Diversity in Northwest Arkansas has increased significantly in the past 10 years according to a new study from the Northwest Arkansas Council. The report, entitled “Engage the Future: A Look at the Growing Diversity in Northwest Arkansas,” examines the region’s population growth over the course of the last decade, finding that racial and ethnic diversity has jumped in recent years.
According to the report, the diverse population in Northwest Arkansas accounted for approximately 24 percent of the total NWA population in 2010. In 2019, diverse peoples accounted for nearly 28 percent of the population, and current estimates are for diverse populations to increase to 31 percent by 2024.
The biggest segment of growth in Northwest Arkansas has been the Hispanic/Latinix population, which accounts for 17 percent of the NWA population. The report’s estimate is that this population segment will grow to 18 percent by 2024.
“The growth of diverse communities in Northwest Arkansas is great news for the region,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said in a statement. “People of diverse backgrounds enrich communities with unique experiences and perspectives – and strengthen the talent pool of workforce available to our companies.”
Overall, the population in Northwest Arkansas has skyrocketed in recent decades. In 1990, the total regional population was 239,464 with 95.4 percent of that total being white. The only two diverse populations that measured above 1 percent were the Hispanic population with 1.3 percent of the population and the Native American population at 1.5 percent. The Asian population was 0.6 percent, the black/African American population was 0.8 percent, Pacific Islander was 0.03 percent, and other was 0.4 percent.
By 2010, the total population had increased to 463,204, an increase of 223,740 from 1990. During that period, the diversity percentage had increase with white individuals accounting for 76.3 percent, a decrease of 19.1 percent from 1990. The Hispanic/Latinix had grown to 14.9 percent, the Asian population grew to 2.4 percent, and the Black/African American population grew to 1.9 percent.
The population continued to grow during the 2010s, reaching 558,075 in 2019. This represents a 20 percent increase from the 2010 total. The white percentage of the population decreased to 72 percent with the Hispanic population increasing to 16.7 percent, the Asian population increasing to 3.3 percent, and the Black/African American population increasing to 2.4 percent.
In its report, the Northwest Arkansas Council has estimated that the population will increase to 614,520 by 2024. The group estimates that the white population will account for 69.1 percent, the Hispanic population will be 18.3 percent, the Asian population will be 4 percent, and the Black/African American population will be 2.6 percent.
Springdale is currently the most diverse city in the NWA region, with diverse peoples making up 51.6 percent of its total population. The city has a 38 percent Hispanic/Latinix population and a 7 percent Pacific Islander population. Rogers is the second-most diverse city, having a 42 percent diverse population.
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