Jago Times "English Edition" Best Online Newspaper
The less diverse populations east of Dallas-Fort Worth’s metropolitan area in Kaufman and Rockwall counties have exploded over the past decade, while in Dallas, Latinos now eclipse the population of non-Hispanic whites, according to U.S. census data released Thursday.
Statewide, Latinos now comprise 39% of the population, almost matching the percentage of non-Hispanic whites. And Latinos, Blacks, Asians, Native Americans and “multi-racial individuals” accounted for nearly 70% of the Texas population growth since 2010.
The rapid growth of communities of color is giving Texas “more political power in D.C,” said Joaquin Gonzalez, staff attorney with Texas Civil Rights Project, in a statement.
The highly anticipated census numbers are important because they offer the first hints of how shifting demographics will affect a legislative fight later this year as Texas undergoes redistricting and gains two congressional seats.
“When the new districts are drawn this year, we must ensure that these growing populations finally get fair representation,” Gonzalez said.
The state’s official population stands at 29,145,505, up 15.9% since the last census.
Kaufman County led the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with a 40% population increase, followed by Rockwall with a 38% gain. Both counties have a white population that exceeds 60% of the total.
As expected, Dallas and Tarrant counties saw some of the slowest rates of growth in the metropolitan region, with 10% and 17% increases respectively, according to the census numbers.
However, the more than 1 million Latino or Hispanic residents in Dallas County in 2020 accounted for 40% of the total population compared with 35% for whites.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/QMYAG66WEXQSDKHQRULIBYHNOY.jpg)
A decade ago, whites comprised 53% of Dallas County’s population.
That mirrors major demographic changes involving people of color occurring statewide and nationwide.
The non-Hispanic white population in the U.S. got smaller for the first time, shrinking from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million in 2020.
During the same period, the nation’s Hispanic population grew by almost a quarter.
Hispanics comprised 18.7% of the U.S. population in 2020, up from 16.3% a decade earlier. In addition to Texas, states such as Florida, New York, Illinois and California also saw Hispanic growth.
Some demographers, however, cautioned that the white population was not shrinking as much as shifting to multiracial identities.
The number of people who identified as belonging to two or more races more than tripled from 9 million people in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020. They now account for 10% of the U.S. population.
In Tarrant County, whites dipped below 50% of the population for the first time. Latinos in that county represent almost 30% of total residents, according to the census numbers.
Moving to the burbs
Lloyd B. Potter, a state demographer at the University of Texas at San Antonio and director of the Texas Demographic Center, said the steady flow of people from the Dallas area to the outer suburbs appears to be continuing based on the new census numbers.
But Potter said he wouldn’t necessarily call it “white flight.” People aren’t moving out of Dallas because it’s a “bad place,” he said, but rather because they are attracted to amenities in the suburbs.
As young professionals grow older and contemplate starting a family, they will typically look to move from dense, urban areas to nearby suburbs where housing is more affordable and spacious, he said.
“They start thinking about school districts and maybe they want a yard and things like that.” Potter said. “That makes suburban ring areas look more appealing.”
The steady growth in places like Collin County has also been fueled by the explosion of jobs as major corporations continue to relocate to that area, Potter said.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/UNHEBAWCYFCBDGGOJA3E6VHGKI.jpg)
While Dallas’ growth has slowed compared with the last census, international migration to the area has continued, making the county one of the nation’s most populous — and diverse, he said.
Those demographic changes in Dallas are being driven by an increase in immigration from places like Mexico, Central America and Asia, he said. And those new arrivals tend to be younger, he added.
“They’re coming to be close to family members,” Potter said.
Harris County has seen a similar trend, he said.
Among the immediate DFW suburbs, Collin County became the first to exceed 1 million residents, having grown by 36% over the past decade. Whites in that county cling to a slight majority at 54% of the total population.
Dallas County led the region in population with 2.6 million people.
Texas was one of 13 states that saw double-digit growth in the past decade. Utah led the country with 18.4% growth. Texas ranked third, behind Idaho.
The 2020 census reflects a decades-long shift in population toward the South and West, due to a combination of immigration, domestic migration, and birth and death rates.
Political fight awaits
Claudia Yoli Ferla, executive director of the MOVE Texas Action Fund, said in a statement that the census data confirms that “young people of color” are driving Texas’ population growth. And she called for fairness and transparency in the Legislature’s upcoming redistricting process.
“Young Texans deserve to know the maps dictating the next decade of our politics are faithfully drawn to protect our communities, not to serve the electoral interests of a few politicians,” Ferla said. “Much like efforts to restrict access to the ballot, these undemocratic efforts are nothing more than cynical attempts at holding on to power. Texans deserve better.”
Congress has never gotten a Latino representative from the Dallas area. Given the Latino population’s gains in Texas, Democrats will hope to change that.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/6VDELLSZDVHXHEWDSMBQ6FAGQA.jpg)
Matt Angle, a Democratic Party strategist and founder of the research group called the Lone Star Project, said in a statement that his group will work with its allies to block Texas Republicans from trying to hold on to power by “suppressing minority voters” and denying them basic voting rights.
Angle said state GOP leaders, ignoring the fact that minorities are driving Texas’ population growth, are expected to attempt to redraw district lines to favor white Republicans.
“Since Texas is gaining two more seats ONLY due to minority growth, both should allow minority voters to elect their candidate of choice,” he said.
Republicans, who control legislatures in Texas and across the South, are expected to control the redrawing of district boundaries for elections to be held over the next decade. Political operatives will begin using census data and sophisticated computer mapping software to carefully carve up neighborhoods to achieve the desired effect.
It could be enough to tilt the balance of power in favor of the GOP in Congress during the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans need just five more seats to take control of the U.S. House next year.
Texas Democrats like Rep. Lloyd Doggett, whose district snakes from North Austin to San Antonio, have welcomed the two additional seats in Congress but also warned Republicans not to engage again in “extreme gerrymandering.”
Local GOP officials could not be reached for comment.
But Republican pollster David Winston said the party in control can divide areas of strength for the opposition in the redistricting battle. ”When you’re talking about redistricting, it’s different than looking at a state as a whole,” said Winston, a longtime adviser to U.S. House Republican leadership.