Whites are leaving the Maryland suburbs, while more are moving into D.C. and Northern Virginia’s close-in communities as urban renewal programs entice more people to cities.
Recent Census Bureau figures show the number of whites living in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties has dropped over the past 10 years by about 2,000 and 18,000, respectively, as the minority populations there have increased.
Meanwhile, the concentration of whites in D.C. rose to 39 percent in 2009 from 31 percent nine years earlier, for an increase of 56,000 people. During the period, the number of blacks fell from more than 343,000 — 60 percent — to about 319,000, or 53 percent of the population.
Across the river, Alexandria and Arlington County were the only other jurisdictions where the concentration of whites increased. Both rose by a few percentage points to more than 63 percent of Alexandria residents and more than 70 percent in Arlington.
“D.C. and places closer in to the core have seen a lot of new housing that is in the higher end, which may be a draw to younger, more mobile and higher-income people, including whites,” said Audrey Singer, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Looking back, this will be a moment of significant change.”
The racial lines have corresponded with the urban development boon the Washington region enjoyed during the first half of the decade. Neighborhoods in the District like U Street, Columbia Heights and Chinatown have been transformed into buzzing centers of retail, nightlife and upscale residential buildings. In Arlington, development along the Metro’s Orange Line stations in Rosslyn and Clarendon has enticed an active community of young professionals.
Suburban counties in Maryland and Virginia, meanwhile, have become more diverse. Hispanics now almost equal the number of blacks in Montgomery County, with both groups making up more than 16 percent of the population. Prince George’s County also saw a jump, nearly doubling its Hispanic population during the decade. Fairfax’s growth in that demographic nearly mirrors Montgomery’s.
The region’s Asian population showed more selective growth, becoming more concentrated in Montgomery, Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties while remaining stagnant in others.
Much of that population growth is because of a steady influx of immigrants during the past decade. The percentage of foreign-born residents in every jurisdiction except the core — the District, Arlington and Alexandria — increased from 2000.
The suburbs are more desirable for immigrants
because many are younger and have or are planning to have children.
“They’re there for the same reason why anybody moves out to the suburbs,” Singer said. “Better access to housing [and] jobs.”
