El Paso, Texas - Demographics

Demographics

El Paso has historically been predominantly Hispanic. In the 1870s, a population of 23 Non-Hispanic whites and 150 Hispanics was reported. In 1916, the Census Bureau reported El Paso's population as 53% Hispanic and 44% non-Hispanic white.

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of El Paso was as follows:

• Whites: 15.0%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 80.0% (Mexican: 75.0%)
• Black or African American: 3.1%
• Native American: 0.5%
• Asian: 1.2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
• Two or more races: 2.2%

As of the census of 2010, there were 649,121 people, 216,694 households, and 131,104 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,263.0 people per square mile (873.7/km²). There were 227,605 housing units at an average density of 777.5 per square mile (300.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 80.84% White, 3.39% African American, 0.73% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 11.00% from other races, and 3.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 86.62% of the population.

There are 182,063 households, out of which 42.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.5% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.54.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,124, and the median income for a family was $35,432. Males had a median income of $28,989 versus $21,540 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,388. About 19.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2006 United States Census Bureau population estimates, the El Paso metropolitan area had a population of 736,310. In 2010 CQ Press ranked El Paso safest city in the U.S. with a population over 500,000.

In 2010, many Mexicans fleeing drug violence in Ciudad Juarez settled in El Paso. Benjamin Sáenz, a novelist and a literature professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, said during that year that El Paso was "becoming a lot more Mexican and a lot less Chicano."