 1.3 percent increase in the black (alone or in combination) population, a 2.2 percent increase in the Hispanic population, and a 2.9 percent increase in the Asian (alone or in combination) population.

Behind the shrinking non-Hispanic white share of the population is negative natural increase. Between 2011 and 2012, for the first time, there were more deaths than births among non-Hispanic whites: 1,974,794 births and 1,987,213 deaths. Immigration was the only factor that prevented the number of non-Hispanic whites from declining. The Census Bureau projects that the number of non-Hispanic whites will begin to shrink in 2025.

Number (and percent distribution) of the population by race and Hispanic origin in 2012:
Total: 313,914,040 (100.0%)
Asian: 18,855,104 (6.0%)
Black: 44,456,009 (14.2%)
Hispanic: 53,027,708 (16.9%)
Non-Hispanic white: 197,705,655 (63.0%)

Source: Census Bureau, National Characteristics: Vintage 2012

Other Race

"Other race" is the third largest racial group in the United States (behind only white and black), according to 2010 census results. Meant to be a small residual category, the public's confusion over the difference between race (Asian, black, white) and ethnicity (Hispanic) has turned it into one of the biggest racial categories. Who are these people of other race? The vast majority are Hispanics who check "other" in the census race question (because they do not see a Hispanic/Latino category) before moving on to the separate Hispanic origin question.

In taking the 2010 census, the Census Bureau fielded an alternative questionnaire to test a combined race and Hispanic origin question. The results are in, showing that the combined question works much better than separate race and Hispanic origin questions, reducing the other-race category to just 0.2 percent of the population--the residual it was meant to be. In contrast, with separate questions, fully 7.1 percent of the population checked other race. Expect a combined race and Hispanic origin question on the 2020 census.

2010 Census: Households and Families

Today the Census Bureau released the 2010 Census Brief on the nation's 116.7 million households. These are some of the most important findings...

• Married couples account for fewer than half of households (48 percent).
• The number of nuclear families (married couples with children under age 18) fell by 1.2 million between 2000 and 2010, to 23.6 million households (20 percent of total households).
• People living alone are a larger share of households (27 percent) than nuclear families. They are the second most common household type after married couples without children under age 18 (28 percent).
• Average household size fell slightly, from 2.59 people in 2000 to 2.58 people in 2010.
• Unmarried partner households grew by 41 percent to 7.7 million (7 percent of total households). Of these, 646,000 are same-sex unmarried partners.
• Ten percent of married couples have partners of a different race or Hispanic origin.  
• Multigenerational households (defined as households with three or more generations of relatives) grew from 3.9 million to 5.1 million between 2000 and 2010 and account for 4 percent of households.

Source: Census Bureau, Households and Families: 2010, 2010 Census Brief

Changing Times

Percentage of Americans who live in a racially integrated neighborhood...

2010: 70%
1975: 34%

Source: General Social Surveys

Nuts about Race

Are we nuts or what? Today the Census Bureau released the first two (Nevada and New Mexico) of what will be 50 state-level files providing 2010 census data down to the census tract level for 331 racial and ethnic groups.

Source: Census Bureau, 2010 Census Summary File 2

Diversity Diminishes Donations

In an interesting study of how ethnic and religious diversity affects charitable giving, researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research report that the more diverse the neighborhood, the less money households there give to charity. "A 10 percentage point increase in ethnic diversity reduces donations by 14 percent, and a 10 percentage point increase in religious diversity reduces donations by 10 percent," the authors report. Diversity reduces the dollars individual households give to charity, not the share of household that give.

Who is closing their wallets? As ethnic diversity increases in a neighborhood, non-minority households give less. As religious diversity increases in a neighborhood, Catholic households give less. The authors suggest that as North America (the study was undertaken in Canada) becomes increasingly diverse, charities may get less.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Diversity and Donations: The Effect of Religious and Ethnic Diversity on Charitable Giving, NBER Working Paper 17618, $5

11% Decline in Hispanic Births

The number of births in the United States fell 7 percent between 2007 (the peak year) and 2010. By race and Hispanic origin, Hispanics experienced the greatest decline during those years, with the number of babies born to Hispanic mothers falling 11 percent. Nevertheless, Hispanics still account for a substantial 24 percent of births in the United States, down only slightly from the 25 percent of 2007.

The number of babies born to non-Hispanic white mothers fell 6.4 percent between 2007 and 2010, and black births were down 6.1 percent. Asians births fell the least, a 3 percent decline. These are the birth numbers by race and Hispanic origin in 2010...

Total	4,000,279
Asian	246,915
Black	589,129
Hispanic	946,000
White	2,161,669

Note: Blacks and whites are non-Hispanic.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2010 and Births: Final Data for 2007

Mixed Race Population Is Mostly Kids

The median age of the 8 million mixed-race Americans was just 19.2 years, according to the 2010 American Community Survey. Most are not even out of their teens. In contrast, the median age of the U.S. population as a whole was a much older 37.2 years. For the past decade, government surveys have shown that the two-or-more races population is much younger than everyone else. What explains the gap?

Parents explain it. When responding to a census or government survey, parents are responsible for identifying the characteristics of their children under age 18. Many parents of mixed-race children identify them as being of more than one race. When those children become adults, many opt for a single race identity.

More Interracial Marriage among Young

Percent of marriages that are interracial or Hispanic/non-Hispanic, by age of currently married women in their first marriage...

under 25: 13%
25 to 34: 11%
35 to 44: 10%
45 to 54: 7%
55 or older: 4%

Source: Census Bureau, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 2009

Wealth Estimates: Pew vs Feds

Last week Pew Research Center released an important study of household wealth, based on the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The study examined and compared the wealth of blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and whites. These race and Hispanic origin breakdowns are especially valuable, since the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances--the only other survey that produces estimates of household wealth--lumps blacks, Hispanics, and Asians into the single group "nonwhites or Hispanics."

There are big differences in the median wealth estimates produced by the two surveys, and these differences demand explanation. Take a look at each survey's median household net worth estimates for 2009...

Pew
Asians: $78,066
Blacks: $5,677
Hispanics: $6,325
Whites: $113,149

Feds
Non-Hispanic whites: $149,900
Nonwhites or Hispanics: $23,300

Note that median household net worth is higher in the Fed survey regardless of race or Hispanic origin. One factor that makes a difference between the two surveys are the race and Hispanic origin groupings. In the Pew study, Hispanics are also counted in the "white" racial group, lowering its net worth. In the Fed survey, Asians are included in the "nonwhite or Hispanic" group, raising its net worth.

Another reason for the differences is methodological. The Fed survey includes several items that are not included in SIPP, according to Pew's researchers, such as the value of personal property, equity in defined-benefit pension plans, and cash value life insurance policies.

Source: Pew Research Center, Wealth Gaps Rise to Record Highs Between Whites, Blacks and Hispanics; Federal Reserve Board, Surveying the Aftermath of the Storm: Changes in Family Finances from 2007 to 2009

Contraceptive Status of Women

Percent distribution of women aged 15 to 44 by contraceptive status...

Currently using contraception: 62%
Not using, not sexually active: 19%
Not using, seeking pregnancy or pregnant: 10%
Not using, no reason: 7%
Not using, infertile: 2%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Use of Contraception in the United States, 1982-2008

The Politics of Race

Percentage of people aged 18 or older who identify themselves as a Democrat, by race and Hispanic origin...

Asian: 53%
Black: 72%
Hispanic: 56%
White: 40%

Source: General Social Survey

Bet You Didn't Know

Percentage living in a metropolitan area, by race and Hispanic origin...

Asians: 97%
Hispanics: 93%
Blacks: 89%
Non-Hispanic whites: 80%

Source: 2010 Census

Blacks Most Likely to Use Twitter

Percent of Internet users who use Twitter, by race and Hispanic origin...

Black: 25%
Hispanic: 19%
Non-Hispanic white: 9%

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project, Twitter Update 2011

Very Cool Interactive Map

Want to know 2010 census details about housing in your area? Check out the Census Bureau's interactive map that allows you to click and zoom in on any state, county, or place in the United States and get owner-occupied, renter-occupied, vacant, for rent, and for sale housing unit counts.

Population by race, ethnicity, age, and sex are also on tap at the site. Note that data for 13 states are still to come. The final state release (for Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia) and national totals are scheduled for Thursday, May 26.

How Many Kids?

Average number of children born in lifetime to American women
by race and Hispanic origin...

Asian: 1.96
Black: 2.03
Hispanic: 2.73
Non-Hispanic white: 1.78

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2009

Single Mothers, Good or Bad?

A recent Pew Research Center poll asked whether "more single women having children without a male partner to help raise them" was a "bad thing for society." Not surprisingly, the 69 percent majority of the public said it was bad.

This is backwards thinking, however. It's not that single mothers are bad for society, it's that bad societies create single mothers. When men cannot find stable employment that pays a living wage, single mothers are the result. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2009 report on births, here are the percentages of babies born to single mothers by race and Hispanic origin:

Black: 73%
Hispanic: 53%
Non-Hispanic white: 29%
Asian: 17%

Note the order of the race and Hispanic origin groups, with blacks most likely to have babies out of wedlock and Asians least likely. These numbers are not a measure of morals. They are a measure of the economic opportunity available to men in our society. Asian men are highly educated and typically earn above-average wages. Black men--even today--are often shut out of stable jobs that pay a living wage. Thus, the consequences on women and children.

Knowing these facts about men, women, and children, this trend should set off alarm bells: Between 1970 and 2009, the percentage of Americans babies born to single mothers climbed from 11 to 41 percent.