Among the most significant aspects of Illinois population data released from the 2010 decennial census is the growing number of Latino residents in northeastern Illinois, the primary contributor to our region’s population growth over the past ten years.  The Chicago metropolitan area itself grew from 8.2 million to 8.4 million residents between April 1, 2000 and April 1, 2010, an increase of 3.6 percent. The City of Chicago, however, saw a 6.9 percent decline in its population. So how does metropolitan Chicago compare to national shifts in population?

On March 25, William H. Frey of the Brookings Institution released an analysis, “A Pivotal Decade for America’s White and Minority Populations.” The past decade marked a large shift, as the country began to transition “from a largely white/black nation experiencing robust population growth, to one that juxtaposes an aging white population, growing new minority populations, and a sharply altered geography for blacks.”  According to the Brookings Institution, Hispanics accounted for well over half of the country’s population growth, and Hispanics, Asians, and (to a lesser degree) multiracial children accounted for “all of the net growth” of the under-18 population.  Chicago, which saw a decline in its African American population, is not alone -- 19 of the 30 biggest cities with the largest black concentrations saw declines amongst their black populations.

Brookings also posted a video interview with Mr. Frey on its website.