Changing Face of Highland & The Inland Empire (Highland Community News 080306)

The last few Serveys that determin the population growth of County areas has determined that Riverside was Number One, however San Bernardino was Number Two. Riverside and San Bernardino have been going back and forth on the One and Two Spot for Growth in California for the last two years or so, but it has been the last year that Riverside and San Bernardino has been Number One and Two for Counties Population Growth in the United States. Which is amazing. However lately the home sales have slowed some. This might effect the sales and growth. People may stay where they are for a while longer to save more money or to see how low the price of homes will drop before the decide to purchase a home.

After all that is what I did, and at the time I didn't wait long enough. I should have waited another year or so. If I would have done that I would not have the great home that I have. So, what can I do, I cannot complain about anything really.

I am just sad that the price of homes in our area is dropping some, but for my friends that are looking for property to purchase I want the property value to drop some for them!

BSRanch

Changing face of Highland and the Inland Empire

By David Avila, Community News Staff Writer

In San Bernardino Valley the face of the area has changed from orange tree blossoms to people and more people.

Ignited by the housing boom, the population of the area will continue to grow and it will include more Hispanics, Asians and more Whites says one economic expert and demographic expert.

According to John Husing, the economic analyst for the Inland areas that include San Bernardino County and Riverside County, of the 3.7 million people living in the Inland Empire the largest ethnic group is the White population at 1.6 million and represent 43 percent of the total population. Next are Hispanics at 1.5 million representing 42 percent of the population.

Dr. David Hayes-Bautista says the number of Hispanics will steadily increase.

According to Hayes-Bautista, a health and demographics professor at UCLA, the influx of Hispanics will continue and eventually reach 70 percent in the state by the year 2050. Also, the number of Asians arriving will eventually rival and surpass the Black population in the state.

The population numbers between 2000 and 2004 reflect those increase projections.

From 2000 to 2004 the Inland Empire saw 47,712 more Asians, 24,875 more Blacks, 61,016 more Whites and 328,263 more Hispanics.

Hayes-Bautista said by the halfway point of this century 50 percent of the population will speak Spanish and 20 percent will speak an Asian language.

Beginning in the late 1990s, after the Asian continent took an economic downfall, cargo from that area because of changing economic philosophies of China, began to increase and will not see any changes soon.

Recently, the marketing manager for San Bernardino International Airport traveled to China and found many Chinese companies interested in the Inland Empire area.

“They are very interested,” said Penny Chua after returning from a two-week trip to China last Spring. “China will be a big partner for this area.”

Last year former San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles traveled to China and also found that country is very interested in exchanging ideas.

“They're coming,” said Valles. “It's just a matter of time.”

One company in China investigated the possibility of putting in a bullet train from Orange County to Las Vegas. Others have also looked into the idea including Japan.

Locally, despite recent efforts to increase border patrols and beef up barriers, the massive numbers of people seeking to enter the country from not only Mexico, but South America and Central America, will result in marked increases in the Hispanic population.

“The Inland Empire's housing boom caused its population to grow by 454,447 people,” Husing stated in his quarterly economic report for July 2006. “Of these new people 72.2 percent were Hispanics.”