Dallas has experienced dramatic demographic changes over the past century. Historically, the city was predominantly White—non-Hispanic Whites made up 82.8% of the population in 1930—but immigration, white flight, and urban growth have diversified the population. Today, non-Hispanic Whites constitute less than one-third of residents, while Hispanic and Latino Americans form the largest ethnic group in the city.

According to 2020 census data, 28.8% of Dallas residents were non-Hispanic White, 24.8% were Black or African American, 2.9% were Asian, 0.7% were American Indian or Alaska Native, and 2.6% identified with two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans of any race comprised 42.4% of the population, with Mexican Americans representing the majority. This trend has continued, with 2019 estimates showing 41.2% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

Dallas neighborhoods reflect these patterns of diversity. Oak Cliff and parts of South Dallas are predominantly Hispanic, while Pleasant Grove and southeast Dallas are home to both Black and Hispanic communities. North Dallas contains enclaves of White, Black, and Hispanic populations. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has also become a major destination for African Americans relocating during the New Great Migration, with the area ranking second nationally for new Black residents between 2010 and 2020, just behind Atlanta. Immigrants from the Horn of Africa—particularly Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia—have also settled in the city.

The region hosts a growing Russian-speaking community, largely from the former Soviet Bloc, including Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, and Central Asian populations. Asian Americans are increasingly prominent in Dallas and its suburbs, with significant Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese communities. The northern suburb of Plano is home to one of the largest Chinese American populations in the U.S., while the Plano-Richardson area also has a sizeable Iranian American community.

Overall, Dallas’s population is a vibrant mix of ethnicities, languages, and cultures. Approximately one-quarter of city residents are foreign-born, creating a multilingual, multicultural urban environment that continues to shape the city’s economy, neighborhoods, and cultural identity.