INLAND EMPIRE - (INT) – New population estimates paint a picture of growing diversity locally and across much of the nation.

Riverside County emerged as the sixth-fastest growing in the nation for the 12-month period ending last July. The county gained 34,849, mostly attributed to the birth rate, for a total of nearly 2.4 million residents.

Four Texas counties were among the top 10 in numerical gains.

The annual compilation issued by the U.S. Census Bureau showed other demographic shifts.

The nation’s population has a distinctly older age profile than it did 16 years ago. The median age is now nearly 38. Baby Boomers are leading the way.

Nationally, all race and ethnic groups grew with the Asian population gaining the fastest. California had the largest Asian population of any state (6.6 million) with Los Angeles County among the leaders. Texas had the largest numeric increase in the Hispanic population.

In another finding, deaths are exceeding births for the non-Hispanic whites. While all other groups experienced natural increase (having more births than deaths) between 2015 and 2016, the non-Hispanic white alone group had a natural decrease of 163,300 nationally.

Story Date: June 23, 2017