Greater Cleveland's Hispanic and Asian populations on the rise

Greater Cleveland has become more diverse over the past 20-plus years despite its overall population going down.

Driving the news: The area's Hispanic and Asian populations had the biggest percentage increases from 2000 to 2022, per Axios analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: Such demographic data is a vital snapshot of how the Greater Cleveland area, which includes Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Lorain and Medina counties, is changing over time, and it helps to inform policies and programs across the area.

By the numbers: The number of Hispanics grew 88% to 138,400.

• The Asian population grew about 77% to 55,500.

Meanwhile, Greater Cleveland's overall population has fallen nearly 4% since 2000 to roughly 2.1 million people.

• The area's white population decreased 8.5% during that period but is still the largest demographic with 1.5 million people.
• Blacks make up the second-largest demographic at about 422,600.

Between the lines: Demographic trends are driven by a combination of factors, including varied birth, mortality and immigration rates (both internal and external) among various socioeconomic groups.

The big picture: Nationwide, the country's Pacific Islander, Asian and Hispanic populations had the biggest percentage increases from 2000 to 2022.

• The number of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders grew about 120%, to nearly 879,000, while the Asian population grew about 105%, to 21 million.
• The country's Hispanic population grew about 80%, to nearly 64 million.
• The Black population, meanwhile, grew 31%, to 45.4 million.

Of note: The U.S. is still predominantly white, with growth of 19% from 2000 to 2022, to nearly 252 million.

Go deeper: The median age in the U.S. reaches a record high, approaching 40 years old