More than one-third of metro areas have fewer people than they did 50 years ago, according to a new study released Wednesday.
The research, led by the University of Minnesota, also finds that the metro area is more diverse, with the number of white, Asian and Latino residents at roughly the same levels they were 50 years earlier.
The study, which analyzes Census data from the 2000 to 2014 periods, also found that metro areas that have seen a rapid increase in population over the past 50 years have experienced more economic growth.
While the Midwest and Northeast saw a slight increase in the number and share of white people in the metro areas during this period, the West and South saw decreases in the numbers and share.
“These changes have had a significant impact on metro areas and on the regional economies they serve,” said Jason Miller, a professor of public policy at the University at Buffalo who co-authored the report.
“It is important to recognize that metro populations are changing and the region’s growth and stability depend on them.”
The new report also shows that the region is home to more than 300 million people, more than any other region.
It’s also home to some of the nation’s most diverse metro areas.
“While diversity in the region has not been as dramatic as it has in other regions, it is still growing,” Miller said.
“It’s really important to look at how diverse the metro region is because it is an important indicator of economic health and the future of this region,” he said.
“The U.S. economy has benefited from more than doubling in population in just the last 20 years, so it is important for us to look closely at how we are doing.”
Miller also noted that, in the 20 years after World War II, the number in the U.N. Population Division’s Global Diversity Index fell to just 13 percent.
That’s a level the U-M team says is not sustainable.
“While the U,S.
Census Bureau’s projections for 2050, if they are correct, show that the U is not likely to meet the 2050 goal of 100 percent diversity in population, there is still much that can be done,” Miller noted.
The study’s findings also highlight the need for better data collection and analysis, including data from more census tracts and census blocks, and a more diverse population sample.