Suburbs in Pa. Grow, Along With Latino Population
Pennsylvania’s two largest cities each lost population during the 1990s while suburbs ballooned, especially in the east, according to national census data released Friday.
At the same time, the state’s Latino population grew by 70%, including many who settled in Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, lost 4% of its population from 1990 to 2000, dropping by 68,000 people to 1,517,550, according to census figures. Pittsburgh, the state’s second-largest city, lost 10%, dropping 35,000 people to 334,563 people.
Four of the five counties that make up suburban Philadelphia posted gains of at least 10%.
The Latino population in Pennsylvania, while still just 3.2% of the state’s total, grew to 394,000. In Lancaster County, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, the Latino population increased by 71% to nearly 27,000.
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