Hypergrowth of the Hispanic Population in Indianapolis, 2000–2010

Indianapolis experienced a 300 percent increase in Hispanic population between 1990 and 2010. This article examines the change in the composition of census tracts in Indianapolis between 2000 and 2010. Hispanic-white tracts and Hispanic-black-white tracts increased between the two censuses while majority-white tracts declined. Regression analysis revealed that number of Hispanics by tract in 2010 was negatively associated with percentage of black population and positively associated with number of Hispanics as of 2000. Hispanics were attracted to tracts with a higher percentage of median housing value ($50,000–$100,000), tracts with a high level of turnover between 1995 and 2000, and tracts that had a greater percentage of new dwellings built between 1990 and 2000. These results indicate that Hispanics avoid low-income tracts and have intensified their location in the core Hispanic tracts as well as advanced into the outer tracts of the city