U S C E N S U S B U R E A U

Census 2000 Special Reports

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 

CENSR-22

Issued April 2005

By 

Nicholas A. Jones

Helping You Make Informed Decisions

We the People of More Than 

One Race in the United States
This report was prepared by Nicholas A. Jones, under the

supervision of Claudette E. Bennett, Chief, Racial Statistics Branch,

and Jorge del Pinal, Assistant Division Chief, Special Population

Statistics, Population Division. John F. Long, Chief, Population

Division, provided overall direction. 

General direction was provided by Judy G. Belton, Chief, Race and

Hispanic Origin Review Branch, Population Division. Within the Race

and Hispanic Origin Review Branch, Linda M. Chase provided

principal statistical assistance, and additional assistance was 

provided by Yvonne J. Gist, Debra A. Niner, and Paula L. Vines.

The contents of the report were reviewed by Marjorie F. Hanson,

Population Division. Steve Smith, Population Division, provided

computer programming support.

Paulette Lichtman-Panzer and Jeanne Waples of the Decennial

Management Division provided decennial policy review of this

report. Robert D. Sands, under the guidance of Philip M. Gbur

and Dawn E. Haines of the Decennial Statistical Studies Division,

conducted sampling review. 

Jan Sweeney, Theodora Forgione, Jamie Peters, and 

Barbara Blount, of the Administrative and Customer Services

Division, Walter C. Odom, Chief, provided publications and

printing management, graphics design and composition, and

editorial review for print and electronic media. General direction and

production management were provided by Susan L. Rappa, Chief,

Publications Services Branch.

Acknowledgments
U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 1

This report provides a portrait of

the Two or More Races population

in the United States and discusses

the twelve largest race combinations within this population at the

national level. It is part of the

Census 2000 Special Reports series

that presents several demographic,

social, and economic characteristics collected from Census 2000.

Census 2000 data showed that, 

of the 281.4 million people in the

United States, 7.3 million or 

2.6 percent reported more than

one race. Twelve of the 57 race

combinations made up 93 percent

of the Two or More Races population and were the only combinations with more than 100,000

people (Table 1).1

In Census 2000, people were

asked to report one or more of the

following races: White, Black or

African American, American Indian

or Alaska Native (AIAN), Asian,

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific

Islander (NHPI), and Some Other

Race (SOR).2 The Census 2000

data on race can be divided into

two broad categories: the singlerace population and the Two or

More Races population. People who

responded to the question on race

We the People of More Than 

One Race in the United States

Table 1.

Two or More Races Population by Combination: 2000

(Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Combination

Number

Percent of U.S.

population

90-percent

confidence

interval

Total ....................................................... 7,270,926 2.58 2.58 - 2.59

White and Some Other Race ................................... 2,322,356 0.83 0.82 - 0.83

White and American Indian and Alaska Native . . . ................. 1,254,289 0.45 0.44 - 0.45

White and Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862,032 0.31 0.30 - 0.31

White and Black ............................................... 791,801 0.28 *

Black and Some Other Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462,703 0.16 0.16 - 0.17

Asian and Some Other Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280,600 0.10 *

Black and American Indian and Alaska Native . .................... 206,941 0.07 *

Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138,556 0.05 *

White and Black and American Indian and Alaska Native . . . . . . . . . . . 116,897 0.04 *

White and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111,993 0.04 *

American Indian and Alaska Native and Some Other Race. . . . . . . . . . 108,576 0.04 *

Black and Asian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106,842 0.04 *

All other combinations1 ......................................... 507,340 0.18 *

* Confidence interval rounds to the percentage shown.

1 ‘‘All other combinations’’ represents the remaining 45 combinations of people who reported more than one race; none of the remaining

combinations numbered more than 100,000 people.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

1 The data contained in this report are

based on the people for whom data were

collected using the Census 2000 long form.

As with all surveys, estimates may vary from

the actual values because of sampling variation or other factors. All comparisons made

in this report have undergone statistical testing and are significant at the 90-percent confidence level unless otherwise noted.

2 This report uses the term Black (in text

and graphics) to refer to people who are

Black or African American; the acronym AIAN

(in text and graphics) to refer to people who

are American Indian and Alaska Native; the

term Pacific Islander (in text) and the

acronym NHPI (in graphics) to refer to people

who are Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific

Islander; and the acronym SOR (in graphics)

to refer to people who are Some Other Race. 
by indicating only one race are

referred to as the single-race population. For example, respondents

who marked only the White category on the census questionnaire

would be included in the singlerace White population. Individuals

who chose more than 1 of the 6

race categories are referred to as

the Two or More Races population,

or as the group who reported more

than one race. For example,

respondents who reported they

were White and Black or White

and AIAN and Asian3 would be

included in the Two or More Races

category. The Two or More Races

category represents all

respondents who reported more

than one race. The six race categories result in 57 possible combinations of two, three, four, five, or

six races. This report focuses on

the 12 specific race combinations

that each comprised at least

100,000 in total population size

and 1.5 percent of the total Two or

More Races population. Data on all

57 race combinations are available

2 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Census 2000 incorporated the federal standards for

collecting and presenting data on race and Hispanic

origin established by the Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) in October 1997, considering race

and Hispanic origin to be two separate and distinct

concepts. For Census 2000, the questions on race

and Hispanic origin were asked of every individual

living in the United States, and answers were based

on self-identification. 

The question on Hispanic origin asked respondents

if they were Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. (The terms

“Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably in

this report.) The question on race asked respondents to report the race or races they considered

themselves to be.

Data on race have been collected since the first U.S.

decennial census in 1790. The question on race on

Census 2000 was different from the one on the

1990 census in several ways. Most significantly, in

2000, respondents were asked to select one or

more race categories to indicate their racial identities. Additionally, the 1990 Asian or Pacific Islander

category was separated into two categories, Asian

and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.*

Because of the changes, the Census 2000 data on

race are not directly comparable with data from the

1990 census or earlier censuses. Caution must be

used when interpreting changes in the racial composition of the U.S. population over time. 

The Census 2000 question on race included 15

separate response categories and three areas where

respondents could write in a more specific race

group. The response categories and write-in

answers can be combined to create the five OMB

race categories plus Some Other Race. In addition to

White, Black or African American, American Indian

and Alaska Native, and Some Other Race, 7 of the

15 response categories are Asian and 4 are Native

Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. 

Data on Hispanic origin have been collected on a

100-percent basis in the United States since the 1980

decennial census. (The 1970 census was the first to

include a separate question specifically on Hispanic

origin, but it was only asked of a 5-percent sample of

households.) The question on Hispanic origin for

Census 2000 was similar to the 1990 census question, except for its placement on the questionnaire

and a few wording changes. For Census 2000, the

question on Hispanic origin was asked directly before

the question on race. For the 1990 census, the question on race preceded questions on age and marital

status, which were then followed by the question on

Hispanic origin. Additionally, in Census 2000, a note

was included on the questionnaire asking respondents to complete both the question on Hispanic

origin and the question on race.

Because Hispanics or Latinos may be any race, data

in this report for the race combinations overlap with

data for Hispanics. Among respondents who reported only one race in Census 2000, the proportion

Hispanic was 8.0 percent for Whites, 1.9 percent for

Blacks, 14.6 percent for American Indians and

Alaska Natives, 1.0 percent for Asians, 9.5 percent

for Pacific Islanders, and 97.1 percent for those

reporting Some Other Race. Among those reporting

Two or More Races, 31.1 percent reported Hispanic.

UNDERSTANDING DATA ON RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN FROM CENSUS 2000

* A more detailed discussion of these changes is provided in

Elizabeth M. Grieco and Rachel C. Cassidy, 2001, Overview of Race

and Hispanic Origin: 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Brief,

C2KBR/01-1. This report is available on the U.S. Census Bureau’s

Internet site at <www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-1.pdf>.

3 The race-in-combination categories use

the conjunction and in bold and italicized

print to link the race groups that compose

the combination.
in Summary File 4 at 

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2000

/doc/sf4.pdf>.

Among the 12 largest Two or More

Races combinations, 4 included

responses of Some Other Race.

These four accounted for about 

44 percent, or 3.2 million, of the

Two or More Races population. 

Of the 15.4 million people who

reported a single response of Some

Other Race, 97 percent were

Hispanic, in contrast with 56 percent of the population in all race

combinations that included Some

Other Race.

To improve readability and facilitate comparisons, the graphics in

this report display the specific race

combinations in two major groupings. The first grouping consists of

combinations including only the

five race categories identified by

the Office of Management and

Budget, while the second grouping

consists of combinations including

the category Some Other Race. The

specific groupings and order of the

12 race combinations analyzed in

this report are listed below: 

White and AIAN

White and Asian

White and Black

White and NHPI

White and Black and AIAN

Black and AIAN

Black and Asian

Asian and NHPI

White and SOR

Black and SOR

AIAN and SOR

Asian and SOR

Two companion reports provide

more information on these

concepts and populations. The

Census 2000 Brief The Two or

More Races Population: 2000 analyzes population data collected

from the short-form questions in

Census 2000 and shows the distribution of the Two or More Races

population at both the national and

subnational levels.4 In addition,

the Census 2000 Brief Overview of

Race and Hispanic Origin: 2000

referenced earlier provides a complete explanation of the race categories used in Census 2000 and

information on each of the six

major race groups and the

Hispanic-origin population, as well

as the distribution of the 57 race

combinations at the national level.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 3

4 Nicholas A. Jones and Amy Symens

Smith, 2001, The Two or More Races

Population: 2000, U.S. Census Bureau,

Census 2000 Brief, C2KBR/01-6. This report

is available on the U.S. Census Bureau’s

Internet site at <www.census.gov/prod

/2001pubs/c2kbr01-6.pdf>.
The Two or More Races

population contained a

number of diverse groups.

• In Census 2000, the largest race

combination was White and

Some Other Race, which represented 32 percent of the total

Two or More Races population.

The next three largest combinations were White and AIAN 

(17 percent), White and Asian 

(12 percent), and White and Black

(11 percent). Together, these four

combinations made up more than

70 percent of the total Two or

More Races population.

• Eight other race combinations

each accounted for between 

1.5 percent and 6.4 percent of

the total Two or More Races

population: 

Black and Some Other Race,

Asian and Some Other Race,

Black and AIAN, 

Asian and Pacific Islander, 

White and Black and AIAN, 

White and Pacific Islander, 

AIAN and Some Other Race, and

Black and Asian.

• The remaining 45 combinations

of races (“All other combinations”) accounted for about 

7 percent of the total Two or

More Races population, with

none numbering more than

100,000 in total population.

4 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 1.

Two or More Races Population by 

Largest Combinations: 2000 

Note: The percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

All other combinations

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

7.0

17.3

11.9

10.9

1.5

1.6

2.8

1.5

1.9

31.9

6.4

1.5

3.9
• With larger proportions in each

of the five-year age intervals

below 30, people who reported

more than one race were

younger than the total U.S. population. Some of the largest

differences in age between the

Two or More Races population

and the U.S. population occurred

at the youngest ages (under 15).

• Overall, the Two or More Races

population had similar numbers

of males per 100 females (sex

ratio of 100.0), while the U.S.

population had more females

than males (sex ratio of 96.1).

• In both the U.S. population and

the Two or More Races population, men outnumbered women

in every age group under 35,

while women outnumbered 

men in every age group above

age 44. Among people aged 85

and older, women outnumbered

men by more than a 2-to-1 ratio

in both the total population and

the Two or More Races

population.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 5

7 6 5 4 3 2 10

0 to 4 

5 to 9 

10 to 14 

15 to 19 

20 to 24 

25 to 29 

30 to 34 

35 to 39 

40 to 44 

45 to 49 

50 to 54 

55 to 59 

60 to 64 

65 to 69 

70 to 74 

75 to 79 

80 to 84 

85 + 

Figure 2.

Age and Sex: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Percent

Male Female Age

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Total population

Two or More Races

01234567

The Two or More Races population had proportionately more children and young adults,

and fewer older people, than the U.S. population.
• The Two or More Races population was considerably younger

than the U.S. population: 

41 percent was under age 18,

compared with 26 percent of

the total population.

• Looking at particular age groups,

25 percent of the Two or More

Races population was under 10

years old, compared with 14 percent of the total population;

among those aged 10 to 17, the

proportions were 15 percent and

12 percent, respectively.

• Differences also were apparent at

older ages. The Two or More

Races population had a lower 

proportion aged 35 to 64 (28 percent) than the total population

(38 percent) and a lower proportion aged 65 and older (5 percent

compared with 12 percent).

• Many of the Two or More Races

combinations had a large percentage of people younger than

age 18 and a small fraction of

people 65 and older. Two combinations were particularly young.

With about 31 percent under age

10 and another 19 percent aged

10 to 17, about 50 percent of the

White and Asian population was

under 18. The White and Black

population was even younger,

with 51 percent under age 10

and another 20 percent aged 10

to 17 accounting for over 

70 percent of this population.

• The median age of the Two or

More Races population was

younger than the U.S. population

(23.4 years compared with 35.4

years, respectively). The median

age of the race combinations

ranged from 10 to 33. At the

higher end of this median age

range were White and AIAN (32.9)

and Black and AIAN (31.4). White

and Black was the youngest race

combination, with a median age

of 9.7 years. Additionally, two

other combinations (White and

Asian and Black and Asian) had

median ages under 21.

6 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

The age distribution and median age for Two or More Races combinations

varied by group.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

4.2

14.1 11.5 23.7 38.3 12.4

25.2 15.5 26.3 28.0 5.0

15.5 14.0 23.3 39.6 7.5

30.9 18.9 27.1 19.8 3.3

50.9 20.2 18.7 8.6 1.6

23.1 17.4 26.9 27.0 5.6

24.6 16.0 24.3 29.2 5.9

16.6 13.6 24.7 38.1 6.9

27.8 17.2 29.8 22.4 2.8

14.9 13.2 31.2 35.5 5.2

21.1 13.5 28.9 30.3 6.2

24.4 14.8 27.5 29.7 3.7

19.3 14.5 32.2 30.5 3.5

21.3 13.8 30.9 29.8 

Figure 3.

Selected Age Groups and Median Age: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Under 10 10 to 17 35 to 64 18 to 34 65 and older

Median age

(years)

35.4

23.4

32.9

18.1

9.7

22.8

23.7

31.4

20.3

29.2

27.1

24.5

26.0

26.1
• Overall, about 13 percent of the

U.S. population and 31 percent

of the total Two or More Races

population was Hispanic.

However, 7 of the 12 Two or

More Races combinations had a

smaller proportion of Hispanics

than did the U.S. population.

• The four combinations that

included “Some Other Race” had

more than 20 percent reporting 

they were Hispanic. Two of

these combinations had predominantly Hispanic-origin

respondents (White and Some

Other Race and AIAN and Some

Other Race). These combinations influenced the high

Hispanic proportion of the total

Two or More Races population

because of their large size

(White and Some Other Race,

for example, had a total population of 2.3 million).

• Among the combinations that

did not include Some Other

Race, all but one (White and

Black and AIAN) had a lower

proportion of Hispanic respondents than was found in the

total U.S. population. Three

combinations that included

Asian (White and Asian, Black

and Asian, and Asian and

Pacific Islander) were among the

least likely to be Hispanic.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 7

Figure 4.

Hispanic Origin: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Hispanic or Latino Not Hispanic or Latino

72.0

12.5 87.5

31.1 68.9

8.9 91.1

5.7 94.3

10.3 89.7

9.8 90.2

14.4 85.6

7.0 93.0

5.7 94.3

6.7 93.3

63.9 36.1

36.1 63.9

76.9 23.1

28.0 

In most of the Two or More Races combinations—but not in the total Two or More Races

population—the proportion of Hispanics was lower than in the U.S. population.
• While about 27 percent of the

U.S. population 15 and older

had never been married, this

situation was true for about 

37 percent of individuals in the

Two or More Races population.

In all but one of the race combinations (White and AIAN), more

than one-third of individuals had

never been married. White and

Black, Black and Asian, and

White and Asian individuals

were the most likely to be

“never married,” reflecting their

younger age distributions. White

and Black individuals were the

most likely to have never been

married (about 60 percent).

• About 46 percent of individuals

who reported more than one

race were married, with the percentage of married people varying from group to group. About

one-half of Asian and Some

Other Race, Asian and Pacific

Islander, and White and Some

Other Race respondents were

married, the highest proportions

among the Two or More Races

groups. White and Black and

Black and AIAN had the lowest

percentages.

• Three groups had more than 

20 percent of their populations

with a marital status of separated, widowed, or divorced (Black

and AIAN, White and AIAN, and

White and Black and AIAN).

8 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 5.

Marital Status: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

(Percent distribution of population 15 and older. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Never married Married Separated, widowed, or divorced

27.1 54.4 18.5

37.3 45.6 17.1

28.3 48.6 23.1

45.8 43.2 11.0

59.5 28.0 12.5

39.0 45.7 15.3

42.8 35.1 22.1

40.4 32.0 27.6

47.8 37.2 15.0

36.2 50.6 13.2

33.6 50.4 16.0

41.8 40.3 17.9

38.4 44.5 17.1

36.0 52.7 11.3

15 and older

Nearly 4 in 10 individuals who reported more than one race had never been married.
• More than one-half of all households in the United States were

maintained by a married couple,

compared with slightly less than

one-half of households with a

Two or More Races householder.

In both populations, similar

proportions (a little less than

one-third) were nonfamily

households.

• At least 50 percent of households with White and Some

Other Race, White and Pacific

Islander, Asian and Pacific

Islander, and Asian and Some

Other Race householders were

married-couple families. Black

and AIAN households were the

least likely to be married-couple

families and the most likely to

be maintained by women with

no husband present.

• About 30 percent of all households maintained by a Two or

More Races householder were

nonfamily households. In four of

these groups (White and Black,

White and Asian, Black and

AIAN, and White and Black and

AIAN), more than one-third of

households were nonfamily

households.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 9

Figure 6.

Household Type and Average Household Size: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total households

(Percent distribution of households. Households are classified by the race of the householder. Data based on sample. For information 

on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Average

household

size

2.59

2.95

2.57

2.72

2.65

3.01

2.46

2.67

2.91

3.25

3.23

3.14

3.54

3.30

Married couple Female householder, 

no spouse present

Male householder, 

no spouse present

Nonfamily 

households

Family households

24.9

52.5 

46.6 

47.5 

49.3 

32.8 

51.4 

33.5 

28.5 

39.9 

53.5 

51.3 

37.5 

44.8 

55.2

11.8 

16.3 

14.1 

10.0 

25.6 

14.9 

22.5 

29.8 

21.5 

15.1 

14.1 

26.5 

19.7 

11.8

4.1 

6.7 

5.1 

5.0 

6.3 

5.9 

4.7 

6.0 

7.3 

6.1 

7.4 

9.1 

11.4 

8.2

31.5 

30.3 

33.3 

35.7 

35.3 

27.9 

39.3 

35.8 

31.3 

25.4 

27.2 

26.8 

24.2 

The majority of Two or More Races households were family households.
• About 11 percent of the U.S.

population was foreign born,

compared with nearly 

24 percent of the Two or More

Races population.

• This higher foreign-born proportion was driven mainly by race

combinations involving Some

Other Race and combinations

involving Asian. Of these particular combinations, Asian and

Some Other Race had the highest proportion of foreign-born

individuals, followed by 

Black and Some Other Race,

White and Some Other Race,

and AIAN and Some Other Race.

• In 4 of the 5 race combinations

that did not include Asian or

Some Other Race, more than 

95 percent of the people were

native (White and AIAN, 

White and Black and AIAN,

Black and AIAN, and 

White and Black). About 

90 percent in the fifth combination (White and Pacific Islander)

were native.

10 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 7.

Nativity and Citizenship Status: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Native Foreign born, naturalized citizen Foreign born, not a citizen

32.5

88.9 

76.5 

98.2 

82.1 

95.5 

90.5 

97.6 

97.4 

75.3 

74.8 

60.7 

53.3 

65.3 

45.0

4.5 

8.9 

0.6 

9.7 

1.6 

3.7 

1.0 

1.1 

12.9 

13.5 

13.3 

16.9 

8.5 

22.5

6.6 

14.7 

1.2 

8.3 

2.9 

5.8 

1.4 

1.4 

11.8 

11.7 

26.0 

29.8 

26.2 

Individuals who reported a race combination involving Some Other Race were more

likely to be foreign born.
• About 46 percent of foreignborn individuals who reported

more than one race entered the

United States between 1990 and

2000, compared with about 

42 percent of the total foreignborn population. In both populations, the next largest proportions (nearly 30 percent) entered

between 1980 and 1989.

• In all but one of the race combinations, foreign-born individuals

were most likely to have entered

the United States during the last

decade of the twentieth century.5

• About 30 percent or more of

foreign-born individuals in

several groups entered the

United States before 1980:

White and Black and AIAN,

White and Asian, 

White and Pacific Islander, 

White and AIAN, and 

Asian and Pacific Islander. 

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 11

Figure 8.

Foreign Born by Year of Entry: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total foreign born

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error,

and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Before 1970 1970 to 1979 1980 to 1989 1990 to 2000

47.6

15.4 15.1 27.2 42.4

9.6 14.8 29.8 45.8

17.5 13.8 26.4 42.2

14.7 18.9 26.7 39.6

13.4 13.2 24.9 48.5

15.0 16.6 22.1 46.3

17.4 17.1 28.3 37.2

13.0 14.2 30.0 42.8

9.2 18.4 32.7 39.8

10.0 19.5 34.5 35.9

10.1 14.5 28.9 46.5

6.2 13.0 32.3 48.5

5.5 12.6 30.9 51.1

4.6 14.0 33.8 

Most foreign-born members of both the Two or More Races population and the total 

population entered the United States during the last two decades.

5 The proportion of the Asian and Pacific

Islander combination entering between 1990

and 2000 is not statistically different from the

proportion entering between 1980 and 1989.
• Nearly 40 percent of people

aged 5 and over who reported

more than one race in Census

2000 spoke a language other

than English at home, compared

with less than 20 percent of the

U.S. population.

• Three of the combinations

involving Asian (Black and Asian,

White and Asian, and 

Asian and Pacific Islander) had

about 25 percent to 35 percent 

of individuals who spoke a language other than English at

home. Three of the combinations

involving Some Other Race 

(Black and Some Other Race,

AIAN and Some Other Race, and

White and Some Other Race) had

higher proportions (over 50 percent). The group representing

the combination Asian and Some

Other Race had the highest percentage (about 70 percent) who

spoke a language other than

English at home. 

• In most of the race combinations that did not involve Some

Other Race, few individuals

spoke English less than “very

well.” In 5 of these 8 race combinations, the proportion was

lower than the U.S. level of

about 8 percent, and all 8 were

lower than the level for the Two

or More Races population.

12 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 9.

Language Spoken at Home and English-Speaking Ability: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

(Percent distribution of population 5 and older. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Only English at home Non-English at home, 

English spoken “very well”

Non-English at home, 

English spoken less than “very well”

30.4

82.1 

61.7 

91.5 

72.1 

87.2 

81.6 

85.3 

87.3 

75.2 

66.4 

35.1 

48.0 

39.5 

30.4

9.8 

20.6 

6.0 

17.8 

7.8 

11.6 

11.1 

9.2 

15.1 

21.8 

31.7 

29.0 

28.7 

39.1

8.1 

17.7 

2.5 

10.1 

5.0 

6.8 

3.6 

3.5 

9.7 

11.8 

33.3 

23.0 

31.8 

5 and older

Combinations involving Some Other Race or Asian were more likely to speak a language

other than English at home.
• In the Two or More Races population, the proportion of individuals 25 and older with at least a

bachelor’s degree was not as

high as that of the U.S. population (20 percent compared with

24 percent). However, a larger

proportion of Two or More Races

individuals than the total population had some college experience

or an associate’s degree (29 percent compared with 27 percent).

The educational attainment

levels among the various race

combinations differed widely.

• Individuals in the four race combinations involving Some Other

Race had the highest proportions

of individuals who were not high

school graduates (between about

28 percent and 44 percent).

• White and Asian, Asian and

Some Other Race, and White and

Black and AIAN combinations

had the highest proportions of

individuals with at least a bachelor’s degree (between about 

29 percent and 35 percent).

• Asian and Some Other Race was

the only combination with more

than 25 percent of people who

were not high school graduates

and people who had a bachelor’s

degree or more education.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 13

The educational attainment of people who reported more than one race varied by group.

Figure 10.

Educational Attainment: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

(Percent distribution of population 25 and older. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Less than 

high school graduate

High school graduate Some college or 

associate’s degree

Bachelor's degree

or more

29.5

19.6 28.6 27.4 24.4

26.7 25.2 28.5 19.6

19.8 28.3 35.2 16.8

13.8 20.5 30.9 34.8

19.1 23.7 33.3 23.8

19.0 32.7 31.6 16.7

11.1 18.5 40.8 29.6

17.3 21.6 41.2 20.0

20.9 21.6 33.5 24.1

15.9 29.1 31.4 23.6

36.8 24.7 22.2 16.2

31.7 27.0 26.2 15.1

43.8 24.8 22.7 8.7

27.5 21.6 21.3 

25 and older
• Compared with the U.S. population 16 and older, the Two or

More Races population had a

larger proportion employed in

service occupations but a smaller

proportion employed in management, professional, and related

occupations. Occupational

differences among the various

race combinations showed 

other patterns.

• White and Asian and White and

Black and AIAN individuals were

the most likely to hold management, professional, and related

occupations. These two groups,

along with White and Black,

Black and Asian, and Asian and

Pacific Islander individuals, were

among the most likely to hold

sales and office occupations.

• Respondents who reported Black

and Some Other Race had the

highest proportion working in

service occupations. At least 

10 percent of AIAN and Some

Other Race, White and AIAN, and

White and Some Other Race individuals held construction, extraction, and maintenance jobs,

while between 15 percent and 

20 percent of AIAN and Some

Other Race, White and Some

Other Race, Asian and Some

Other Race, Black and Some

Other Race, and White and AIAN

individuals worked in production, transportation, and material

moving jobs.

14 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

All workers

Figure 11.

Occupation: 2000

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Percent distribution of employed civilian population 16 and older. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

18.0

33.6 14.9 26.7 0.7 9.4 14.6

26.7 19.8 27.1 0.9 9.8 15.7

27.5 18.0 25.3 0.9 12.4 16.0

36.8 16.1 29.9 0.3 6.5 10.4

26.9 21.7 31.6 0.4 6.4 13.0

25.8 20.1 29.3 0.8 10.4 13.6

35.7 17.0 30.2 0.3 5.6 11.1

31.6 20.7 27.9 0.2 6.4 13.2

31.3 18.9 31.6 0.3 5.1 12.9

28.6 19.5 30.3 0.6 7.9 13.2

22.7 20.4 25.7 1.4 11.6 18.2

21.2 27.0 26.2 0.7 8.1 16.8

15.0 23.3 22.4 3.6 14.9 20.8

29.2 17.4 28.3 0.5 6.6 

Management, 

professional, 

and related Service

Farming, 

fishing, 

and

forestry 

Sales and

office

Construction, 

extraction, 

and

maintenance

Production, 

transportation, 

and material 

moving

Over one-half of all respondents who reported more than one race were employed in

management, professional, and related occupations or sales and office occupations.
Across the race

combinations examined

here, the median earnings

of full-time, year-round

workers ranged between

about $21,000 and $37,100.

• In 1999, the median earnings of

all men 16 and older employed

full-time, year-round were nearly

$10,000 higher than the median

earnings of comparable women

($37,100 compared with

$27,200). In contrast, median

earnings of men who reported

more than one race were nearly

$6,000 higher than those of

comparable women ($31,000

and $25,400, respectively).

• Within the specified race combinations, median earnings of

men ranged from about

$24,700 to $37,000.

• Within these combinations,

median earnings of women

ranged from about $21,000 

to $30,000.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 15

Figure 12.

Median Earnings by Sex: 1999

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(For employed, full-time, year-round workers 16 and older. Data based 

on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

All workers

$25,637

Men

Women

$37,057 

$27,194

$31,035 

$25,399

$32,071 

$24,552

$37,055 

$29,973

$30,402 

$25,299

$32,921 

$25,926

$34,568 

$27,399

$31,725 

$27,329

$31,560 

$27,702

$35,168 

$27,179

$29,921 

$23,770

$26,835 

$23,995

$24,665 

$20,988

$31,116 
While the median income

of families with a Two or

More Races householder

was lower than the median

income of all families,

median income varied

among the race

combinations.

• The median income of families

with a Two or More Races

householder was about

$39,400, compared with

$50,000 for all families in the

United States. Among the various race combinations, median

family income ranged from

about $31,200 to $52,400.

• Families with a householder

who reported White and Asian

or Asian and Pacific Islander

had higher median family

incomes than other groups.

16 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 13.

Median Family Income: 1999

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Families classified by race of householder. Data based on sample. 

For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, 

and definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

All families

$42,562

$50,046

$39,432

$41,415

$52,413

$34,196

$45,758

$40,620

$36,196

$41,560

$51,664

$36,679

$32,760

$31,210
While the poverty rates of

children and older people

in the Two or More Races

population were higher

than the rates of their

counterparts in the total

population, poverty rates

varied among the specific

race combinations.

6

• The poverty rate for children

(under 18 years) in the Two or

More Races population was 

19.9 percent compared with

16.6 percent for all children.

For people aged 65 and over,

the poverty rate was 16.9 percent for the Two or More Races

population, compared with 

9.9 percent for the U.S.

population. 

• The difference between the

poverty rates of the Two or

More Races population and the

total population was 7.0 percentage points for the older

population. The corresponding

difference for children was 

3.3 percentage points. 

• Among children, Black and

AIAN, AIAN and Some Other

Race, and Black and Some Other

Race combinations had higher

poverty rates than children in

other race combinations.

• White and Asian was the only

combination in which a larger

proportion of older people than

children was in poverty.

6 For more information on poverty, see

Alemayehu Bishaw and John Iceland, 2003,

Poverty: 1999, U.S. Census Bureau, Census

2000 Brief, C2KBR-19. This report is available on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Internet site

at <www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs

/c2kbr-19.pdf>.

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 17

Figure 14.

Poverty Rate by Broad Age Group: 1999

Note: Poverty status was determined for everyone except those in institutions, military

group quarters, or college dormitories, and unrelated individuals under 15 years old.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Percent of specified group in poverty. Data based on sample. For information on 

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, 

see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

Total population

Under 18

65 and older

19.2

16.6 

9.9

19.9 

16.9

18.7 

12.5

7.8 

13.1

22.5 

16.6

14.7 

11.9

21.2 

11.7

32.3 

18.7

17.4 

15.2

16.2 

9.1

22.8 

19.7

29.4 

25.4

30.4 

21.4

19.2 
The housing tenure

patterns of households

maintained by a Two or

More Races householder

differed from those of all

households in the 

United States.

• In the United States, about twothirds of occupied housing units

were owner-occupied, compared

with less than one-half of those

maintained by individuals who

reported more than one race. 

• Four of the race combinations

had homeownership rates of 

50 percent or higher, above that

of the total Two or More Races

population (White and AIAN,

Asian and Pacific Islander, White

and Pacific Islander, and White

and Asian). The remaining race

combinations were all between

about 30 percent and 45 percent.

• Black and Some Other Race and

White and Black householders

were the most likely to be

renters. Six additional combinations also had a majority of

renter-occupied units 

(AIAN and Some Other Race,

Black and AIAN, 

Asian and Some Other Race,

Black and Asian, 

White and Some Other Race,

and White and Black and AIAN).

18 We the People of More Than One Race in the United States U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 15.

Housing Tenure: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 4.

(Percent distribution of occupied housing units. Housing tenure of the race 

combination is shown by the race of householder. Data based on sample. For 

information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf)

Asian; SOR

AIAN; SOR

Black; SOR

White; SOR

Asian; NHPI

Black; Asian

Black; AIAN

White; Black; AIAN

White; NHPI

White; Black

White; Asian

White; AIAN

Two or More Races

All occupied units

Owner 

Renter

59.6

66.2 

33.8

46.6 

53.4

59.6 

40.4

50.5 

49.5

34.9 

65.1

51.4 

48.6

45.4 

54.6

40.4 

59.6

41.4 

58.6

51.9 

48.1

44.2 

55.8

30.7 

69.3

38.9 

61.1

40.4 
ACCURACY OF THE

ESTIMATES

The data contained in this report

are based on people in the sample

of households that responded to

the Census 2000 long form.

Nationally, approximately 1 out of

every 6 housing units was included

in this sample. As a result, the

sample estimates may differ somewhat from the 100-percent figures

that would have been obtained if

all housing units, people within

those housing units, and people

living in group quarters had been

enumerated using the same questionnaires, instructions, enumerators, and so forth. The sample estimates also differ from the values

that would have been obtained

from different samples of housing

units, and hence of people living in

those housing units, and people

living in group quarters. The deviation of a sample estimate from the

average of all possible samples is

called the sampling error.

In addition to the variability that

arises from sampling, both sample

data and 100-percent data are

subject to nonsampling error.

Nonsampling error may be introduced during any of the various

complex operations used to collect

and process data. Such errors may

include: not enumerating every

household or every person in the

population universe, failing to

obtain all required information

from the respondents, obtaining

incorrect or inconsistent information, and recording information

incorrectly. In addition, errors can

occur during the field review of the

enumerators’ work, during clerical

handling of the census questionnaires, or during the electronic

processing of the questionnaires.

While it is impossible to completely

eliminate error from an operation

as large and complex as the decennial census, the Census Bureau

attempts to control the sources of

such error during the data collection and processing operations.

The primary sources of error and

the programs instituted to control

error in Census 2000 are described

in detail in Summary File 4

Technical Documentation under

Chapter 8, Accuracy of the Data,

located at <www.census.gov/prod

/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf>.

Nonsampling error may affect the

data in two ways: first, errors that

are introduced randomly will

increase the variability of the data

and, therefore, should be reflected

in the standard errors; and second,

errors that tend to be consistent in

one direction will bias both sample

and 100-percent data in that direction. For example, if respondents

consistently tend to underreport

their incomes, then the resulting

estimates of households or families by income category will tend

to be understated for the higherincome categories and overstated

for the lower-income categories.

Such biases are not reflected in the

standard errors.

All statements in this Census 2000

Special Report have undergone statistical testing and all comparisons

are significant at the 90-percent

confidence level unless otherwise

noted. The estimates in the table

and figures may vary from actual

values due to sampling and nonsampling errors. As a result, the

estimates used to summarize statistics for one population group

may not be statistically different

from estimates for another population group. Further information on

the accuracy of the data is located

at <www.census.gov/prod

/cen2000/doc/sf4.pdf>. For further information on the computation and use of standard errors,

contact the Decennial Statistical

Studies Division at 301-763-4242.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Census 2000 Summary File 3

and Summary File 4 data are available from American FactFinder on

the Census Bureau’s Web site

<factfinder.census.gov>. For information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, sampling

error, and definitions, also see

<www.census.gov/prod/cen2000

/doc/sf4.pdf> or contact the

Customer Services Center at 

301-763-INFO (4636).

Information on population and

housing topics is presented in the

Census 2000 Briefs and Census

2000 Special Reports series, located on the Census Bureau’s Web site

at <www.census.gov/population

/www/cen2000/briefs.html>.

These series present information

on race, Hispanic origin, age, sex,

household type, housing tenure,

and social, economic, and housing

characteristics, such as ancestry,

income, and housing costs.

For more information on race in

the United States, visit the Census

Bureau’s Internet site at 

<www.census.gov/population

/www/socdemo/race.html>. For

more information on Hispanic

origin, visit <www.census.gov

/population/www/socdemo

/hispanic.html>.

To find information about the availability of data products, including

reports, CD-ROMs, and DVDs, call

the Customer Services Center at

301-763-INFO (4636). 

U.S. Census Bureau We the People of More Than One Race in the United States 19

CENSUS 2000 SPECIAL REPORTS

The Census 2000 Special Report series provides analyses of Census 2000 population and housing topics. The

reports utilize discussion text, maps, text tables, and graphics, to examine a wide variety of topics. 

Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity (CENSR/01-1)

Emergency and Transitional Shelter Population: 2000 (CENSR/01-2) 

Racial and Ethnic Residential Segregation in the United States: 1980-2000 (CENSR-3)

Demographic Trends in the 20th Century (CENSR-4) 

Married-Couple and Unmarried-Partner Households: 2000 (CENSR-5) 

Adopted Children and Stepchildren: 2000 (CENSR-6RV)

Domestic Migration Across Regions, Divisions and States: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-7) 

State-to-State Migration Flows: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-8) 

Migration and Geographic Mobility in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan America: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-9) 

Internal Migration of the Older Population: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-10) 

Migration of Natives and the Foreign Born: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-11) 

Migration of the Young, Single, and College Educated: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-12) 

Migration by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2000 (CENSR-13)

Children and the Households They Live In: 2000 (CENSR-14)

Evidence From Census 2000 About Earnings by Detailed Occupation for Men and Women (CENSR-15)

Areas With Concentrated Poverty: 1999 (CENSR-16, forthcoming)

We the People: Asians in the United States (CENSR-17) 

We the People: Hispanics in the United States (CENSR-18) 

We the People: Aging in the United States (CENSR-19) 

We the People: Women and Men in the United States (CENSR-20) 

We the People of Arab Ancestry in the United States (CENSR-21)

We the People of More Than One Race in the United States (CENSR-22)

Available on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site at

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs.html#sr>.