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Nevada population 2.3 million, 23 percent Hispanic
AP— Nevada’s population has topped 2.3 million and is becoming more diverse, according to U.S. Census estimates made public Thursday. The census found minorities made up 39 percent of the state’s population, with about 23 percent of people identifying themselves as Hispanic. A year ago, the Census Bureau put Hispanics at 22 percent of Nevada’s overall population of 2.2 million.
The trend is transforming Nevada into a ``majority-minority’’ state like Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Texas, in which more than 50 percent of the population is made up of nonwhites and Hispanics. The bureau defines minorities as all people except non-Hispanic, single-race whites.
Clark County, including Las Vegas, had more than 1.6 million people, or 71 percent of the state’s population as of July 2004, according to the census projections. Minorities made up about 44 percent of the county population.
Hispanics for the first time topped 25 percent of Clark County residents, according to the data. Blacks accounted for about 10 percent of the county population and Asians 6 percent.
Jeff Hardcastle, Nevada state demographer, projected that the state will have 3.4 million residents by 2020, with almost 2.6 million living in Clark County. About 32 percent would be Hispanic.
Combined with blacks, Asians and American Indians, the total could nudge above 50 percent within 15 years in the Las Vegas area. It could take several more years to reach the same mark statewide, Hardcastle said.
``It’s driven by job growth in the construction trades and the service sectors and higher birth rates among Hispanic families,’’ he said. ``What you’ve got are people moving here who are in the age range with families.’’
Both the state’s metropolitan counties _ Clark and Washoe _ have become more diverse, Hardcastle said. He said Washoe County, including Reno, is about 20 percent Hispanic.
Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders moved to the Las Vegas area in higher numbers from 2003 to 2004 than to any other county in the nation, the census said.
Clark County gained 1,098 in that group, with 17,527 people, or about 1 percent, identifying themselves as full or partly Hawaiian or Pacific islander.
Ahorre August 24, 2005 12:30 PM