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.
Section 1: Demographics
exhibits
Distribution of U.S. Residents, by Geographic Region, 2011-2012
Share of Total Population Residing in the South, by Race/Ethnicity, 2011-2012
Population Growth, by Geographic Region, 2000-2010
Population Growth in the South, by State, 1970-2010
Distribution of the Southern Population, by Race/Ethnicity, 2011-2012
Racial/Ethnic Distribution of the Southern Population, by State, 2011-2012
Selected Demographic Characteristics of the Southern Population, 2011-2012
Selected Demographic Characteristics of the Population, by Geographic Region, 2011-2012
Share of Nonelderly Population Living in Poverty, by Region, 2011-2012
Poverty Rates Among Nonelderly Southerners, by State, 2011-2012