• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 8, 2016

According to the US Census, reported by Marketing Charts, the US minority population (all groups other than non-Hispanic single-race whites) climbed to almost 123.5 million people, accounting for 38.4% of the total population.

Asian-Americans were the fastest-growing minority group in the US last year, says the report, marking the fourth consecutive year in which their population growth has outpaced that of Hispanic Americans. The Asian-Americans’ population growth rate of 3.4% was larger than the rate of increase in 2014 and 2013, reaching 21 million as of July 2015.more

The Hispanic population grew by a relatively smaller 2.2% (slightly above the previous year’s growth rate), but to a much larger 56.6 million. As such, Hispanics accounted for 17.6% of the population as of July 2015.

By contrast, the non-Hispanic white-alone population grew by just 0.1%, totaling 198 million. That population is much older than the minority population; the median age of the non-Hispanic white-alone population was 43.3 years, while it was 28.8 for the Hispanic population and under 35 for all non-Hispanic races save non-Hispanic Asians (36.5).

The relative youth of the minority population means that 50.3% of children under 5 belong to a minority group. Looking at various age groups, the data indicates that:

• 48.5% of Americans under the age of 18 are minorities (any group other than non-Hispanic single-race whites), as are 49% of Americans born since 2000
• Minorities represent 46.1% of 14-17-year-olds
• Minorities comprise 45.4% of the 18-24 bracket
• 42.8% of Americans aged 25-44 belong to a group other than non-Hispanic whites
• 31.7% of Americans aged 45-64 are minorities
• 22.2% Americans aged 65+ and 18.5% 85+ are minorities

Source: US Census Bureau, July 2015

The various minority groups’ growth continues to be due to different factors, says the report. For Hispanics and African-Americans, growth was primarily due to natural increases (births outweighing deaths). But for Asian-Americans, net migration was the main driver of population growth.

As a result of the increases in minority groups, the US’ minority population (all groups other than non-Hispanic single-race whites) climbed to almost 123.5 million people, accounting for 38.4% of the total population. By contrast, the non-Hispanic white-alone population grew by just 0.1%, totaling 198 million.

That population is much older than the minority population; the median age of the non-Hispanic white-alone population was 43.3 years, while it was 28.8 for the Hispanic population and under 35 for all non-Hispanic races save non-Hispanic Asians (36.5).

in other findings:

• California housed the most Hispanics of any state as of July 1, 2015, at 15.2 million, while Texas had the largest numerical increase (more than 250,000) and New Mexico the highest percentage of Hispanics (48%)
• California also had the largest Asian population, at 6.5 million and the largest numerical increase (almost 170,000)
• New York had the largest black or African-American population, at 3.8 million

For additional information from Marketing Charts, please visit here.