Trends in Racial & Ethnic Diversity

The following StoryMap analyzes the evolution of the City of Alexandria’s racial and ethnic diversity since 1990. The first series of maps looks at neighborhood change over time of individual races and ethnicities. The second series of maps shows change in racial prevalence in individual census tracts. The third series of maps reveal the most common racial or ethnic group in those tracts where no one race or ethnicity constitutes a numeric majority. The data shows that while racial and ethnic diversity has increased at a citywide level over the reporting period, diversity within neighborhoods and census tracts has not reflected the same rate of increase.

This analysis is based on the  race  and  Hispanic origin  classifications as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. For information on current racial and ethnic diversity, as related to equity, please visit the City’s  Equity Index Map .

The historical map series below illustrates the neighborhood level transformation of Alexandria’s racial and ethnic composition from 1990 to 2020 by census tract.

Click on a census tract in the interactive maps to see population data describing the area.

The time series of maps that follows illustrates the tract level changes in Alexandria from 1990 – 2020, depicting the transformation of a predominantly white city in 1990 to an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse city by 2020. The maps illustrate that diversity has grown overall, where diversity is having the most influence, and where the city remains predominantly White.

Click on a census tract in the interactive maps to see population data for the area.

• The data in this report reflect the Race and Ethnicity classifications used by the U.S. Census Bureau following the standards determined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The U.S. Census Bureau provides information on the  race  and  Hispanic origin  classifications.

• This report examines U.S Census data on race and ethnicity by cross-tabulating Hispanic origin by race. The designations of Black, Asian or Pacific Islander, and white refers to people self-identifying with their respective single race and who do not identify as Hispanic ethnicity. These racial groups may also be denoted as non-Hispanic populations of Black, Asian, or white people in the text. Hispanics may be of any race. For the purpose of this analysis, they are counted only in the Hispanic category.

• The “Other Race” category includes people who identify as “American Indian and Alaska Native”, “Some Other Race”, and “Two or More Races”, but not Hispanic.
• The U.S. Census periodically adjusts Census Tract boundaries. Each decade’s maps and data reflected are those that were in effect at the time.