Hispanic Population Growth Slows
The growth of Hispanic population in rural areas slowed in both rural and urban areas since 2010 and the Great Recession, say researchers from USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Areas of intense dairy production—California, the Midwest and Northeast--did not see large increases since 2010. That may be one reason dairy farmers are reporting labor shortages and difficulty recruiting new workers.
In rural areas, Hispanic growth rates remain above 2% per year and are higher than non-Hispanic rates. But the Hispanic growth is less than half that of the growth rates seen in 1990s and early 2000s, which say large increases due to immigration from Mexico.
The most recent increases came in the oil-boom areas of North and South Dakota and Montana. Farming areas, such as the Southwest and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, saw the greatest declines.