Hispanic people now account for slightly more than half of Dodge City's population, leaving non-Hispanic whites in the minority, according to new Census figures.
The Hispanic segment of Dodge City's population has risen to 53.6 percent since 2000, while non-Hispanic whites dropped to about 41 percent, the figures show. Blacks now account for 1.5 percent of the population, and Asians make up another 2.2 percent.
Dodge City Commissioner Jim Sherer said Sunday he had not seen the figures, but he was not surprised by them.
"I just think that this has been happening over the last 20, 25 years," he said. "To me, it's a very positive thing that we all need to know about, first of all, and understand."
Sherer said that he viewed the increase in Dodge City's Hispanic population as a positive trend, saying it would bring more opportunities for cultural exchanges. He also said that the trend indicated that the community's economic health was strong.
The city's overall population jumped to 26,678, up 6.4 percent since the 2000 Census.
The figures were released earlier this month by the American Community Survey, a project of the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey provided midsized cities across the country their first statistical snapshots on socioeconomic and housing issues since the 2000 Census.
The project relied on survey responses from 2005 through 2007 to generate the information, making it possible to release multiyear estimates for smaller geographic areas each year, according to a Dec. 9 news release from the Census.
Southwest Kansas' two other major cities, Liberal and Garden City, reported similar increases in their Hispanic populations since the last Census. Hispanics now account for 52.9 percent of Liberal's population, and non-Hispanic whites make up 38.2 percent.
Blacks accounted for 3 percent of Liberal's population, and Asians made up an additional 3.1 percent. The city's overall population was about 20,368 in 2007, up 3.6 percent since 2000.
Hispanics are still in the minority in Garden City, accounting for 42.9 percent of the city's population, according to American Community Services figures. Whites made up 50 percent of the population, while blacks accounted for 1.8 percent and Asians made up 3.9 percent.
Garden City's overall population in 2007 was about 26,766 people, down 4.6 percent since the last Census.
Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917 or e-mail him at eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.
DODGE CITY —
