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Arizona’s Hispanic population on the upswing, Census shows

A surge in Arizona’s Hispanic population is expected, according to a new report

A surge in Arizona’s Hispanic population is expected, according to a new report. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the percentage of Hispanics in most counties is increasing, Capitol Media Services reports. In Maricopa County, the figure is up to 31 percent from less than 25 percent at the beginning of the decade. Pima County saw an increase from 29.3 percent in 2000 to more than 33 percent now. But some of the data suggests that rate of change could accelerate sharply. In Maricopa County, nearly half of those younger than 5 are Hispanic, up from 40 percent in 2000. Pima County, at less than 47 percent at the beginning of the decade, already is up above 51 percent. In Santa Cruz County, where 80.2 percent of  the residents are Hispanic, the figure for its youngest residents is 90 percent. In most counties, the growth rate of Hispanic population is sharply higher than the non-Hispanic population, often by multiples.