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Delaware Becoming More Diverse

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The racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Delaware is now headed toward parity by 2060.

That means that it will reflect the kind of diversity that is now found in Philadelphia.

It is part of a long term trend in diversity in counties like Kent and New Castle.

And what had once been virtually all white communities in rural areas like Cecil and Dorchester counties in Maryland have changed dramatically since 1960.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that Delaware will rank 15th most-diverse state in the country by 2060 with New Castle County’s racial and ethnic mix rising to the top 6 percent of counties nationwide.

Meanwhile, Sussex County that was once the state’s most racially mixed began trailing in diversity in the 1980’s and 1990’s as the largely white resort communities have gotten larger.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.