Eight more counties joined the list last year of those with more than a 50 percent minority population, pushing the national total to 303, according to the latest figures from the Census Bureau. The country has more than 3,000 counties.

The two largest counties passing the majority-minority threshold between July 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006 were Denver County, Colo., and East Baton Rouge Parish, La., with total populations of 566,974 and 429,073, respectively.

Texas laid claim to three of the others -- Winkler, Waller and Wharton. The other three were Blaine, Mont., Colfax, N.M., and Manassas Park, Va. (While actually an independent city, Manassas Park is the equivalent of a county as far as Census is concerned.)

As of July 1 last year, Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest minority population in the country in 2006. At 7 million, or 71 percent of its total, Los Angeles County is home to one in every 14 of the nation's minority residents, the government reported.

LA county's minority population is higher than the total population of 38 states. It holds the largest population of Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians and Alaska Natives in the country. It also has the second largest population of blacks and Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders.

Leading the nation in terms of minority population growth during the 12-month period was Harris County, Tex., which gained 121,400 minority residents. Harris, which includes Houston, now has a minority population of 2.5 million, which is 63 percent of its total. Its minority population ranks third nationally, not far behind second place Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago.

Based on total population, Starr County on the Texas border with Mexico had the highest proportion of minority residents of all counties -- 98 percent. Among the nation's 25 most populous counties, Miami-Dade County, Fla., had the highest proportion minority, at 82 percent.

Here are some of the bureau's statistics with respect to each of the individual minority groups:

HISPANIC

• Largest concentration: Los Angeles County, 4.7 million; Harris County, 1.5 million, Miami-Dade, 1.5 million.

• Largest numerical increase: Maricopa County (Phoenix) Ariz., 71,000; Harris County, 63,000.

• Largest proportion: All of the 11 counties with the largest proportion of Hispanics were in Texas, with Starr County leading the way at 98 percent.

BLACK

• Largest Concentration: Cook, 1.4 million; Los Angles, 1 million.

• Largest Numerical Increase: Harris, 52,000; East Baton Rouge Parrish, 19,000.

• Largest Proportion: All 50 counties with the highest percentage of African Americans are in the South, led by Claiborne County, Miss., which is 85 percent black.

ASIAN

• Largest Concentration: Los Angeles, 1.4 million; Santa Clara County (San Jose) Calif., 556,000.

• Largest Numerical Increase: Santa Clara, 17,600; Los Angeles, 15,700.

• Largest Proportion: Honolulu County, Hawaii, 59 percent. Only one other county is majority Asian, and that, too, is in Hawaii -- Kauai. At 34 percent, San Francisco has the largest concentration of Asians of any mainland city.

AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE

• Largest Concentration: Los Angeles, 150,000; Maricopa, 95,000.

• Largest Numerical Increase: Maricopa, 3,700; Riverside County, Calif, 1,600.

• Largest Proportion: Shannon County, S.D., 88 percent of its total population of 13,800. Shannon is the first county ever where the majority of its residents are American Indian and Alaska Native.

NON-HISPANIC WHITE ALONE

• Largest Concentration: Despite having the largest concentrations of Hispanics, Asians and Indians, and the second largest concentration of Blacks, Los Angeles also has a nation-leading 2.9 million residents who are non-Hispanics white. Cook has 2.4 million.

• Largest Numerical Increase: Maricopa, 35,500; Wake (Raleigh) N.C., 18,700.

• Largest Proportion: Magoffin County, Ky., 98.9 percent (13,400) and Mitchell County, Iowa, 98.9 percent (10,900).

Published: November 7, 2007

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.