Hispanic Americans By the Numbers

From the U.S. Census Bureau

by U.S. Census Bureau

Related Links Population of the U.S. by Race and Hispanic Origin U.S. Hispanic/Latino Population Persons Speaking a Language Other than English at Home Countries of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population Immigrants to U.S. by Country of Origin Educational Attainment by Race and Hispanic Origin

Population

52.0 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2011, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 16.7 percent of the nation's total population. In addition, there are 3.7 million residents of Puerto Rico, a Caribbean U.S. territory.

More than 1
. . . of every two people added to the nation's population between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009, was Hispanic. There were 1.4 million Hispanics added to the population during the period.

2.5%
Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between 2010 and 2011.

132.8 million
The projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30% of the nation's population by that date.

22.4 million
The nation’s Hispanic population during the 1990 Census—less than half the current total.

2nd
Ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2010. Only Mexico (112 million) had a larger Hispanic population than the United States (50.5 million).

63%
The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who were of Mexican background in 2010. Another 9.2 percent were of Puerto Rican background, with 3.5 percent Cuban, 3.3 percent Salvadoran and 2.8 percent Dominican. The remainder was of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.

About 44 percent of the nation's Dominicans lived in New York City in 2008 and about half of the nation's Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.

26%
Percentage of children younger than 5 who were Hispanic in 2009. All in all, Hispanics comprised 22 percent of children younger than 18.

27 years
Median age of the Hispanic population in 2012. This compared with 36.9 years for the population as a whole.

107
Number of Hispanic males in 2009 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.

States and Counties

More than 50%
The percentage of all the Hispanic-origin population that lived in California. Florida, and Texas as of July 1, 2011. According to the 2010 Census, California was home to 14.0 million Hispanics, Texas was home to 9.5 million, and Florida was third with 4.2 million.

16
The number of states with at least a half-million Hispanic residents–Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

14 million
The number of California's population that was Hispanic in 2010, the highest of any state.

6.6%
The percentage increase in the Hispanic population in Alabama between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009, which led all states.

4.7 million
The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2009 — the largest of any county in the nation. Los Angeles County also had the biggest numerical increase in the Hispanic population (78,000) since July 2008.

97%
Proportion of the population of Starr County, Texas, that was Hispanic as of 2009, which led the nation. All of the top 10 counties in this category were in Texas.

50
Number of the nation's 3,143 counties that were majority-Hispanic.

312,000
The increase in California's Hispanic population between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009, which led all states. Texas (300,000) and Florida (105,000) also recorded large increases.

25
Number of states in which Hispanics were the largest minority group in 2011. These states were Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.

Businesses

2.3 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2007, up 43.6 percent from 2002.

$350.7 billion
Receipts generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2007, up 55.5 percent from 2002.

23.7%
The percentage of businesses in New Mexico in 2007 that was Hispanic-owned, which led all states. Florida (22.4 percent) and Texas (20.7 percent) were runners-up.

30%
Percentage of Hispanic-owned businesses in the construction and the other services sectors; 50.7 percent of the receipts of these businesses were concentrated in wholesale trade, construction and retail trade.

Families and Children

10.7 million
The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2011. Of these households, 61.1 percent included children younger than 18.

63.1%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple in 2011.

61.1%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18 in 2011.

66.9%
Percentage of Hispanic children living with two married parents in 2011.

43.6%
Percentage of Hispanic married couples with children under 18 where both spouses were employed in 2011.

Spanish Language

37 million
The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2010. Those who hablan español constituted 12.8% of U.S. residents age 5 or older. More than half of these Spanish speakers spoke English "very well."

4
Number of states where at least one-in-five residents spoke Spanish at home in 2007–Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas.

75.1%
Percentage of Hispanics age 5 and older who speak Spanish at home in 2010.

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$37,759
The median income of Hispanic households in 2010.

26.6%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2010, up from 25.3 percent in 2009.

30.7%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2010, down from 31.6 percent in 2009.

Education

62.2%
The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older that had at least a high school education in 2010.

13%
The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2010.

3.6 million
The number of Hispanics 25 and older who had at least a bachelor's degree in 2010.

1.1 million
Number of Hispanics 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2010 (e.g., master's, professional, doctorate).

6.2%
Percentage of full-time college students (both undergraduate and graduate students) in October 2010 who were Hispanic.

23.2%
Percentage of elementary and high school students combined who were Hispanic in 2010.

Names

4
The number of Hispanic surnames ranked among the 15 most common in 2000. It was the first time that a Hispanic surname reached the top 15 during a census. Garcia was the most frequent Hispanic surname, occurring 858,289 times and placing eighth on the list – up from 18th in 1990. Rodriguez (ninth), Martinez (11th) and Hernandez (15th) were the next most common Hispanic surnames.

Jobs

67.8%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and older who are in the civilian labor force in 2010.

19.0%
The percentage of civilian employed Hispanics or Latinos 16 years and older who worked in management, business, science, and arts occupations in 2010.

79,440
Number of Hispanic chief executives. In addition, 50,866 physicians and surgeons; 48,720 postsecondary teachers; 38,532 lawyers; and 2,726 news analysts, reporters and correspondents were Hispanic.

Voting

9.7 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2008 presidential election, about 2 million more than voted in 2004. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting–50%–represented a statistical increase from 2004 (47%).

Serving our Country

1.2 million
The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. armed forces.