Demographics
Visualizing the U.S. Population by Race
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Visualizing the U.S. Population by Race
The American population is a unique mosaic of cultures—and almost 40% of people identify as racial or ethnic minorities today.
In this treemap, we use data for 2019 from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which bases its analysis on the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Then we break down the same data on a state-by-state basis.
Growing Diversity in America
As of 2019, here is the current distribution of the U.S. population by race and ethnicity:
- White: 60.1% (Non-Hispanic)
- Hispanic: 18.5%
- Black: 12.2%
- Asian: 5.6%
- Multiple Races: 2.8%
- American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.7%
- Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 0.2%
Note that the U.S. totals do not include Puerto Rico.
However, these race and ethnicity projections are expected to change over the coming years. By the year 2060, it’s expected that the distribution of Non-Hispanic Whites as a percentage of total population will fall from 60.1% to 44.3% of Americans.
| Year | White* | Black | Hispanic | Asian | Multiple Races | Other** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 59.7% | 12.5% | 18.7% | 5.8% | 2.3% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 57.7% | 12.7% | 19.9% | 6.3% | 2.6% | 0.9% |
| 2030 | 55.8% | 12.8% | 21.1% | 6.7% | 2.8% | 0.9% |
| 2035 | 53.8% | 12.9% | 22.3% | 7.1% | 3.1% | 0.9% |
| 2040 | 51.7% | 13.0% | 23.5% | 7.5% | 3.4% | 0.9% |
| 2045 | 49.7% | 13.1% | 24.6% | 7.9% | 3.8% | 0.9% |
| 2050 | 47.8% | 13.3% | 25.7% | 8.2% | 4.1% | 0.9% |
| 2055 | 46.0% | 13.4% | 26.6% | 8.5% | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| 2060 | 44.3% | 13.6% | 27.5% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 0.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. *Excludes Hispanics **Other includes American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.2%). Both proportions remain unchanged in these projections.
Interestingly, the proportion of those from multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds will more than double, from 2.3% to 4.9% alongside rising patterns of interracial marriage.
Over time, the U.S. Census has been vastly expanded to reflect the true diversity that the country holds. In fact, it was only from 1960 onwards that people could select their own race—and only from 2020 can those who chose White or Black provide further information on their roots.
A State-by-State Breakdown
Of course, racial diversity in the United States differs widely from region to region.
In the Northeast—particularly the states Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire—the Non-Hispanic White population accounts for 90% or more of the total. In contrast, Black populations are highest in the District of Columbia (45%) and several Southern states.
| Location | White | Black | Hispanic | Asian | Multiple Races | American Indian /Alaska Native | Native Hawaiian /Other Pacific Islander |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 65% | 27% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 0% | - |
| Alaska | 60% | 2% | 7% | 6% | 8% | 15% | 2% |
| Arizona | 54% | 4% | 32% | 3% | 2% | 4% | 0% |
| Arkansas | 72% | 15% | 8% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| California | 36% | 5% | 40% | 15% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Colorado | 68% | 4% | 22% | 3% | 3% | 1% | 0% |
| Connecticut | 66% | 10% | 17% | 5% | 3% | 0% | - |
| Delaware | 61% | 22% | 10% | 4% | 3% | 0% | - |
| District of Columbia | 37% | 45% | 11% | 4% | 3% | 0% | - |
| Florida | 53% | 15% | 27% | 3% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Georgia | 52% | 31% | 10% | 4% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Hawaii | 20% | 1% | 10% | 39% | 18% | 0% | 10% |
| Idaho | 82% | 1% | 13% | 1% | 3% | 1% | - |
| Illinois | 61% | 14% | 18% | 6% | 2% | 0% | <.01 |
| Indiana | 79% | 9% | 7% | 2% | 2% | 0% | - |
| Iowa | 85% | 4% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 0% | <.01 |
| Kansas | 76% | 6% | 12% | 3% | 3% | 1% | - |
| Kentucky | 85% | 8% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 0% | - |
| Louisiana | 59% | 32% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 1% | - |
| Maine | 93% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% | - |
| Maryland | 50% | 30% | 11% | 6% | 3% | 0% | - |
| Massachusetts | 71% | 7% | 12% | 7% | 3% | 0% | <.01 |
| Michigan | 75% | 13% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 1% | - |
| Minnesota | 79% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 3% | 1% | - |
| Mississippi | 57% | 38% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 0% | - |
| Missouri | 79% | 11% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Montana | 86% | 1% | 4% | 1% | 3% | 6% | - |
| Nebraska | 79% | 5% | 11% | 2% | 2% | 1% | - |
| Nevada | 48% | 9% | 29% | 9% | 4% | 1% | 1% |
| New Hampshire | 90% | 1% | 4% | 3% | 2% | - | - |
| New Jersey | 55% | 12% | 21% | 10% | 2% | 0% | - |
| New Mexico | 37% | 2% | 50% | 2% | 2% | 9% | - |
| New York | 55% | 14% | 19% | 9% | 3% | 0% | - |
| North Carolina | 63% | 21% | 10% | 3% | 3% | 1% | <.01 |
| North Dakota | 84% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 3% | 5% | - |
| Ohio | 79% | 12% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 0% | - |
| Oklahoma | 65% | 7% | 11% | 2% | 7% | 8% | 0% |
| Oregon | 75% | 2% | 13% | 5% | 4% | 1% | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | 76% | 10% | 8% | 4% | 2% | 0% | <.01 |
| Puerto Rico | 1% | 0% | 98% | - | 0% | - | - |
| Rhode Island | 71% | 6% | 17% | 3% | 3% | 0% | - |
| South Carolina | 64% | 26% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 0% | - |
| South Dakota | 82% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 8% | - |
| Tennessee | 74% | 16% | 6% | 2% | 2% | 0% | - |
| Texas | 41% | 12% | 40% | 5% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Utah | 78% | 1% | 14% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% |
| Vermont | 93% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% | - |
| Virginia | 61% | 19% | 10% | 7% | 3% | 0% | <.01 |
| Washington | 68% | 4% | 13% | 9% | 5% | 1% | 1% |
| West Virginia | 93% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 0% | - |
| Wisconsin | 81% | 6% | 7% | 3% | 2% | 1% | - |
| Wyoming | 84% | 1% | 10% | 1% | 2% | 2% | - |
| U.S. | 60.1% | 12.2% | 18.5% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 0.7% | 0.2% |
Note: A dash (-) indicates estimates with relative standard errors greater than 30%, which were not included in the data
Of all the 50 states, Hawaii is home to the largest share of Asian populations at 39%. It also has one of the most diverse racial breakdowns in the nation overall, including the highest proportion of mixed race individuals.
Looking to another island, an overwhelming majority (98%) of Puerto Ricans are of Hispanic origins. While it’s not a state, its inhabitants are all considered U.S. citizens.
Charting the U.S. population by race is crucial for a number of reasons. This information can be used to better understand existing income and wealth gaps, track public health outcomes, and to aid in policy decision-making at higher levels.
We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.
—Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the U.S.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to better reflect U.S. Census Bureau categories.
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Demographics
Visualizing the World’s Most Popular Religions
This graphic shows a breakdown of the world’s major religions, and how much of the global population follows each one.
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Visualizing the World’s Most Popular Religions
According to some estimates, there are over 4,000 religions, faiths groups, and denominations that exist around the world today. Researchers and academics generally categorize the world’s religions into five major groups: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.
This graphic by Chit Chart visualizes the most popular religions around the world, using the latest available data from Index Mundi’s world demographics.
In addition to the five major religious groups, the graphic includes two more categories: one for a collective of Folk religions and another for people who are unaffiliated with a religion.
The Religions with the Most Followers
Although the number of people who follow a religion has decreased in recent decades, 82.8% of the global population still identifies with one of the world’s major religions.
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular religions, ranked by their following as a percentage of the world’s population:
| Rank | Religion | % of World’s Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian | 31.4% |
| 2 | Muslim | 23.2% |
| 3 | Unaffiliated | 16.4% |
| 4 | Hindu | 15.0% |
| 5 | Buddhist | 7.1% |
| 6 | Folk Religions | 5.9% |
| 7 | Jewish | 0.2% |
| 8 | Other | 0.8% |
Christianity has the largest following with approximately 31% of the global population. Muslims make up the second-largest religious group, accounting for 23.2% of the world’s population.
Roughly 16.4% of the global population is unaffiliated with a religion. This figure exceeds the percentage of people who identify with Hinduism (15%), Buddhism (7.1%), Folk Religions (5.9%), or Judaism (0.2%).
The World’s Religions from Oldest to Newest
Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in the world, originating in the Indus River Valley (modern-day Pakistan) circa 7000 BCE.
While Judaism came after Hinduism, it is thought to be the oldest of the three monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, making it older than Christianity and Islam.
It began circa 2000 BCE in the Southern Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestine, and Jordan). By contrast, Christianity was founded in the 1st century and began as a movement within Judaism.
Scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the world’s major religions on this list. Islam was established in Mecca (modern-day Saudi-Arabia).
One religion that’s not included on this list is Sikhism. Founded in the late 15th century, it’s relatively new, especially compared to other religions like Hinduism or Judaism. Yet, despite being new, Sikhism has a large following—according to some estimates, there are over 25 million Sikhs worldwide.
What are Folk Religions?
A folk religion is defined as an ethnic or cultural practice that exists outside the theological doctrine of organized religions.
Lacking sacred texts, Folk religions are more concerned with spirituality than rituals or rites. Examples of Folk religions include Native American traditions, Chinese folk religions, and traditional African religions.
Since Folk religions are less institutionalized, they are especially challenging to measure and often excluded from surveys. With that said, an estimated 5.9% of the global population (approximately 430 million people) practice a Folk religion.
The Fastest-Growing Religions
While Islam is the newest of the big five religions, it’s currently the world’s fastest-growing one too. For context, here’s the estimated percent change among the seven religion categories, between 2015 and 2060:
| Rank | Religious Group | Est. % change in population size (2015-2060) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muslims | 70% |
| 2 | Christians | 34% |
| 3 | Hindus | 27% |
| 4 | Jews | 15% |
| 5 | Folk religions | 5% |
| 6 | Unaffiliated | 3% |
| 7 | Buddhists | -7% |
Islam’s rapid growth means it may surpass Christianity as the world’s largest religion within the next half-century. What’s causing this growth?
According to Pew Research Center, the main reason is simply demographics—on average, Muslim women have 2.9 children, which the average of all non-Muslims is 2.2.
Muslims are also concentrated in Africa and the Middle East, the two regions predicted to have the highest population increases in the next few decades.
Demographics
Mapped: A Decade of Population Growth and Decline in U.S. Counties
This map shows which counties in the U.S. have seen the most growth, and which places have seen their populations dwindle in the last 10 years.
A Decade of Population Growth and Decline in U.S. Counties
There are a number of factors that determine how much a region’s population changes.
If an area sees a high number of migrants, along with a strong birth rate and low death rate, then its population is bound to increase over time. On the flip side, if more people are leaving the area than coming in, and the region’s birth rate is low, then its population will likely decline.
Which areas in the United States are seeing the most growth, and which places are seeing their populations dwindle?
This map, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows a decade of population movement across U.S. counties, painting a detailed picture of U.S. population growth between 2010 and 2020.
Counties With The Biggest Population Growth from 2010-2020
To calculate population estimates for each county, the U.S. Census Bureau does the following calculations:
From 2010 to 2020, Maricopa County in Arizona saw the highest increase in its population estimate. Over a decade, the county gained 753,898 residents. Below are the counties that saw the biggest increases in population:
| Rank | County | Point of Reference | State | Pop. Growth (2010–2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Maricopa County | Phoenix, Scottsdale | Arizona | +753,898 |
| #2 | Harris County | Houston | Texas | +630,711 |
| #3 | Clark County | Las Vegas | Nevada | +363,323 |
| #4 | King County | Seattle | Washington | +335,884 |
| #5 | Tarrant County | Fort Worth, Arlington | Texas | +305,180 |
| #6 | Bexar County | San Antonio | Texas | +303,982 |
| #7 | Riverside County | Riverside, Palm Springs | California | +287,626 |
| #8 | Collin County | Plano | Texas | +284,967 |
| #9 | Travis County | Austin | Texas | +270,111 |
| #10 | Hillsborough County | Tampa | Florida | +264,446 |
Phoenix and surrounding areas grew faster than any other major city in the country. The region’s sunny climate and amenities are popular with retirees, but another draw is housing affordability. Families from more expensive markets—California in particular—are moving to the city in droves. This is a trend that spilled over into the pandemic era as more people moved into remote and hybrid work situations.
Texas counties saw a lot of growth as well, with five of the top 10 gainers located in the state of Texas. A big draw for Texas is its relatively affordable housing market. In 2021, average home prices in the state stood at $172,500—$53,310 below the national average.
Counties With The Biggest Population Drops from 2010-2020
On the opposite end of the spectrum, here’s a look at the top 10 counties that saw the biggest declines in their populations over the decade:
| Rank | County | Point of Reference | State | Pop. Growth (2010–2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cook County | Chicago | Illinois | -90,693 |
| #2 | Wayne County | Detroit | Michigan | -74,224 |
| #3 | Cuyahoga County | Cleveland | Ohio | -50,220 |
| #4 | Genesee County | Flint | Michigan | -20,165 |
| #5 | Suffolk County | Long Island | New York | -20,064 |
| #6 | Caddo Parish | Shreveport | Louisiana | -18,173 |
| #7 | Westmoreland County | Murrysville | Pennsylvania | -17,942 |
| #8 | Hinds County | Jackson | Mississippi | -17,751 |
| #9 | Kanawha County | Charleston | West Virginia | -16,672 |
| #10 | Cambria County | Johnstown | Pennsylvania | -14,786 |
The largest drops happened in counties along the Great Lakes, including Cook County (which includes the city of Chicago) and Wayne County (which includes the city of Detroit).
For many of these counties, particularly those in America’s “Rust Belt”, population drops over this period were a continuation of decades-long trends. Wayne County is an extreme example of this trend. From 1970 to 2020, the area lost one-third of its population.
U.S. Population Growth in Percentage Terms (2010-2020)
While the map above is great at showing where the greatest number of Americans migrated, it downplays big changes in counties with smaller populations.
For example, McKenzie County in North Dakota, with a 2020 population of just 15,242, was the fastest-growing U.S. county over the past decade. The county’s 138% increase was driven primarily by the Bakken oil boom in the area. High-growth counties in Texas also grew as new sources of energy were extracted in rural areas.
The nation’s counties are evenly divided between population increase and decline, and clear patterns emerge.
Pandemic Population Changes
More recent population changes reflect longer-term trends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the counties that saw the strongest population increases were located in high-growth states like Florida and Texas.
Below are the 20 counties that grew the most from 2020 to 2021.
| Rank | County | Point of Reference | State | Pop. Growth (2020–2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Maricopa County | Phoenix | Arizona | +58,246 |
| #2 | Collin County | Plano | Texas | +36,313 |
| #3 | Riverside County | Riverside, Palm Springs | California | +35,631 |
| #4 | Fort Bend County | Sugar Land | Texas | +29,895 |
| #5 | Williamson County | Georgetown | Texas | +27,760 |
| #6 | Denton County | Denton | Texas | +27,747 |
| #7 | Polk County | Lakeland | Florida | +24,287 |
| #8 | Montgomery County | The Woodlands | Texas | +23,948 |
| #9 | Lee County | Fort Myers | Florida | +23,297 |
| #10 | Utah County | Provo | Utah | +21,843 |
| #11 | Pinal County | San Tan Valley | Arizona | +19,974 |
| #12 | Clark County | Las Vegas | Nevada | +19,090 |
| #13 | Pasco County | New Port Richey | Florida | +18,322 |
| #14 | Wake County | Raleigh | North Carolina | +16,651 |
| #15 | St. Johns County | St. Augustine | Florida | +15,550 |
| #16 | Hillsborough County | Tampa | Florida | +14,814 |
| #17 | Bexar County | San Antonio | Texas | +14,184 |
| #18 | Ada County | Boise | Idaho | +13,947 |
| #19 | Osceola County | Kissimmee | Florida | +12,427 |
| #20 | St. Lucie County | Fort Pierce | Florida | +12,304 |
Many of these counties are located next to large cities, reflecting a shift to the suburbs and larger living spaces. However, as COVID-19 restrictions ease, and the pandemic housing boom tapers off due to rising interest rates, it remains to be seen whether the suburban shift will continue, or if people begin to migrate back to city centers.
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