The latest projection series indicates that the Hispanic population will be even with the number of non-Hispanic Whites by mid-2013. Early in 2014, the Hispanic population will become the plurality in California for the first time since California became a state.
This population gain – nearly 15.4 million between 2010 and 2060 – would represent enough new residents to currently rank as the fifth largest state in the Union.
Other State highlights of the latest projection series include:
- By 2060, both the Black and the White populations will have increased in size, but decreased in proportion to the total population. Hispanics will comprise nearly half (48 percent) of all Californians. Asians will also grow significantly in population, but only marginally relative to the total population (just over 13 percent). Asians are currently just under 13 percent. The non-Hispanic White population will decline to 30 percent from the current 39 percent and the Black population from 6 percent to 4 percent.
- For the population as a whole, the median age will increase from 35.2 to 41.9 years old. Whites have the highest median age in 2010 (44.5) while Asians have the highest in 2060 (47.0). Hispanics’ median age (27.2 in 2010 and 39.0 in 2060) is consistently lower than all other race groups.
- In 2030, there will be 9.6 million Hispanics in the prime working ages of 25 to 64; Whites will have 7.2 million and Asians 3.1 million. By 2060, Hispanics will be the largest group in the working ages by a considerable margin: 12.1 million Hispanics to 7.4 million Whites and 3.2 million Asians.
- An important conclusion shown from this projection series is how the age of each of the race groups will change over time. There were nearly 10 million baby-boomers in 1990, the majority being White. The White baby-boomer population is now aging into retirement and all will likely retire in the next two decades. As this happens, a lower percentage of the working-age population will be White and a larger percentage will be Hispanic and Asian. There will be 7.2 million Hispanics under 25 years of age compared to 2.2 million who will be 65 and older.
- By the end of the projection period in 2060, there will be more Hispanics over age 65 (5.1 million) than Whites over 65 years (4.1 million).
- California will remain one of the younger states in the Union for the next twenty years. Due to California’s diversity and because of its role as the primary gateway state for immigration, California will not age as rapidly in the coming twenty years as many other states.
Source: California Department of Finance, New Population Projections: California To Surpass 50 Million In 2049, January 31, 2011.