2020 U.S. Census Results: The Changing Demographics Of Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The last 10 years have marked a dramatic shift in the demographic makeup of the United States, with a marked shrinkage of the white population and the rapid growth of the Hispanic community.

These changes were reflected in Parsippany, where the white population fell by 17.39 percent, while the Hispanic population grew by 27.11 percent. Additionally, the Asian population increased 40.48 percent.

The township is no longer majority-white, as it was in 2010, when white people represented 63.4 percent of the population. According to the latest census, the white population represents 44.4 percent of Parsippany.

Parsippany also showed a 28.26 increase in the number of people who identified themselves as multiracial, although the reasons are complex. Experts say the increase reflects changes in the way people identify themselves as well the number of children born to parents of mixed races or ethnicities, along with changes in the wording of census forms themselves.

The total population grew by about 5,000 in the past decade, reaching 56,162.

Here are Parsippany's 2020 numbers, according to the census:

• total population: 56,162
• white, non-Hispanic: 24,960
• Hispanic: 5,631
• Black, non-Hispanic: 1,911
• Asian, non-Hispanic: 21,694
• two-plus, non-Hispanic: 1,566
• other, non-Hispanic: 317
• percentage change, white, non-Hispanic: -17.39 percent
• percentage change, Hispanic: 27.11 percent
• percentage change, Black, non-Hispanic: 9.76 percent
• percentage change, Asian, non-Hispanic: 40.48 percent
• percentage change, other, non-Hispanic: 204.81 percent
• percentage change, two-plus, non-Hispanic: 28.26 percent

The Hispanic boom accounted for almost half of the overall U.S. population growth, which was the slowest since the Great Depression. By comparison, the non-Hispanic growth rate over the decade was 4.3 percent. The Hispanic share of the U.S. population grew to 18.7 percent of the U.S. population, up from 16.3 percent in 2010.

The share of the white population fell from 63.7 percent in 2010 to 57.8 percent in 2020, the lowest on record, driven by falling birthrates among white women compared with Hispanic and Asian women. The number of non-Hispanic white people shrank from 196 million in 2010 to 191 million.

Further reading:

• 5 Takeaways From The Release Of 2020 Census Data: AP Explainer
• U.S. Is Diversifying, White Population Shrinking: Census Data
  
• Census Data Sets Up Redistricting Fight Over Growing Suburbs

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