County's population grows more diverse

County's population grows more diverse
New figures show all major racial groups up, except whites
By Tony Burchyns/Times-Herald staff writer

Posted: 05/15/2009 01:00:40 AM PDT

Solano County's population is quickly growing larger and more racially diverse, but there's another trend at play -- the continuing drop in the percentage of whites, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.

The 2008 population estimates indicated that every major racial group in Solano County increased numerically from the previous year, except whites, who decreased by 2,000 as a group.

Since 2000, the county's white population has fallen by more than 5 percent.

Meanwhile, the county's two largest, and fastest-growing population groups, Asians and Latinos, increased by nearly 20 percent and by more than 30 percent, respectively.

Also, mirroring national trends, the number of mixed-race residents in Solano County has jumped for a number of years.

Of California's 58 counties, nearly half -- 28 -- experienced one or more years between 2000 and 2007 when their white populations numerically fell, according to a state demographic report. Solano County was one of nine that had white population decline in all seven years.

The Census data also shows that, in California, whites are older and Latinos are younger than national averages.

California's population in 2008 was estimated to be 36.7 million, of which more than 405,000 lived in Solano County. The county's population in 2007 was almost 44 percent white, 14 percent Asian, 15 percent African American, 22 percent Latino, 5 percent mixed-race, according to the bureau's latest estimates.