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INLAND EMPIRE OUTLOOK | 10
2010 Census Shows Large Increase for Inland Empire
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he twenty-third decennial United States Census, conducted in 2010 and released this past spring, provided up-to-date demographic data for the nation in categories including population, race, age, and sex. This data is used to determine the number of seats each state has in the United States House of Representatives and drives the allocation of much federal funding. Census numbers revealed disappointingly low population growth for the state of California over the course of the past decade. With a population increase of 10.0 percent (4.5 million residents) since 2000, California barely managed to beat the national average of 9.7 percent. This marks the first time California did not gain a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The growth that occurred reflects a shift strongly inland from the coast, threatening to pull political power away from the traditional strongholds of San Francisco and Los Angeles. California’s slow growth stands in sharp contrast to the Inland Empire’s robust expansion. Made up of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the Inland Empire has seen considerable growth over the past decade. According to the 2010 Census, Riverside County’s population grew by an impressive 42 percent while San Bernardino County grew by nearly 20 percent. This growth brought the Empire’s total population to 4.2 million, a 30 percent increase over 2000. Even with Riverside County’s explosive gain of 42 percent, it failed to place near the top of the nation’s rankings for the fastest growing regions. The nation’s fastest growing counties were strongly concentrated in the southern United States and frequently reported population increases higher than 50 percent. Kendall County, Illinois, was the fastest growing