Is Boise, Idaho, more racially diverse than Portland? | Fact brief

Portland is slightly more racially diverse than Boise, Idaho, based on 2020 census data.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 83.6% of Boise residents identify as “white alone.” Other residents identify as Black, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, multiracial or another race, while 9.5% identify as Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In Portland, 80.1% of residents identify as “white alone.” The city has a significantly larger proportion of Black residents, 9%, compared with just 1.4% in Boise. Still, Boise has a higher share of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander or multiracial.

At the state level, Maine continues to rank last nationally for racial and ethnic diversity, according to the Census Bureau. Residents identifying as “white alone, not Hispanic or Latino,” made up 90.2% of Maine’s population as of 2020. Vermont and West Virginia tied for second-to-least diverse at 89.1%.