(Newser) – Minority babies now outnumber white infants in the US, preliminary Census estimates show, a finding that indicates racial and ethnic minorities will become the nation's majority by the middle of the century. Just under half of all children under 3 are non-Hispanic whites, down from more than 60% in 1990, the AP reports. Meanwhile, 80% of seniors in America are white, as are 73% of those aged 45-64.

"It's clear the younger generation is very demographically different from the elderly, something to keep in mind as politics plays out on how programs for the elderly get supported," says one activist. A demographer adds that the findings also show the US must "integrate and educate a new diverse child population." In twelve states and the District of Columbia, less than 50% of children under five are white; seven more states could flip in the next 10 years. Click for more on the latest census findings. (Read more 2010 census stories.)

