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Juvenile Population Characteristics
Juvenile Population
Q: Within States, how does the youth population vary by race?
A: While race/ethnicity profiles vary considerably across states, white, non-Hispanic youth accounted for the largest share of the youth population in 38 states in 2020.

Youth (0-17) population profile by race/ethnicity and State, 2020

State White* Black* American
Indian*
Asian* Hispanic
United States 51.9% 15.3% 1.0% 6.3% 25.6%
Alabama 59.1% 30.4% 0.5% 1.8% 8.2%
Alaska 53.6% 5.5% 21.6% 9.2% 10.0%
Arizona 40.1% 6.4% 4.9% 3.7% 44.8%
Arkansas 64.5% 19.3% 0.8% 2.6% 12.8%
California 27.5% 6.2% 0.5% 14.2% 51.6%
Colorado 57.6% 5.8% 0.7% 4.1% 31.7%
Connecticut 54.8% 13.0% 0.4% 5.9% 25.9%
Delaware 49.8% 28.2% 0.3% 4.7% 17.0%
District of Columbia 25.1% 54.1% 0.2% 3.4% 17.2%
Florida 43.8% 21.3% 0.2% 3.3% 31.4%
Georgia 44.6% 35.4% 0.2% 4.8% 15.0%
Hawaii 20.3% 3.2% 0.2% 56.9% 19.5%
Idaho 76.7% 1.6% 1.2% 1.8% 18.7%
Illinois 52.4% 16.7% 0.2% 6.1% 24.6%
Indiana 71.5% 13.5% 0.2% 3.1% 11.7%
Iowa 78.1% 7.4% 0.4% 3.3% 10.8%
Kansas 68.2% 8.5% 0.9% 3.5% 18.9%
Kentucky 79.9% 11.0% 0.1% 2.2% 6.7%
Louisiana 52.0% 37.8% 0.7% 2.0% 7.6%
Maine 90.1% 4.0% 1.0% 1.8% 3.1%
Maryland 43.1% 32.7% 0.3% 7.3% 16.6%
Massachusetts 61.9% 10.1% 0.2% 8.3% 19.4%
Michigan 68.3% 18.2% 0.8% 4.0% 8.7%
Minnesota 69.9% 12.3% 1.6% 7.1% 9.2%
Mississippi 50.2% 42.9% 0.6% 1.2% 5.1%
Missouri 74.1% 15.5% 0.5% 2.7% 7.2%
Montana 80.1% 1.6% 10.4% 1.2% 6.8%
Nebraska 69.2% 7.8% 1.2% 3.2% 18.5%
Nevada 37.0% 13.0% 0.9% 8.0% 41.1%
New Hampshire 85.8% 2.8% 0.3% 4.0% 7.1%
New Jersey 46.9% 14.4% 0.2% 10.8% 27.7%
New Mexico 24.1% 2.6% 10.2% 1.6% 61.6%
New York 49.4% 16.1% 0.4% 9.3% 24.8%
North Carolina 53.3% 24.3% 1.2% 4.0% 17.1%
North Dakota 77.1% 5.5% 8.3% 2.0% 7.1%
Ohio 72.2% 17.7% 0.2% 3.1% 6.7%
Oklahoma 56.4% 10.5% 12.0% 2.8% 18.3%
Oregon 66.3% 3.8% 1.5% 5.8% 22.6%
Pennsylvania 67.4% 14.6% 0.2% 4.5% 13.3%
Rhode Island 58.5% 9.3% 0.6% 4.3% 27.4%
South Carolina 56.2% 31.2% 0.4% 2.2% 10.1%
South Dakota 72.7% 4.4% 13.4% 1.9% 7.6%
Tennessee 66.5% 20.5% 0.2% 2.3% 10.4%
Texas 32.4% 12.9% 0.3% 5.2% 49.2%
Utah 75.3% 1.9% 1.0% 3.7% 18.1%
Vermont 91.1% 2.9% 0.4% 2.7% 3.0%
Virginia 55.3% 22.0% 0.3% 7.9% 14.6%
Washington 58.8% 6.6% 1.6% 10.8% 22.1%
West Virginia 90.8% 5.3% 0.1% 0.9% 2.8%
Wisconsin 71.2% 10.5% 1.2% 4.4% 12.7%
Wyoming 78.5% 1.8% 3.1% 1.1% 15.5%

*Race groups are non-Hispanic. Hispanic persons can be any race.

[ Map version ]  [ CSV file ]

  • In 2020, at least 9 of every 10 youth in Maine, Vermont, and West Virginia were non-Hispanic and white.
  • In contrast, New Mexico's youth population was 61.6% Hispanic. Other states with large Hispanic youth populations include California (51.6%), Texas (49.2%), Arizona (44.8%), and Nevada (41.1%). In 2020, more than half (51%) of all Hispanic youth lived in California, Texas, and Florida.
  • The states with the greatest proportions of non-Hispanic Black youth in their populations in 2020 were Mississippi (42.9%), Louisiana (37.8%), Georgia (35.4%), Maryland (32.7%), South Carolina (31.2%), and Alabama (30.4%). Black youth accounted for 54% of the youth population in the District of Columbia.
  • In 2020, 5 states had youth populations with at least 10% American Indians or Alaskan Natives. These states were Alaska (21.6%), South Dakota (13.4%), Oklahoma (12.0%), Montana (10.4%), and New Mexico (10.2%).

Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/population/qa01103.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on October 13, 2021.

Data Source: Puzzanchera, C., Sladky, A. and Kang, W. Easy Access to Juvenile Populations. Available on-line at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezapop/.

 

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