Population measures provide insight on the changing size and face of communities. Changes in the racial and ethnic composition of a community can indicate growing diversity, which can bring with it challenges and opportunities.

The 9-county Rochester region has become increasingly diverse since 2000. Between 2000 and 2017-21, the Hispanic population grew 80% and the Asian population increased by 60%. The region had a smaller increase among Black or African American residents (9%). The white population declined slightly (4%).

The region's gains among Asian residents and its loss of white population mirrored New York State as a whole. Increases in the region's Hispanic and African American populations were larger than those at the statewide level, but fairly similar to the nation. The U.S., however, had a larger increase in the Asian population (83%) and a modest gain in the white population (6%).

The composition of the U.S. population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse as people of color grow in representation and will be a majority within the next two decades. Latino, Asian and multiracial groups are experiencing the largest growth with Latino's rapid increase caused largely by immigration. Latino immigrants who enter the U.S. tend to be younger and of child-bearing age. Latinas in the U.S. have higher fertility rates than Black and white women. Black, Latino and multiracial populations are also experiencing higher rates of births relative to deaths, while whites are experiencing the opposite.

The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval).