Claritas Study Ranks Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Counties Nationwide; Analysis Shows California Leads Nation In Diversity Among Counties Of 100,000-Plus Population.

Business Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 2001

Note: A complete diversity database (3,139 U.S. counties)

with select maps will be accessible at the www.Census.Claritas.com

site soon.

With Census 2000 data showing a dramatic increase in the nation's racial/ethnic diversity, much of it due to the rise in the Hispanic population nationwide, demographers at Claritas Inc., the premier provider of intelligent marketing information and target marketing services, took a closer look at exactly how counties of 100,000-plus population ranked on diversity in the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

The study found, among other things, that California dominated the Census 2000 diversity score rankings with nine counties in the Top 20, two of which were in the Top 10.

Those two counties were Alameda County and Los Angeles County, coming in at two and nine respectively. Since 1990, Alameda jumped six places from number eight, and Los Angeles fell five spots from fourth. The other California counties in the Census 2000 Top 20 (and where they ranked in 1990) are:

-- White, non-Hispanic

-- Black, non-Hispanic

-- American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut, non-Hispanic

-- Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic

-- Hispanic

Shifting to the east coast, New York state was second with four counties, including the number one county, Queens, and three others in the top 10. Queens was also number one in 1990 and its diversity score increased by just over six points from 67.5 in 1990 to 73.6 over the 10-year span.

The diversity score reflects the probability that two persons selected randomly from a county's population would be of different race/ethnicity. The higher the score, the greater the race/ethnic diversity, explained Ken Hodges, director of demography at Claritas.

"Select a person from Queens and almost three out of four times, the second person selected will be of a different race/ethnic category," said Hodges.

Hodges said the diversity score was computed for 3,139 counties nationwide, adding that over 91 percent (2,873 counties) experienced an increase in diversity over the decade. The diversity score for the total U.S. population increased from 40.4 in 1990 to 47.7 in 2000.

Like Queens, Manhattan maintained its 1990 ranking at seventh with a modest increase in its diversity score from 65.6 to 67.1. Kings County (Brooklyn) slipped from number two in 1990 to number three in 2000, also with a marginal diversity score increase -- 67.5 to 69.7. Bronx County had a significant drop from the fifth spot in 1990 to 17 in 2000, but with only a slight drop in diversity score from 66.3 to 63.6.

Texas came in third with three counties, Fort Bend (5th, Houston area), Harris (8th, Houston) and Dallas (10th). Dallas County also made the largest leap in ranking, moving 18 spots from 28th place in 1990.

                Top 20 Counties by 2000 Diversity Score
            (Counties with 100,000-plus Population in 2000)

County       2000        Rank  Rank  Diversity  Diversity  Change
             Population  1990  2000  1990       2000       1990-2000

Queens,
NY           2,229,379   1     1     67.5       73.6       6.1

Alameda, CA
(Oakland)    1,443,741   8     2     64.4       70.7       6.3

Kings, NY
(Brooklyn)   2,465,326   2     3     67.5       69.7       2.2

Robeson, NC    123,339   6     4     66.2       69.0       2.8

Fort Bend, TX
(Suburban
Houston)       354,452  11     5     62.7       68.1       5.4

Hudson, NJ     608,975   9     6     64.3       67.6       3.3

New York, NY
(Manhattan)  1,537,195   7     7     65.6       67.1       1.5

Harris, TX
(Houston)    3,400,578  13     8     61.6       67.1       5.5

Los Angeles,
CA           9,519,338   4     9     66.7       67.0       0.3

Dallas, TX   2,218,899  28    10     56.9       66.5       9.6

San Francisco,
CA             776,733   3    11     67.1       66.5      -0.6

Solano, CA     394,542  22    12     57.8       66.0       8.2

Santa Clara,
CA           1,682,585  19    13     58.8       66.0       7.2

Cook, IL     5,376,741  18    14     58.8       65.3       6.5

Essex, NJ
(Newark)       793,633  12    15     62.4       65.2       2.8

San Joaquin,
CA             563,598  21    16     58.1       64.5       6.4

Bronx, NY    1,332,650   5    17     66.3       63.6      -2.7

San Mateo,
CA             707,161  24    18     57.4       63.3       5.9

San Bernardino,
CA           1,709,434  34    19     55.0       62.9       7.9

Fresno, CA     799,407  14    20     60.6       62.8       2.2

      Conversely, the 20 counties with the lowest diversity scores with
100,000-plus population in 2000 were:

            Top 20 Counties by Lowest 2000 Diversity Score
            (Counties with 100,000-plus Population in 2000)

County        2000        Rank  Rank  Diversity  Diversity  Change
              Population  1990  2000  1990       2000       1990-2000

Butler County,
PA            174083      1     1     2.63       4.46       1.83

Blair County,
PA            129144      6     2     3.00       4.71       1.72

York County,
ME            186742      9     3     3.49       4.88       1.38

Kennebec County,
ME            117114      5     4     2.79       4.90       2.10

Jefferson County,
MO            198099     13     5     3.77       5.36       1.59

Washington County,
WI            117493      4     6     2.73       5.46       2.73

Tazewell County,
IL            128485      2     7     2.63       5.76       3.13

Medina County,
OH            151095     15     8     3.87       5.76       1.89

Androscoggin County,
ME            103793     12     9     3.77       5.82       2.05

Clermont County,
OH            177977     10    10     3.50       5.83       2.33

Oswego County,
NY            122377     18    11     4.22       5.97       1.75

Merrimack County,
NH            136225      7    12     3.26       5.98       2.71

Livingston County,
MI            156951     23    13     4.76       6.18       1.43

Penobscot County,
ME            144919     20    14     4.56       6.32       1.76

Westmoreland County,
PA            369993     28    15     5.31       6.67       1.36

Rockingham County,
NH            277359     33    16     5.79       6.71        .92

Johnson County,
IN            115209     24    17     4.76       6.78       2.02

Hendricks County,
IN            104093     14    18     3.78       6.85       3.07

Wayne County,
OH            111564     26    19     5.09       6.88       1.79

Sullivan County,
TN            153048     29    20     5.34       6.92       1.58

Hodges noted that comparisons of 1990 and 2000 census race (and diversity) are complicated by differences between 1990 and 2000 census race definitions. "The 2000 census was the first to permit respondents to mark more than one race, thus expanding a simple set of five race categories to a list of 63 -- including the combinations of two or more races. Claritas bridged or estimated the 2000 census race data back to 1990 definitions to enable comparisons between the two censuses," he said.

The race/ethnic categories examined were:

-- White, non-Hispanic

-- Black, non-Hispanic

-- American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut, non-Hispanic

-- Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic

-- Hispanic

Claritas also ranked the Top 20 large counties by increase and decrease in diversity score. Of large counties that increased, two in the Atlanta area came in first and second, Gwinnett and Cobb, and, overall, Georgia had the most with four, all in the top 10. The other two are Hall County at number four and Clayton County at number 10. Gwinnett County had an increase of 30.9 points from 1990 to 2000, going from 19.6 to 50.5. Cobb County nearly doubled over the 10-year span from 24.7 to 47.2, a jump of 22.5 points.

Elsewhere, Florida placed three in the top 20, Osceola, (3rd), Broward (7th) and Orange (14th). Arkansas, New Jersey, Oregon and Virginia all had two each.

In the list of Top 20 counties that decreased in diversity score, Texas was far and away the leader with six counties, including the number one and three counties, El Paso and Hidalgo. Three states, California, Florida and Maryland, had two each. (NOTE: When active, both listings will be accessible via designated links at Census.Claritas.com).

Hodges explained that, while decreasing diversity runs counter to the trend, it does not mean that an area is increasingly White, or has declining Black, Asian, American Indian or Hispanic populations.

For example, the diversity score in El Paso County dropped because its Hispanic population increased from 69.6 percent to 78.2 percent, while White, non-Hispanic, dropped from 25.7 percent in 1990 to 17.4 percent in 2000.

Similarly, in Prince George's County, MD, which experienced a drop in diversity score, Black, non-Hispanic, population increased from 50.2 percent to 63.1 percent, while White, non-Hispanic, dropped markedly from 41.6 percent to 25 percent.

"In short, large counties where the diversity score decreased tended to be those with a large Hispanic, Asian or Black population in 1990 that became even more predominant by 2000," said Hodges.

About Claritas

Based in San Diego, Claritas Inc. is regarded as the premier worldwide provider of precision marketing solutions, developed, in part, through intricate customer segmentation systems and other such marketing tools. Claritas is a division of VNU Marketing Information Inc. (VNU MI Inc.), an established leader in providing a wide variety of industries with innovative precision-marketing solutions including geodemographic information and qualitative audience research. VNU MI Inc. is a subsidiary of VNU Inc., which also includes Nielsen Media Research, Bill Communications, BPI Communications, SRDS, VNU eMedia, and VNU Expositions.