Census Shows Hispanic/Latino Population Growth in Petaluma

Petaluma's Hispanic/Latino population as a percentage of the city's total population rose 7 percent from 2000 census numbers according the 2010 U.S. Census data released on Tuesday.  In Sonoma County the percentage growth of the Hispanic/Latino population over the same 10 years was 7.6 percent; statewide growth was calculated at 5.2 percent.

PETALUMA CENSUS SUMMARY

Petaluma's overall population rose 6.2 percent from 54,548 in the 2000 census to 57,941 in 2010. 

Petaluma's Hispanic/Latino population in 2000 was 7,895, representing 14.5 percent of the city's total population.  In 2010, 12,453 people identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino (of any race), representing 21.5 percent of the city's population.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on race in 7 categories.  Petaluma's racial breakdown shows popluation numbers in the categories of white (46,566 people), black or African American (801), American Indian and Alaska native (353), Asian (2,607), native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander (129), other race (5,103), and two or more races (2,382). 

Additional data on Hispanic or Latino (of any race) is collected as a separate category.

SONOMA COUNTY CENSUS SUMMARY

Across Sonoma County, the population rose 5.5 percent from 458,614 in 2000 to 483,878 in 2010.

Of the total Sonoma County population, 120,430 or 24.9 percent — almost a quarter of the total population — were Hispanic or Latino in 2010, compared to 79,511 or 17.3 percent in 2000.

CALIFORNIA STATISTICS

Statewide, California's total number of residents rose from 33.8 million in 2000 to 37.2 million in 2010. Of those totals, 14.01 million, or 37.6 percent, in 2010 were Hispanic or Latino, compared to 10.97 million people, or 32.4 percent, in 2000.

As far as which areas are hot, growth-wise, the Golden State in general appears to be moving toward the geographic middle, at least when it comes to where they call home.

According to figures released Tuesday, the state’s population rose 10 percent from April 2000 to April 2010,with most of that growth appearing to come in counties that span the middle of the state.

The populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco counties rose 3 percent, but San Diego County jumped 10 percent. Riverside County had the biggest jump, increasing 41 percent from 2000 to 2010. The city of Beaumont in that county leaped 224 percent from 11,384 to 36,887 people.

Next was Placer County with a 40 percent jump. The city of Lincoln, which has a large retirement community and vast new subdivisions just north of Rocklin, skyrocketed 282 percent from 11,205 to 42,819 people.

Other counties that grew more than 20 percent included Imperial, Kern, Madera, Merced and Tulare.

The only counties that saw population decreases were three small regions in the Sierra Nevada: Alpine County (down 3 percent), Plumas County (down 4 percent) and Sierra County (down 9 percent).

New analyses are on the way as more people catch up with starting at about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Further references and tables are available here.

Patch Associate Regional Editor David Mills contributed to this story.