How Diverse Are We? A Look at the Numbers

So how diverse is the Chippewa Valley, anyway? As we wrote when we first asked that question in these pages four years ago, the answer depends on your perspective – and your definition of diversity.

Figures for the racial and ethnic background of Chippewa Valley residents are relatively easy to track down, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau. They show a region that is gradually growing more diverse, but that (unsurprisingly) remains largely white.

Walk down the street in the City of Eau Claire and about 85% percent of the people you’ll see will be white, according to the 2020 census. Nonetheless, the figure has changed over the years: In the 2000 census, for instance, the city was more than 93% white...