In 2006, the Twin Cities 7-county region reached nearly 2.8 million people. It is one of the fastest growing regions in the Midwest, and is predicted to continue its rapid growth, reaching 3 million by 2010.
Along with this huge growth, the make up of our region's population is undergoing major changes. By 2030, the number of people over age 65 is expected to more than double what it is today. And we are becoming a much more racially diverse community. For example, between 2000 and 2006, the region's Of Color population grew by an estimated 25 percent, while the White population remained virtually the same.
The number of people living in poverty is on the rise, especially among our youngest. In 2006, the poverty rate grew to 13 percent for children under age 5.
Another important trend is our region's suburban growth. The population in our urban counties -- Ramsey and Hennepin -- decreased or stayed about the same between 2000 and 2006. On the other hand, the surrounding suburban counties grew anywhere from 8 percent to more than 30 percent. If you scroll over the counties on the map below, you can see the growth rates for each county.
In this section, we have data and charts that show the makeup of our population in a variety of ways. The More measures bullet provides some alternative sources of population estimates and forecasts.
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