Census: Riverside County Fastest Growing In Calif.
RIVERSIDE (CBS) — The U.S. Census report released Tuesday shows that Riverside County was the fastest-growing county in the state over the past decade.
Census data from 2010 showed that Riverside County's population recorded the highest percentage increase and easily the largest numerical growth in California.
The county's population grew by 41.7 percent between 2000 and 2010, an increase in 644,254 people.
San Bernardino County was the closest to Riverside in population growth. The county increased by 325,776 people.
The next-closest county in percentage growth was the much smaller Placer County in Northern California at 40.3 percent.
At 2.19 million residents, Riverside is the fourth-largest county in the state in terms of population, just ahead of San Bernardino County, with 2.04 million.
New census data also shows Latinos and Asians accounted for virtually all of California's population growth over the last decade.
Data from the 2010 U.S. Census released Tuesday shows Latinos grew by 28 percent and Asians grew by 31 percent.
Non-Hispanic whites saw their numbers decrease between 2000 and 2010 by 5 percent, and the state's African-American population dipped by 1 percent.
Demographers say Latinos are growing faster than other groups because most Latinos are of child-bearing age while the rest of the population tends to be older.
California's population grew 10 percent over the decade to 37.3 million. But growth lagged behind other western states and California failed to pick up additional congressional seats for the first time after a census.
For a link to the census report, click here.
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