Over one third of the total U.S. population resides in the 17 southern states, and the population has been growing over time. The southern population is racially and ethnically diverse, although the racial and ethnic composition varies by state. Overall, over four in ten of all people of color in the U.S. reside in the South, including over half of Blacks in the United States. The region is also diverse across a number of factors including citizenship status, age, urban-rural composition, and income.