Community Corner

White and Black Populations Decline in East Bay, Hispanic and Asian Numbers Rise

2010 census data released last week show shifting ethnic trends in the East Bay.

The released last week paints a picture of shifting racial trends in the past decade, with Alameda County, Contra Costa County and Solano County all seeing Asian and Hispanic populations continue to rise.

The three counties have added more than 150,000 Asians to the demographic profile of the East Bay since 2000 — a growth of 35 percent. The Hispanic population saw a similar increase of 35 percent, with a growth of more than 180,000 people in the past decade.

San Lorenzo increased its Hispanic population by 13 percent. Concord experienced a growth of 8.8 percent, While San Leandro saw an increase of 7.3 percent.  

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In , Asians now account for just over 50 percent of the total population, an increase from 43 percent a decade ago. The Hispanic population grew less than a full percent, while the white population dropped from 30 to 24 percent (see more detailed data below).

Jon Stiles, executive director of the California Census Research Data Center, says that almost all of the growth in the Hispanic population is due to increases in the number of births relative to deaths.

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“The Hispanic population tends to be a younger population with higher fertility rates,” said Stiles. By comparison, only about one fifth of the growth of the Asian population is due to natural increases. The remainder is due to migration, said Stiles. 

The white population, meanwhile, saw the largest decline across the three counties, dropping by 73,000 people or 4.7 percent.

Contra Costa County experienced the most significant decline, with 6.9 percent of the white population dwindling since 2000. Alameda County followed with a decline of 5.8 percent.

The reduction since 2000 brings the white population to under 50 percent across Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Cities in the East Bay that lost more than 10 percent of their white population include San Ramon at 23.2 percent, Dublin at 18.1 percent, San Lorenzo at 15.9 percent, San Leandro at 13.7 and Pleasanton at 13.4 percent. 

“What we seem to be seeing in California is that the decreases in the non-Hispanic white population are almost exclusively driven by net migration,” said Stiles. White Californians are leaving the state, although their destinations remain unclear. 

Also experiencing a decline, the African American population dropped by 4 percent from 2000 levels across the three counties — a loss totalling nearly 15,000 people. The fluctuation takes the total African American population across Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties combined from 13 percent to 11.7 percent.

While most East Bay cities saw small increases in the African American population, the largest losses were concentrated in a handful of places. One of the most significant declines in the African American population was in Richmond, which saw a drop of 9.5 percent. Oakland followed closely behind, with a decline of 7.7 percent of its black population, while Berkeley dropped 3.6 percent. 

People identifying themselves as a mixture of two races or more grew in California in the past decade, doubling from 2.5 percent to 4.9 percent. Union City exceeds the state figure with 6.7 percent of the population being mixed race.

“There are simply increases in the number of inter-racial marriages, unions and children,” explained Stiles.  

The East Bay lagged slightly behind the state trend, with the mixed race population in Alameda County, Contra Costa County and Solano County rising by between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent.  

Stiles, however, also noted that the multiple races category of the U.S. Census is open to interpretation, and therefore renders varying results. “President Obama, for example, filled out his census form as 'Black,' not inter-racial,” said Stiles.

CALIFORNIA 2000 2010 Population (Number) 33871648 37253956 Race % One Race 95.3 95.1 Two or More Races 2.5 4.9 White 59.5 57.6 Black 6.7 6.2 American Indian 1 1 Asian 10.9 13 Native Hawaiian 0.3 0.4 Some Other Race 4.7 17 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 30.3 37.6 ALAMEDA COUNTY 2000 2010 Population (Number) 1443741 1510271 Race % One Race 94.4 94 Two or More Races 5.6 6 White 48.8 43 Black 14.9 12.6 American Indian 0.6 0.6 Asian 20.4 26.1 Native Hawaiian 0.6 0.8 Some Other Race 8.9 10.8 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 19 22.5 Alameda 2000 2010 Population (Number) 72259 73812 Race % One Race 93.9 92.9 Two or More Races 2 7.1 White 56.9 50.8 Black 6.2 6.4 American Indian 0.7 0.6 Asian 26.1 31.2 Native Hawaiian 0.6 0.5 Some Other Race 6.1 3.3 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 8 11 Albany 2000 2010 Population (Number) 16444 18539 Race % One Race 94.2 93.3 Two or More Races 1.6 6.7 White 61.3 54.6 Black 4.1 3.5 American Indian 0.4 0.5 Asian 25.1 31.2 Native Hawaiian 0.1 0.2 Some Other Race 5.8 3.3 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 6.9 10.2 Ashland 2000 2010 Population (Number) 20793 21925 Race % One Race 92.6 94.1 Two or More Races 3.2 5.9 White 39 30.6 Black 20.1 19.5 American Indian 1.3 1.1 Asian 14.9 18.4 Native Hawaiian 1.1 1.2 Some Other Race 7.4 23.4 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 29.4 42.8 Berkeley 2000 2010 Population (Number) 102743 112580 Race % One Race 94.4 93.8 Two or More Races 1.7 6.2 White 59.2 59.5 Black 13.6 10 American Indian 0.5 0.4 Asian 16.4 19.3 Native Hawaiian 0.1 0.2 Some Other Race 5.6 4.4 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 8.6 10.8 Castro Valley 2000 2010 Population (Number) 57292 61388 Race % One Race 94.7 93.7 Two or More Races 1.8 6.3 White 70.8 58 Black 5.1 6.9 American Indian 0.6 0.5 Asian 13.5 21.4 Native Hawaiian 0.4 0.7 Some Other Race 5.3 6.1 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 10.7 17.4 Cherryland 2000 2010 Population (Number) 13837 14728 Race % One Race 93.6 92.8 Two or More Races 3.4 7.2 White 52.9 41 Black 9.8 11.5 American Indian 1.2 1.4 Asian 8.3 9.5 Native Hawaiian 1.3 2.1 Some Other Race 6.4 27.3 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 38.6 54 Dublin 2000 2010 Population (Number) 29973 46036 Race % One Race 96.1 94 Two or More Races 1.3 6 White 69.4 51.3 Black 10.1 9.4 American Indian 0.7 0.5 Asian 10.3 26.8 Native Hawaiian 0.3 0.6 Some Other Race 3.9 5.3 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 12.7 14.5 Emeryville 2000 2010 Population (Number) 6882 10080 Race % One Race 94.9 93.6 Two or More Races 1.6 6.4 White 45 44.5 Black 19.5 17.5 American Indian 0.5 0.4 Asian 25.6 27.5 Native Hawaiian 0.2 0.2 Some Other Race 5.1 3.5 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 8 9.2 Fairview 2000 2010 Population (Number) 9470 10003 Race % One Race 93.3 92.4 Two or More Races 2.3 7.6 White 55.3 45 Black 20.5 21 American Indian 0.6 0.8 Asian 10.2 15.2 Native Hawaiian 0.7 1.3 Some Other Race 6.7 9.1 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 13.1 21.7 Fremont 2000 2010 Population (Number) 203413 214089 Race % One Race 94.2 94.1 Two or More Races 2.3 5.9 White 47.7 32.8 Black 3.1 3.3 American Indian 0.5 0.5 Asian 37 50.6 Native Hawaiian 0.4 0.5 Some Other Race 5.5 6.4 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 12.1 14.8 Hayward 2000 2010 Population (Number) 140030 144186 Race % One Race 92.5 92.9 Two or More Races 3.5 7.1 White 43 34.2 Black 11 11.9 American Indian 0.8 1 Asian 19 22 Native Hawaiian 1.9 3.1 Some Other Race 7.5 20.8 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 31.3 40.7 Livermore 2000 2010 Population (Number) 73345 80968 Race % One Race 95.5 94.6 Two or More Races 1.6 5.4 White 81.9 74.6 Black 1.6 2.1 American Indian 0.6 0.6 Asian 5.8 8.4 Native Hawaiian 0.3 0.3 Some Other Race 4.5 8.6 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 12.9 20.9 Newark 2000 2010 Population (Number) 42471 42573 Race % One Race 92.9 93.4 Two or More Races 3.2 6.6 White 52.2 41.3 Black 4 4.7 American Indian 0.6 0.7 Asian 21.3 27.2 Native Hawaiian 1 1.5 Some Other Race 7.1 18.2 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 26.2 35.2 Oakland 2000 2010 Population (Number) 399484 390724 Race % One Race 95 94.4 Two or More Races 2.3 5.6 White 31.3 34.5 Black 35.7 28 American Indian 0.7 0.8 Asian 15.2 16.8 Native Hawaiian 0.5 0.6 Some Other Race 5 13.7 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 20.2 25.4 Piedmont 2000 2010 Population (Number) 10952 10667 Race % One Race 96.6 94.8 Two or More Races 0.6 5.2 White 78.6 74.2 Black 1.2 1.3 American Indian 0.1 0.1 Asian 16 18.2 Native Hawaiian 0 0.1 Some Other Race 3.4 0.9 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 2.4 3.9 Pleasanton 2000 2010 Population (Number) 63654 70285 Race % One Race 96.3 95.2 Two or More Races 1.3 4.8 White 80.4 67 Black 1.4 1.7 American Indian 0.3 0.3 Asian 11.7 23.2 Native Hawaiian 0.1 0.2 Some Other Race 3.7 2.8 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 7 10.3 San Leandro 2000 2010 Population (Number) 79452 84950 Race % One Race 94.2 94.4 Two or More Races 2.6 5.6 White 51.3 37.6 Black 9.9 12.3 American Indian 0.8 0.8 Asian 23 29.7 Native Hawaiian 0.9 0.8 Some Other Race 5.8 13.3 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 18.1 27.4 San Lorenzo 2000 2010 Population (Number) 21898 23452 Race % One Race 93.8 93.5 Two or More Races 2.5 6.5 White 63.3 47.4 Black 2.8 4.8 American Indian 0.9 1 Asian 15.5 21.6 Native Hawaiian 0.5 0.8 Some Other Race 6.2 17.9 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 22.4 37.7 Sunol 2000 2010 Population (Number) 1332 913 Race % One Race 94.6 94.3 Two or More Races 1.8 5.7 White 84.5 85.4 Black 0 0.1 American Indian 1 0.7 Asian 4.8 5.3 Native Hawaiian 0.2 0.8 Some Other Race 5.4 2.1 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 7.7 10 Union City 2000 2010 Population (Number) 66869 69516 Race % One Race 93.3 93.3 Two or More Races 2.9 6.7 White 30.2 23.9 Black 6.7 6.3 American Indian 0.5 0.5 Asian 43.4 50.9 Native Hawaiian 0.9 1.3 Some Other Race 6.7 10.4 2000 2010 Ethnicity % Hispanic 22.1 22.9

 

*Clarification: This data was originally published in a chart that listed "Hispanic" under the category of race. It has now been updated to reflect ethnicity.

The data used by Patch.com from the U.S. Census Bureau for race includes people who identify themselves as of Hispanic origin. As explained by the U.S. Census Bureau, "the federal government considers race and Hispanic origin to be two separate and distinct concepts." Therefore, "Hispanic and Latinos may be of any race." For information on the racial breakdown of the non-Hispanic population, see the American Fact Finder "Hispanic or Latino and Race" chart under the "not Hispanic or Latino" topic category.


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