POPULATION

The population of Modesto was estimated by the Census Bureau to be 205,721 residents as of July 1, 2006. That was an decrease of .57 percent from a year earlier and an increase of 8.2 percent from the 2000 Census.

According to the 2000 Census, Modesto's population was 188,856 residents, a 14.6 percent increase from the 164,730 residents in 1990. During the previous decade, the population increased by 54 percent from 106,963 residents in 1980.

FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION

The 2000 census recorded 29,865 foreign-born residents in Modesto. That was a 15.8 percent share of the overall population, which was much lower than for the state (26.2%). The 2000 data showed an increase of 42.8 percent in the immigrant population since 1990, which compared with an increase of 10.6 percent in the native-born population (which includes children born to immigrants) over the same period. That meant that the increase in the immigrant population directly accounted for 37.1 percent of the overall increase for the city.

In 2000, the Census recorded that nearly one-third (31.5%) of the city's foreign-born population had entered since 1990. This was lower than the rate for the state overall (36.9%). More than two-fifths (42.7%) of the foreign-born residents had become naturalized U.S. citizens. This was higher than the rate for the state overall (39.2%).

Another indicator of the impact of the foreign-born population may be seen in data on residents who speak a language other than English at home. In Modesto in 2000, the share of other-than-English speakers at home (age 5 and older) was 28.1 percent. More than two-fifths (45.9%) of those persons admitted to speaking English less than very well.

The city's foreign-born population in 1990 was about 20,900. This constituted a foreign-born population share of 12.7 percent. By comparison, the foreign-born population share of the state in 1990 was 21.7 percent.

POPULATION PROJECTION 2025

The current rate of population change between 1990-00, if continued, would result in a population in 2025 of 265,700. That is 40.7 percent larger than the number of residents in the 2000 population.

FOREIGN STUDENTS

The 2002/03 annual report of the Institute of International Education (IIE) shows the following foreign student post-secondary enrolment in schools in Modesto: Modesto Jr.C. - 101.