La Opinión, News Report, Posted: Mar 09, 2011

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--New U.S. Census data released yesterday found that the Latino population in California has grown by three million people, or 27. 8 percent, in the past decade, and the majority of young people in California are Latino, reports La Opinión.

California’s population is 38,253,952, and Latinos make up 37.6 percent of the state. Latinos constituted 32 percent of the population in 2000. While the Latino population grew by 27. 8 percent in the last decade, the growth rate was slower than the 45 percent increase found in the 2000 Census.

San Bernardino’s Latino population grew from 30 percent of the population to 49 percent in the past 10 years. In Los Angeles, the Latino population increased from 42 to 48 percent of the population. Latinos now account for 50 percent of the population of Colusa, near Sacramento; 60 percent of the population of San Benito; 61 percent of the population of Tulare; 55 percent of Merced and Monterey; 54 percent of Madera, and 54 percent of the population in Fresno.

Census data also revealed that half of all Californians under the age of 18 are Latino.