Census: More Kansans identifying as multiracial

? The U.S. census Bureau says the number of Kansans identifying themselves as multiracial grew over the past decade.

According to census figures, almost 86,000 residents of Kansans identified themselves as belonging to two or more racial groups. That was 3 percent of the state’s total population of 2.85 million.

The 2010 figure is 52 percent greater than the figure reported for 2000, about 56,000 Kansans. Residents who identified themselves as multiracial made up 2.1 percent of the state’s total population.

The Census Bureau says about 24,000 Kansans reported being white and black, while 23,000 reported being white and American Indian.

About 55 percent of the people identified as having two or more races were under 18.