ARLINGTON -- Though he is 7,000 miles away from his family in Jordan, Mohammad Al-abed said he feels at home in Arlington's diverse community.
Al-abed moved to Arlington in 2004 on a student visa to study biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington."There is a huge international community in Arlington," said the 31-year-old, who graduated with a master's degree and is now working on his Ph.D. "I do feel like this is my home. You never feel that you are an outsider."It's easy to see why he doesn't feel alone. Nearly 19 percent of Arlington's population is foreign-born, a greater percentage than Fort Worth and most other Tarrant County cities. Only Forest Hill, Haltom City and River Oaks have a higher percentage of foreign-born citizens, according to 2009 American Community Survey.In the past decade, the white majority shrank from 67.7 percent to 59 percent. Meanwhile, the African-American population increased from 45,727 in 2000 to 68,792 in 2010. Arlington also has Tarrant County's second-largest Asian-American population at 24,826 residents, only about 2,800 fewer than Fort Worth.The census also shows Arlington's Hispanic population grew 65 percent from 60,817 people in 2000 to 100,269 in 2010."Being a diversified city is very healthy for all of us. We learn to live together, work together and play together," Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said. "Every diverse group of people brings something unique to the city."Overall, the city grew about 10 percent in population.Though not all census data have been released, Arlington's biggest growth is likely to be in the southeast. According to unofficial data released by the city, the Arlington City Council District 3 in the southeast grew from 69,900 residents in 2000 to 97,900 in 2010.Susan Schrock, 817-390-7639Population: 365,438
Median household income: $52,847
Change from 2000: Up nearly 11 percent
Median age: 31.2
Households with a person 65 or older: 14.2 percent
Average family size: 3.39
Households with people under 18: 40.4 percent
Owner-occupied housing: 58.3 percent
Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,443
Mean commute time: 25.5 minutes
Homeowners with no mortgage: 22.7 percent
Sources: The American Community Survey, 2010 U.S. Census
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