These Are the Fastest Diversifying Regions in the Country

Recently released Census data found an increase of Asian and Hispanic populations in the country, and diversification is happening fastest in an unexpected area: small Midwestern towns. Less than an hour outside of Indianapolis is the 50,000-person city of Columbus where one in seven residents was born outside of the U.S. Its public school here collectively speaks more than 50 languages and dialects at home and more than 30 foreign companies run out of the city, according to The Wall Street Journal. The publication’s analysis found diversification occurring most rapidly in these Midwestern and northern Great Plains towns.

The Journal calculated a diversity index for each of the nation’s more than 3,000 counties using a standard statistical method deployed by social scientists, with a score that measures the chance two randomly selected people in an area have different races and ethnicities.

Nationwide, the diversity index rose 22% during the past decade. Bartholomew County, which includes Columbus, recorded a 67% gain and was among the fastest in the nation to diversify.

The county, which saw its share of non-Hispanic whites drop to 78% from 87% a decade ago, now has diversity levels rivaling those in suburban areas of large metropolitan areas such as Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver, the Journal’s analysis shows, though nowhere near the levels in their central districts.

Jobs in agriculture, meat processing, manufacturing and other sectors—as well as a lower cost of living than in many larger metropolitan areas—are attracting immigrants to middle America.

The political influence of these newer arrivals could grow in the coming decades as more immigrants become voting citizens. For now, these trends generally favor Democrats.

Nonwhites backed President Biden in November, with exit polls showing the Democrat winning the support of 87% of Blacks, 65% of Latinos and 61% of Asians. Former President Donald Trump improved his standing slightly with Latinos, boosting his share to 32% in 2020 from 28% in 2016.

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