Greenfield's Demographic Changes Since A Decade Ago

GREENFIELD, WI — The last 10 years have marked a dramatic shift in the demographic makeup of the United States, with a marked shrinkage of the white population and the rapid growth of the Hispanic community.

Greenfield reflected a similar trend. Over the past 10 years, the population of white non-Hispanic people in Greenfield has fallen by 11 percent. Greenfield has overall gotten more diverse, census data shows.

The city's demographic changes are reflected in many parts of Wisconsin and the state overall.

Related: 2020 Census: How Wisconsin Has Changed Over A Decade

In Greenfield, the Hispanic population increased by about 2000, or 68 percent: 3087 people in 2010 grew to 5201. The Black community grew by about 600 people, or by 80 percent: 857 people grew to 1470.

Greenfield's Asian community also grew over the past decade. The census measured a growth of 58 percent. In 2010, about 1,425 people identified as Asian. A decade later, that number is up to 2242.

The changes in racial makeup did not account for much growth across Greenfield. The city's population only grew by fractions of a percent. Overall, white non-Hispanic people make up 72 percent of Greenfield.

The new demographic makeup is the same as much of the country. With that comes a key fact: The white population is declining for the first time in U.S. history.

The Hispanic boom accounted for almost half of the overall U.S. population growth, which was the slowest since the Great Depression. By comparison, the non-Hispanic growth rate over the decade was 4.3 percent. The Hispanic share of the U.S. population grew to 18.7 percent of the U.S. population, up from 16.3 percent in 2010.

The share of the white population fell from 63.7 percent in 2010 to 57.8 percent in 2020, the lowest on record, driven by falling birthrates among white women compared with Hispanic and Asian women. The number of non-Hispanic white people shrank from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million.

Related Census Coverage

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U.S. Is Diversifying, White Population Shrinking: Census Data

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Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.