Pasco is still mostly white, but more Hispanic

When Rosie Paulsen helped found Pasco County's first Hispanic chamber of commerce in January, the group had just a handful of members. Now it has 50.

"That right there is telling you the need is big," said Paulsen, an Ecuador-born businesswoman who runs an insurance agency in Wesley Chapel.

Paulsen's experience reflects the tremendous growth Pasco's Hispanics and racial minorities have seen in the decade since the 2000 census – growth that shows up in the county's schools, ballfields and suburban cul-de-sacs.

Recently released census figures show Pasco's minority and Hispanic populations grew dramatically between the 2000 census and last summer. The number of black and Hispanic residents tripled or nearly tripled in that time. Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander populations grew more slowly.

Pasco's new diversity came in the form of young families seeking lower housing costs during the mid-decade housing boom. Some moved into new subdivisions in formerly rural parts of Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes. Others put down roots in west Pasco communities built 30 years ago for retirees, many of whom are now dying.

For decades, those retirees helped make West Central Florida one of the whitest parts of the state, said demographer Stan Smith with the state's Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

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Pasco is still mostly white, but more Hispanic - Tampa Bay Online - June 21, 2010