Although racial minorities in North Dakota continue to represent a relatively small proportion of the state’s total population (one in 10), the racial minority population grew by 37 percent during the past decade.

This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, presents the 2010 census population counts by race and ethnicity.

In the 2010 census, one-tenth of North Dakota’s population reported their race as something other than white alone. This racial minority population increased from 49,019 to 67,142 from 2000 to 2010.

The white population also grew during the decade, from 593,181 to 605,449. However, the growth was relatively slow at 2 percent.

The number of North Dakotans reporting to be American Indian, the state’s largest racial minority at 5 percent of the total population, increased by 5,262 from 2000 to 2010 (17 percent growth).

During the same time, the black population increased by 4,044 (103 percent), and those reporting they are Asian increased by 3,393 (89 percent).

Those of Hispanic origin (ethnic category reported separately from race) were 2 percent of North Dakota’s total population in 2010 and grew by 5,681 (73 percent) from 2000 to 2010. In North Dakota, approximately half of the Hispanic population identified themselves as white in 2010.

“This can be confusing when talking about minority status because the Hispanic population is reported separately from race,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. “If people reporting both white alone and of Hispanic origin are included into the racial minority category, this racial and ethnic minority category in North Dakota grew by 41 percent during the past decade, from 53,051 in 2000 to 74,584 in 2010.

Nationally, the racial and ethnic minority population (people who reported their ethnicity and race as something other than non-Hispanic, white alone) grew by 29 percent from 2000 to 2010.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - May 2, 2011