Initial numbers from the 2010 Census having to do with ethnicity and population were released last week.

And while Washington state saw a huge 71 percent increase in its Hispanic population and general population growth of 14.1 percent, Kirkland’s overall population grew at a steady 8.3 percent. The biggest growth came in Kirkland’s Asian population with an increase of 4.5 percent of the total population and the smaller Hispanic population nearly doubled.

Kirkland grew from 45,054 in 2000 to 48,787 in 2010, an increase of 7.7 percent. The percentage of those identifying themselves as white dropped by 6 percent while those identifying themselves as black or African American increased by just 0.2 percent. The hispanic population in Kirkland only grew by 2.2 percent.

But the numbers also tell another story, how large Kirkland will be after annexation takes effect on June 1 when the neighborhoods of Kingsgate, Finn-Hill and North Juanita are incorporated.

The Census names the Finn Hill neighborhood as Finn Hill/Inglewood. Inglewood is the north side of Finn Hill and technically runs down into Kenmore. But for the 2010 Census the Finn Hill/Inglewood neighborhood numbers do not include the areas in Kenmore, however they do include a small area that will be annexed into Bothell. Furthermore, the Finn Hill/Inglewood numbers also cover the area east to I-405, known to local residents as unincorporated North Juanita.

The Finn Hill/Inglewood and Kingsgate Census numbers show a combined population of 35,772. The numbers back up the City of Kirkland’s estimates on the future population of Kirkland of approximately 33,000 people living in the annexation area. Kirkland’s population after annexation could reach 84,559 on June 1, making it the 12th-largest city in the state. Finn Hill/Inglewood will contribute 22,707, while Kingsgate will contribute 13,065.

Kirkland’s Asian population increased during the past 10 years from 3,512 to 5,490, or by 36 percent. Hispanics grew from 1,852 to 3,085, or by 40 percent, while blacks or African Americans went from 717 to 855, or by 16.2 percent.

Finn Hill/Inglewood’s biggest increase came from its Hispanic population that grew from 860 to 1,455, or by 41 percent. The Asian population was the largest minority at 8.8 percent of the total population, growing from 1,435 in 2000 to 1,994 in 2010, or by 28 percent. Blacks or African Americans grew from 307 to 387, or by 21 percent.

The Kingsgate neighborhood’s Hispanic population increased from 690 to 1,232, or by 44 percent, but the Asian population grew the most of any ethnicity as a percentage of total population. During the past decade the Asian population increased from 1,413 to 2,110, or by 33 percent, while blacks or African Americans increased from 194 to 232, or by 17 percent.

Kingsgate has the largest growth in minorities out of the three areas during the past 10 years with a 27 percent increase. The overall number of whites incrementally increased in Kirkland and Kingsgate during the past decade, but actually decreased in Finn Hill/Inglewood by 551 people, or by 3.9 percent.

House Bill 1336 that is currently before the Legislature could allow the City of Kirkland to use these numbers from the federal census, as opposed to taking a recount after annexation. The measure, which could save the city $225,000, was introduced by Kirkland Councilmember Bob Sternoff and Rep. Larry Springer.

The Census Bureau will be releasing more statistics in the coming weeks, including housing, income levels and employment data. For more information, visit www.census.gov.