New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the population of Long Island continues to change.
According to the data, which were collected from 2011 through 2015, Latinos now make up almost 18 percent of the population in Suffolk County. In Nassau the Latino population rose to just under 16 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of white residents has decreased by 2 percent in Suffolk and nearly 4 percent in Nassau.
Pollster Mike Dawidziak analyzes changing demographics in his role as a political strategist. He’s not surprised by the changes.
“Those of us in the political establishment, those of us who care about demographics. have been watching this happen since the 1970s, Long Island is getting more and more diverse. Which maybe some people think is a bad thing, but a lot of us, including me, think it’s a good thing,” Dawidziak says.
In both counties the growth of African Americans and Asians increased but at a smaller rate than Latinos.