California's Next Minority: White People

Latinos will be the single largest "race or ethnic group" in California as soon as this March, according to a new demographics report from Gov. Jerry Brown's office. That's actually behind schedule—demographers expected non-Hispanic whites to pass the crown in the middle of last year, but Latino birth rates were lower than expected, the San Francisco Chronicle explains.

Previous data indicated Latinos would reach a majority, meaning they'd comprise more than 50% of the state, around 2042 (they're currently on the verge of making up 39% of the population). But the new data indicates they won't ever fully get there. Still, their numbers are set to continue growing, in part because the median age for Latinos is 28. That puts them in prime childbearing years and gives them a higher birthrate than other groups—even though that rate is not, in isolation, terribly high. Overall, California is getting older. Birth rates are falling, and more than 1,000 people a day will turn 65 over the next 15 years. (More demographics stories.)