U.S. Census data reveal increase in diversity

Elmont has always been considered a diverse community, with more than 80 languages being spoken in the community, but it’s become even more diverse in the past decade, according to 2010 U.S. Census data. In 2000, the whites were Elmont’s largest group; 2010 census data shows that African-Americans now make up the majority of the population — nearly half, or 45.5 percent, of Elmont’s total population is black.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census data, Elmont’s population is 33,198 — a 1.7 percent increase from its population in 2000. As the number of white residents declined by 36.5 percent since 2000 U.S. Census data was released, going from 14,878 in 2000 to 9,446, Elmont’s population of blacks increased by 33.4 percent, going from 11,329 in 2000 to 15,109 in 2010.

Elmont’s population is currently 28.5 percent white, 10.9 percent Asian and 21.8 percent Hispanic. Nearly 11 percent of the population is comprised of other races, and 4.2 percent are individuals of two or more races.

In 2000, the Census Bureau included the “some other race” category for responses that could not be classified in any of the other race categories on the questionnaire — a category that continued for the 2010 census. Additionally, individuals were first presented with the “two ore more races“ category in the 2000 census, and this category was used again for 2010. Respondents who reported more than one of the six race groups are included in the “two or more races” population.

Elmont’s Asian population has increased by 22.5 percent; the 2000 census reported that there were 2,968 Asians in the community, and in 2010, 3,635 Asians were recorded as living in the community. The community’s Hispanic population increased by nearly 55 percent — from 4,672 in 2000 to 7,236 in 2010. Although Elmont has become more diverse in almost every respect, its multiracial population decreased slightly, by 5 percent — from 1,454 in 2000 to 1,382 in 2010.