The American Indian and Alaska Native population grew by leaps and bounds in the last decade, the Census Bureau said in a report today. The 2010 Census counted 2.9 million people with American Indian and Alaska Native heritage. When people of multiple races and are included, the Native American population grows to 5.2 million. That represented a 26.7 percent increase in the Native American population from the 2000 Census. In comparison, the U.S. population grew by 9.7 percent. When people of multiple races are included, every state, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, saw double-digit increases in their Native American populations, Some of the biggest gains were reported in Alaska (57.8 percent), Arizona (55.0 percent), Delaware (71.3 percent) and Georgia (64.9 percent). The largest growth rate was seen in North Carolina. According to the 2010 Census, the Native American and mixed-race Native American population grew 92.5 percent in the last decade. Going by people who claim American Indian and Alaska Native heritage alone, the growth rates were much more modest. One state, Vermont, saw an 8.8 percent decline in the number of people who claim American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
By pure numbers, California is home to 723,225 Native and mixed-race Native Americans, the largest of any state. Going by people who claim American Indian and Alaska Native heritage alone, California remained on top, with a population of 362,801.
Oklahoma came in second. According to the 2010 Census, the state is home to 482,760 Native and mixed-race Native Americans, or 321,687 singe-race Native Americans. Arizona followed, with a Native and mixed-race Native population of 353,386. By Native race alone, the population was 296,529. Texas was fourth, with a combined Native and mixed-race Native population of 315,264. Going by Native race alone, the population was 170,972, Get the Story:Press Release: 2010 Census Shows Nearly Half of American Indians and Alaska Natives Report Multiple Races (Census Bureau 1/25) Census Bureau Report:
The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010 (January 2010)
Join the Conversation
