• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, September 26, 2011

While much has been made of the growth in the Hispanic population, the number of Asian-American homes is projected to be up nearly 10% for the 2011-12 TV season, marking a considerably higher growth rate. Asian-American homes are forecast to be up 9.6% to 5.3 million. 

This is the first TV season to take place after the 2010 Census results came in, and the number of Hispanic or Latino homes is expected to be up 4.6% to about 14 million. African-American homes are projected to be 14.3 million, a 1.5% increase, per Nielsen.

"The rapid growth of the Hispanic market has generated a number of headlines since the Census numbers were revealed, but the increase of Asian households should not be overlooked," stated Pat McDonough, a Nielsen senior vice president.

The estimates are for Jan. 1.

Los Angeles continues as the largest market for both Hispanic and Asian TV homes, while New York leads among African-Americans.

McDonough stated: "We're also seeing increased geographic diversity of Hispanic and Latino consumers. While Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Houston remain in the top five for Hispanic TV homes, we're seeing growth in markets that defy conventional wisdom. Hartford and New Haven, Conn., Washington, D.C., Milwaukee, Raleigh and Minneapolis are all in the top 50 and saw a bump up in their rankings in the past year."