Nonwhites now a majority in Sacramento region. Asian, Latino populations skyrocketed

The Sacramento region is less white and more suburban.

That’s the take-away from Thursday’s release of 2020 census figures, which also show the four-county Sacramento region grew by 11.6% from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the statewide rate of 6.1%. The jump accounts for nearly 250,000 more people over the decade.

The Sacramento region is also now majority nonwhite for the first time, a watershed moment that is happening more and more across the U.S.

People who identify as Asian and Latino accounted for the largest numbers of new residents — about 100,000 people in each group added in the Sacramento area. Meanwhile, there were about 40,000 fewer people who identified as white and about 8,900 more Black people.

“I think it’s pretty significant because the forecast a couple of years ago was that the nation would tip towards being majority non-white sometime in 2050, so that means Sacramento is 30 years ahead of the national projection,” said Noli Brazil, a UC Davis professor and demographer.

“That signifies that the region is ahead of the curve when it comes to reaching that milestone.”

The four-county Sacramento region — including Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties — joins other diverse metro areas, including Los Angeles, Miami and Houston where minority groups are now in the majority.

Placer County continued its streak as one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. It’s population rose by 56,307, or 16.2%, from 2010 to 2020. Sacramento County, by comparison, grew by 166,267, or 11.7%.

El Dorado County added 10,127 more residents, or 5.6%. And Yolo County grew by 15,554, or 7.7%.

Boosters of the regional economy said it’s a sign their efforts to create more jobs and housing are paying off. The suburban communities of Carmichael, Rocklin, Roseville, Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills each grew by 20% or more.

“You look at all these communities and they all have really good schools or reputations for improving schools, and they’re also places that have continued to build housing stock,” said Barry Broome, CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.

“The region is working better together economically so there’s jobs for people. When people know there’s jobs here, they’ll then pick where they want to live and they’ll pick the best balance between quality of life, housing and education.”

There was at least one outlier: Among places with more than 10,000 people, the fastest growing area in the region was the Vineyard community north of Elk Grove. It added 19,099 people, for a growth rate of 76.9%.

Suburban counties are a big draw, census shows

The city of Sacramento, which takes in the core of the region, grew by 12.5% which is a little more than twice the pace of growth statewide. Yet the pull of the suburbs continues to dominate the regional story, confounding previously held ideas about what future residents want.

The population in the city of Roseville, for example, increased by 24.4%, data show. It’s the third-largest city but household incomes are higher than the region. It’s home to several hospitals and a luxury shopping mall and is divided by busy Interstate 80.

“I think a lot of people as they travel back and forth on (Interstate) 80, they discover Roseville for one reason or another,” said Wendy Gerig, CEO of the Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Just as people become ready to grow up and raise a family, they want to pick an area that’s suitable for them so Roseville just comes top of mind.”

Gerig said the city has also been smart about how it’s growing, adapting its future plans to the demands of its growing population.

“For a while it was ‘build these mini-mansions and big yards’ and then things changed,” Gerig said. They started building fewer larger homes and more compact (lots) and more multi-family housing to give consumers more choices as opposed to a single-family home, she said.

“You might see them going back to that bigger house now that people are working remotely and they’re going to need an office inside their home so that may revert again.”

This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 2:28 PM with the headline "Nonwhites now a majority in Sacramento region. Asian, Latino populations skyrocketed."