City grayer, more Hispanic

August 15, 2006

BY ART GOLAB Staff Reporter





Chicago is getting smarter, older and more Hispanic.

According to data being released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Hispanics living in Chicago climbed to 28.8 percent of the population, up nearly three percentage points from the beginning of the decade. The black population declined by 1.8 percentage points, to 34.9 percent of Chicago's population. The white population declined by 1 percent, to 30.3 percent.

The census also spotted a few more gray hairs, with the median age in the city growing by 1.6 years to 33.1, meaning that half the population is older than 33.1.








CENSUS DATA: A TALE OF TWO CITIES
CHICAGO
2005 Pct. of total pop. 2000 Pct. of total pop. Pct. change
White non-Hispanic 30.3 31.3 -1.0
Black 34.9 36.8 -1.8
Hispanic 28.8 26.0 2.8
Asian 4.8 4.3 0.4
Median age 33.1 31.5 1.6
AURORA
2005 Pct. of total pop. 2000 Pct. of total pop. Pct. change
White non-Hispanic 43.1 52.1 -9.0
Black 10.2 11.1 -0.8
Hispanic 39.7 32.6 7.2
Asian 6.4 3.1 3.4
Median age 29.5 29.3 0.2




Education levels also are increasing in Chicago, as they are across the nation, figures show.

The numbers come from an annual sample of about 3 million households. While this survey will replace the detailed long form on the census, it is a sample, and has a small margin of error.

In Aurora, the state's second-largest city, Hispanics grew by 7.2 percentage points to make up nearly 40 percent of the total population. In Naperville, the fourth-largest city, Asians made the largest gain, going from 10 to 13 percent of the population.

The Hispanic population growth, which is occurring nationwide, is primarily because the Hispanic population is young and having more children, said Kenneth Johnson, a Loyola University sociologist and demographer. "They also have relatively fewer deaths because the population is so young," Johnson said.

Chicago's white and black population loss is due to the fact they are moving out of the city in greater numbers. Both groups also have lower birth rates and higher death rates than Hispanics.

agolab@suntimes.com