Hispanic Americans By the Numbers
From the
U.S. Census Bureau
by U.S. Census Bureau
Population
45.5
million The estimated Hispanic population of the United
States as of July 1, 2007, making people of Hispanic origin the
nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15% of
the nation’s total population. In addition, there are approximately
3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.
About 1
. . . of every two people added to the nation’s population between
July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, was Hispanic. There were 1.4 million
Hispanics added to the population during the period.
3.3%
Percentage increase in the Hispanic
population between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, making Hispanics the
fastest-growing minority group.
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 2007. Only Mexico (108.7 million) had a larger
Hispanic population than did the United States (45.5 million). (Spain had a
population of 40.4 million.)
64%
The
percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who are of Mexican
background. Another 9% are of Puerto Rican background, with 3.4% Cuban, 3.1%
Salvadoran and 2.8% Dominican. The remainder are of some other Central
American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
About
50% of the nation’s Dominicans live in New York City and about half of
the nation’s Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
27.6
years
Median age of the Hispanic population in 2006. This
compares with 36.4 years for the population as a whole.
107
Number of Hispanic males in 2007 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
48%
The percentage of the Hispanic-origin
population that lives in California or Texas. California is home to 13.2
million Hispanics, and Texas is home to 8.6 million.
16
The number of states with at least a
half-million Hispanic residents. They are Arizona, California, Colorado,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
44%
The percentage of New Mexico’s
population that is Hispanic, the highest of any state. Hispanics also make
up more than a quarter of the population in California and Texas, at 36%
each, Arizona (30%) and Nevada (25%).
4.7
million
The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County,
Calif., in 2007—the largest of any county in the nation. Maricopa
County, Ariz. (home of Phoenix) had the biggest numerical increase in the
Hispanic population (60,700) since July
2006.
97%
Proportion of the population of Starr
County, Texas, that was Hispanic as of 2007, which led the nation. In fact,
each of the top 10 counties in this category was in Texas.
308,000
The increase in Texas’ Hispanic
population between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, which led all states.
California (268,000) and Florida (131,000) also recorded large
increases.
20
Number of states in which
Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are Arizona,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas,
Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Businesses
1.6 million
The number of
Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.
Triple
The
rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002 (31%)
compared with the national average (10%) for all businesses.
$222 billion
Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned
businesses in 2002, up 19% from 1997.
44.6%
.
. . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by Mexicans, Mexican-Americans
and Chicanos.
29,168
Number of Hispanic-owned
firms with receipts of $1 million or more.
- Nearly 43% of Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction;
administrative and support, and waste management and remediation
services; and other services, such as personal services, and repair and
maintenance. Retail and wholesale trade accounted for nearly 36% of
Hispanic-owned business revenue.
- Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los
Angeles County (188,422); Miami-Dade County (163,187); and Harris
County, Texas (61,934).
Families and Children
9.9 million
The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2006. Of
these households, 62% included children younger than 18.
67%
The percentage of Hispanic families consisting
of a married couple.
44%
The percentage of
Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children
younger than 18.
66%
Percentage of Hispanic
children living with two married parents.
24%
Percentage of total population younger than 5 that was Hispanic as of July
1, 2007.
Spanish Language
34 million
The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who speak Spanish at home. Spanish
speakers constitute 12% of U.S. residents.
29%
Percentage of Texas residents 5 and older who speak Spanish at home, which
leads all states. (The percentage for Texas is not significantly different
from that of New Mexico, however.) This compares with the national average
of 12%.
78%
Percentage of Hispanics 5 and
older who speak Spanish at home.
Income, Poverty and Health
Insurance
$38,679
The median income of
Hispanic households in 2007, statistically unchanged from the previous year
after adjusting for inflation.
21.5%
The
poverty rate among Hispanics in 2007, up from 20.6% in 2006.
32.1%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked
health insurance in 2007, down from 34.1% in 2006.
Education
60%
The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older who
had at least a high school education in 2007.
13%
The percentage of the Hispanic population 25
and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007.
3.3 million
The number of Hispanics 18 and older
who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2007, up from 1.7 million a
decade earlier.
811,000
Number of Hispanics 25
and older with advanced degrees in 2007 (e.g., master’s, professional,
doctorate).
11%
Percentage of all college
students in October 2006 who were Hispanic. Among elementary and high school
students combined, the corresponding proportion was 19%.
Educational
attainment levels are higher among certain Hispanic groups than among
others. For example, among Cubans 25 and older, 75% were at least high
school graduates, and 26% had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Jobs
68%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and
older who are in the civilian labor force.
17%
The percentage of Hispanics 16 or older who work in management, professional
and related occupations. Roughly the same percentage work in construction,
extraction, maintenance and repair occupations (although this percentage is
significantly lower than for those in management, professional and related
occupations). Approximately 24% of Hispanics 16 or older work in service
occupations; 22% in sales and office occupations; 2% in farming, fishing and
forestry occupations; and 18% in production, transportation and material
moving occupations.
82,500
Number of Hispanic
chief executives. In addition, 46,200 physicians and surgeons; 53,600
postsecondary teachers; 43,000 lawyers; and 5,700 news analysts, reporters
and correspondents are Hispanic.
Voting
7.6
million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting
in the 2004 presidential election. The percentage of Hispanic citizens
voting—about 47%—did not change statistically from four years
earlier.
5.6 million
The number of Hispanic
citizens who reported voting in the 2006 congressional elections. The
percentage of Hispanic citizens voting—about 32%—did not change
statistically from four years earlier.
Serving our Country
1.1 million
The number of Hispanic veterans of the
U.S. armed forces.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
