The population of the city of Orlando grew from 128,291 in 1980 to 164,693 in 1990 and was 181,175 in 1998. The four-county Orlando metropolitan area grew even more rapidly, increasing from 805,000 in 1980 to an estimated 1,390,574 people in 1995. Today, nearly seven out of every eight metropolitan residents live outside of Orlando, the region's central city.
According to the 1990 census, whites are 68.6 percent of the population, blacks 26.9 percent, Asians and Pacific Islanders 1.5 percent, and Native Americans 0.3 percent. The remainder are of mixed heritage or did not report ethnicity. Hispanics, who may be of any race, are 8.6 percent of the people.
