ALBUQUERQUE - New Mexico has retained its place as the most Hispanic state in the union - and Hispanics are responsible for most of its growth over the past decade.

U.S. Census Bureau figures released Tuesday show New Mexico grew by more than 240,000 people over the decade to 2 million, with 78 percent of that increase from New Mexico's Hispanics.

"New Mexico didn't have a huge population increase ... but the majority of the population increase was Hispanic," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

The Hispanic population has grown from 42.1 percent of New Mexico's total in 2000 to 46.3 percent in 2010. California has the second highest rate of Hispanics, with 38 percent, Vargas said.

New Mexico is one of a handful of states in which the majority of the population belongs to minority groups.

African Americans made up 2.8 percent of the state's 2010 population, while Asians made up 2 percent. New Mexico's Native American population grew from more than 173,000 in 2000 to more than 193,000 in 2010, but the Native American percentage of the total population dropped from 9.5 percent to 9.4 percent.

However, when the population of Native Americans is counted to include people of more than one race, the percentage grew from 10.5 percent in 2000 to 10.7 percent in 2010.

The state's voting age population is more than 1.5 million. Hispanics make up about 42 percent of voting age New Mexicans.

Brian

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Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc. in Albuquerque, said the state's Hispanic population is younger, makes less income and has less education than the Caucasian population. That has implications for public schools and federal funds, he said.

The latest census figures also show New Mexico's urban areas grew rapidly over the past decade, while many of its more rural areas stagnated or even lost population. That has implications for legislative redistricting.

"It's almost inevitable that new seats would emerge in places that have grown dramatically," Sanderoff said.

The fastest growing cities were Rio Rancho, adjacent to Albuquerque, and Los Lunas, a half-hour's drive south of Albuquerque. Rio Rancho grew by more than 69 percent between 2000 and 2010, while Los Lunas grew by nearly 48 percent.