In a powerful sign of the region's growing diversity, more Hispanics than Anglos now live in Harris County as it led the nation in growth of minority residents, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released today.

There were an estimated 1.48 million Hispanics in Harris County in July 2006, or 38.2 percent of the county's total. That exceeded, for the first time, the county's estimated 1.44 million Anglo residents, who make up 36.9 percent of the population.

That marks a significant reversal since 2000, when the Hispanic percentage in Harris was 33; for Anglos it was 42.

What happened here? Well Houston's previous white and black populations were not edged out of Harris County. The number of non-Hispanic/non-whites stayed the same because there were a large number of refugees from the Katrina disaster-and some immigration from non-Hispanic parts of the world.

Mathematically, the diversity of Harris county is now starting to decrease. It is now simply becoming more Hispanic-and will likely soon start to become less black.