hispanic americans are the fastest growing ethnic group. at 10.4% of the metro's population in 2010, versus only 6.5% in 2000, the metro's hispanic population increased an astounding 109.6%, or 298,459 people, in ten years. major hispanic groups include 354,351 mexicans, 43,337 puerto ricans and 17,648 cubans. all of those groups' populations increased by over 90% in the ten-year period. of the metro's 299,000-person increase in the hispanic population from 2000 to 2010, 98,000 came in gwinnett county, 57,000 in cobb, 55,000 in fulton (all but 3,000 outside the city of atlanta), 20,000 in hall, and 15,000 in dekalb county.