ST. PAUL — Minnesota is becoming more ethnically diverse that it was decades ago.

State demographer Susan Brower said nearly one of every five Minnesotans is a person of color. The federal census shows that includes blacks, Hispanics, Asian, Native American or those of multiple ethnic groups.

The diversity is even more pronounced among children. Brower said a quarter of Minnesota children are people of color. While the state becomes more diverse, its ethic population is much lower that the United States in general. About 36 percent of the U.S. population is ethnically diverse.

Brower provided the snapshot of population trends at a House committee meeting Monday at the state Capitol.