MV Population Increases 4.7 Percent in 10 Years

Mountain View's Asian population increased 31.6 percent and Hispanic numbers rose 24 percent in the last decade, according to figures released Tuesday by California Department of Finance based on the 2010 census figures.

During the same time period, the white population decrease by 8 percent, from 45,090 to 41,468.

The U.S. Census Bureau figures also made public Tuesday shows that Mountain View's total population grew from 70,708 in 2000 to 74,066 in 2010, a 4.7 percent increase over past 10 years.

Mountain View's Asian population now makes up 26 percent of the city's total, with 19,232 residents up from 14,613. The 2010 census shows that the next highest ethnic group in the city, Hispanics, makes up 19.1 percent, up from 18.3 percent in 2000, with a population increase from 12,911 to 16,071. The white population remains the majority with 56 percent. Note that some Hispanics also identify as white in the census.

Santa Clara County's population grew by 5.9 percent, from 1,682,585 in 2000 to 1,781,642 in 2010. Gilroy had the highest bump with 17.7 percent, followed by Cupertino with 15.3 percent. Monte Sereno lost 4.1 percent of its population.

The census data released Tuesday included population totals and figures for Hispanic origin and voting age specific to geographic area broken down by census blocks, tracts, voting districts, cities, counties and school districts.

The state’s population rose 10 percent from 33.9 million in 2000 to 37.3 million residents April 2010. Most of that growth appears to have come in the counties that span the middle of the state.

Riverside County had the biggest population increase 41 percent from 2000 to 2,189,641 in 2010. The city of Beaumont in that county leaped 224 percent from 11,384 to 36,887 people.

San Francisco County’s population also rose 3 percent.

The only counties that saw population decreases were Alpine County (down 3 percent), Plumas County (down 4 percent) and Sierra County (down 9 percent) in the Sierra Nevada.

Though statisticians, advertisers and sociologists, among others, scour census data to understand the populations they serve or target, the U.S. Census Bureau's mission serves to help Congress draw electoral district lines across the country.

Associate Regional Editor David Mills contributed to this story.

Editor's note: Stay tuned for more fun Mountain View census facts all this week.