Bay Watch: New Census Data Highlights Shifting Diversity

New demographic data released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week highlights an increasingly diverse Bay Area population. Data from the 2020 Census shows the nine-county Bay Area’s population of 7.765 million increasing by over 600,000 people over the course of the previous decade. While the total number of residents has fallen in the last three years, these data points from 2020 provide the best approximation of the region’s demographic makeup. 
 
Notably, the combined numbers for Latinx (24.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (28.5%) residents now make up a majority of the region’s population. While Latinx and Asian/Pacific Islander counts increased, the number of Black residents and White residents in the region both fell. The region’s Black population has been falling since 1990, with a net loss of 80,000 residents over 30 years, and it now makes up just 5.6% of the region’s overall population. In 1990, the White population accounted for 60% of the region’s total; that number has fallen to 36% in 2020. 
 
For data visualizations on the region’s demographics, please visit the Economic Institute’s Bay Watch and look for an analysis of age trends in next week’s edition.