Montgomery, AL – New Census figures show Alabama's Hispanic population jumped 145 percent in the last decade to about 185,600 total residents.
Figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show Alabama's total population last year was 4.8 million. With the state's Hispanic population more than doubling since 2000, the statistics show they now make up nearly 4 percent of Alabama's total population.
Three north Alabama counties have a Hispanic population of more than 10 percent. Franklin County has a population that's about 15 percent Hispanic, which is the highest in the state. DeKalb County's population is 13.6 percent Hispanic, and. Marshall County's population is more than 12 percent Hispanic.
Experts say they're unsure how the state's tough new laws against illegal immigration will affect the number of immigrants living in Alabama.
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