Despite growing diversity, whites remain majority in US
( 2001-08-12 12:00 ) (7 )

Despite growing racial diversity in the United States, the 2000 census shows that whites remain the largest racial group across the country.

Nearly 217 million people, or 77 percent of the population, reported their racial makeup as white or white mixed with one more other race.

The census showed that whites were the largest racial group in every state but Hawaii, with the widest majority found in the Midwest with 85 percent.

In eight states, whites made up less than 70 percent of the population, including Hawaii, California, George and New Mexico. Some 32 percent of respondents living in the capital city of Washington reported themselves as white.

Among cities with populations larger than 100,000, Livonia, Michigan had the highest proportion of whites at 97 percent.

Census data on race cannot be directly compared to data from earlier surveys, because 2000 marked the first time respondents were permitted to mark more than one race on their questionnaires.