Vulnerable Populations

Vulnerable Populations:

Race and Ethnicity

As a whole, the metro area is somewhat less racially and ethnically diverse than the nation.

Race and ethnicity are highly correlated with poverty and thus often with health outcomes. How minority populations are growing, moving and changing has a significant impact on society, including health and how we address health issues.

Total Population by Race/Ethnicity, 2015
White	1,622,391
Black	256,899
American Indian	9,251
Asian	52,522
Pacific Islander	2,826
Other	50,395
2+ Races	61,391

Hispanic	176,860
Non-Hispanic	1,878,815

In general, the 11-county region is somewhat less racially and ethnically diverse than the national average of 37.7 percent. Only the two most urban counties, Wyandotte and Jackson, with 57.4 and 37.2 percent non-white populations respectively, equal or exceed the MSA average (26.6 percent).

Population Totals by County, 2015
	White	Non-White
Cass	89,501	11,280
Clay	190,625	39,736
Jackson	427,402	253,503
Lafayette	30,428	2,488
Platte	77,327	16,067
Ray	21,691	1,340
Allen	11,928	1,153
Johnson	459,104	107,710
Leavenworth	62,071	16,156
Miami	30,429	2,259
Wyandotte	68,467	92,339

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015 ACS, 5-year data

Racial and ethnic diversity is increasing, and at a faster rate than the national average.

There is a significant variation among the 11 counties in the change in non-white population between 2000 and 2015, as shown in this chart. The non-white population more than doubled during this period in the suburban counties of Johnson, Cass, Clay, and Platte. Non-white populations also increased substantially, although at lesser rates, in other counties.

Non-white populations in the Kansas City MSA grew by 41.6 percent from 2000 to 2015.

In absolute numbers, minority populations grew the most in urban and suburban counties.

The absolute change in non-whites shows a somewhat different picture than percentage change. The urban counties of Jackson and Wyandotte saw substantial absolute gains in the non-white population from 2000 to 2015. However, the largest absolute gain came in suburban Johnson County, and a substantial gain occurred in Clay County as well.

Change in Non-White Population, 2000-2015
Cass	+6,472
Clay	+22,175
Jackson	+42,050
Lafayette	+818
Platte	+8,516
Ray	+370
Allen	+284
Johnson	+58,052
Leavenworth	+3,820
Miami	+832
Wyandotte	+15,991

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Decennial Census and 2015 ACS, 5-year data

The Hispanic population is growing in every county, while black population growth varies.

The makeup of the growing diversity in the region varies across counties. From 2000 to 2015, the Hispanic population grew significantly in every county, outpacing overall growth by a wide margin in each county. The growth of the black population varied across the counties, but was substantial in percentage terms in Johnson, Cass, Clay and Platte counties.

Data is the most current available as of September 2017.