State Overview -- Racial Minorities Account for 30 percent of Missouri Population Change 2000-2004
Missouri Population Growth 2000-2003
The U.S. Bureau of the Census produces estimates of the population each year for the states, counties and places in the nation. The population estimates reported for Missouri in 2004 showed that our population increased from 5.597 million in 2000 to 5.755 million in 2004 – an increase of 157,935. That is a growth of 2.8 percent in total population for those four years. If that rate of Missouri population growth continues at the same pace throughout the remainder of the 2000-2010 decade, growth for the decade will be approximately 7.0 percent. While that is a greater rate of growth than the 4.1 percent increase that occurred in Missouri during the 1980s, it is a somewhat less impressive growth rate than the 9.3 percent increase Missouri attained during the 1990s.
These annual estimates of population are valuable because they provide an indication of the type, magnitude and location of population change occurring. Not only do estimates provide population change for all states, counties and places, but the data also provide information about the age, sex, race, locality and other important characteristics of the population.
Rate of Racial Minority Population Growth 2000-2004
Table 1 shows the amount of 2000-2004 population change reported for each of five racial categories. The White population had the greatest numerical growth (110,915) which accounted for 70 percent of the total state population growth of 157,935 from 2000-2004. However, during those four years the African American, American Indian, Asian and Pacific Islander and Multiracial populations increased by a combined total of 47,065 which accounted for the other 30 percent of total growth. As a result of that increase, racial minorities increased from 14.1 percent of Missouri population in 2000 to 14.6 percent in 2004.
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African Americans were the numerically largest racial minority population in both 2000 and 2004. The Missouri African American population of 634,766 in 2000 increased to 661,233 in 2004. The African American population increase of more than 26,000 was a 4.2 percent increase – a significantly larger rate of increase than the 2.3 percent growth of the white population. African Americans accounted for 11.5 percent of Missouri total population in 2004.
The Asian and Pacific Islander population had the greatest percentage growth rate from 2000 to 2004 – an increase from 66,360 in 2000 to 78,396 in 2004 – an 18.1 percent increase during those four years. Asian and Pacific Islanders accounted for 1.4 percent of Missouri population in 2004 – up from 1.2 percent in 2000.
The population claiming a heritage of two or more races was nearly the same size as the Asian-Pacific Islander population in 2000, but had a lesser rate of population growth (12.1 percent) from 2000 to 2004.
Of the five races of Missouri population reported in Table 1, American Indians had the least population in both 2000 and 2004. The American Indian population also had the least growth, increasing by only 2.7 percent from 2000-2004.
The Geographic Distribution of Missouri Races
According to the 2004 population estimates, members of each of the five races reported in Table 1 are found in virtually all Missouri counties. However, for each of the racial minorities there are some counties having a much greater concentration of each minority race than others.
African Americans
Although there are some African Americans estimated to be located in every county, a majority of African Americans are concentrated in a relatively small number of counties – mostly urban. In 2004 more than 82 percent of all Missouri African Americans resided in St. Louis County (209,998), St. Louis City (179,089), Jackson County (154,021), However, between 2000 and 2004 the African American population increased by less than 1 percent in Jackson County and declined by about 2 percent in St. Louis City.
The largest numerical (and percentage) increases in African American population between 2000 and 2004 occurred in some suburban counties such as St. Louis with an 8.1 percent increase (from 194,289 to 209,998), St. Charles with an increase of 37.2 percent (from 7,753 to 10,639) and Clay with an increase of 42.8 percent (from 5,022 to 7,169).
Some other smaller cities had important concentrations of African Americans, such as Columbia, where African American population increased from 11,713 to 12,216 from 2000 to 2004, Cole County (Jefferson City) where African American population increased from 7,165 to 7,301, Greene County (Springfield) where the African American population increased from 5,554 to 6,064 and Cape Girardeau where African American population increased from 3,654 to 4,107. Although those places increased in African American population, the increases were relatively small.
There are a number of other more rural counties where African American population is significant, but where there have either been losses in African American population in recent years or relatively small gains. These areas can generally be divided into two regions: the Bootheel in Southeast Missouri including about seven counties and a similar number of counties in Central Missouri especially along the Missouri River. In each of the Bootheel Region counties 10 percent or more of county population is African American and all but two of the seven counties had a decline in African American population from 2000-2004.
Central Missouri counties, each having a trade center town or small city and an African American population of from 5 to 10 percent of total county population, include Randolph (Moberly), Audrain (Mexico), Callaway (Fulton), Saline (Marshall), Cooper (Boonville) and Pettis (Sedalia). From 2000-2004 Callaway, Randolph and Saline each had small declines in African American population while Audrain, Cooper and Pettis had modest increases. The African American population in Central Missouri has been relatively stable in recent years.
Asian and Pacific Islanders
Although virtually all Missouri counties had at least some Asian and Pacific Islander population in 2004, a majority of Asians are concentrated in urban places. In 2004 more than 67 percent of Asians were located in St. Louis County (28,084), Jackson County (9,121), St. Louis City (6,946), St. Charles County (4,188) and Boone County/Columbia (4,502). It is also significant that there are 13 counties in which more than 300 Asians are residing. Most of those counties are either suburban or the location of concentration of health care or educational institutions. Typical are places such as Springfield, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Rolla, Cape Girardeau, and Warrensburg.
American Indians
As with other minorities, virtually all Missouri counties have some American Indian population. There are concentrations of American Indian population scattered throughout the state, especially in more urban communities. In 2004 the largest population of American Indians was found in Jackson County with 3,309, followed by St. Louis County with 1,797, Greene County with 1,720 and Clay County with 1,074. Together, those four counties are home to 30 percent of American Indians. However, there is a particularly significant concentration of American Indians in the Joplin area of southwest Missouri. Within the Joplin Metro Area , Jasper County has 1,411 American Indians and Newton County has 1,135 a total of 2,546 – nearly 10 percent of the state total. Other counties in that region also have important concentrations of American Indians such as McDonald with 605, Barry with 318, Lawrence with 324 and Taney with 356. Adding those to the number in Springfield and Joplin shows that nearly one-fourth of Missouri American Indians are located in the southwest corner of the state.
Multiracial Population
Like other racial minorities the 2004 Missouri population estimates report Multiracial persons residing in all counties of the state. As with other racial minorities, Multiracial persons are significantly concentrated in the major urban areas. In 2004 the greatest concentration of Multiracial population was found in Jackson County (12,067) followed by St. Louis County with 11,910. Together those two counties accounted for 32.9 percent of the states total Multiracial population. Other important concentrations in order are St. Louis City (4,814), Greene County 3,960, St. Charles County 3,819, Clay county 3,228 and Boone County (2,628). Adding these to St. Louis and Jackson County shows that more than 62 percent of Missouri Multiracial persons are living in one of those counties. An important contributor to this population is that Hispanic persons frequently report themselves as being Multiracial.
This file last modified Friday May 08, 2009, 14:32:28
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