Hispanic Facts and Stats

September 15 to October 15 marks Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. As of 2005, only Mexico and Colombia have larger Hispanic populations than does the U.S. Learn more facts about the country's fastest-growing minority group, based on information compiled mainly by the U.S. Census Bureau.

POPULATION

44.3 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2006, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15% of the nation´s total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.)
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...
and
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007...

About 1
.. . . of every two people added to the nation's population between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, was Hispanic.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

3.4%
Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

102.6 million
The projected Hispanic population of the US as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 24% of the nation's total population by that date.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001...

22.4 million
The nation's Hispanic population during the 1990 census - just slightly over half the current total.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf

3rd
Ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2005. Only Mexico (106.2 million) and Colombia (43 million) had larger Hispanic populations than did the United States (42.7 million). (Spain had a population of 40.3 million.)
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbsum.html

27.4 years
Median age of the Hispanic population in 2006. This compares with 36.4 years for the population as a whole.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

107
The number of Hispanic males in 2006 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

STATES and COUNTIES

48%
The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that lives in California or Texas. California is home to 13.1 million Hispanics, and Texas is home to 8.4 million.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

15
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 and Washington.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

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; and in Arizona, at 29%.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

4.7 million
The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif. - the largest of any county in the nation.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/007...

305,000
The increase in Texas' Hispanic population between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, which led all states. California (283,000), Florida (161,000) and Arizona (102,000) also recorded large increases.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

22
Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010...

BUSINESSES

Source for statements in this section: Hispanic-owned Firms: 2002, at http://www.census.gov/csd/sbo/hispanic2002.htm

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.

45%
. . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and Chicanos.

29,168
The number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.

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 36% of Hispanic-owned business revenue.

States with the fastest rates of growth for Hispanic-owned firms between 1997 and 2002 included New York (57%), Georgia and Rhode Island (56% each), and Nevada and South Carolina (48% each).

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 U.S. in 2006. Of these households, 62% included children younger than 18.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_house...

67%
The ercentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_house...

44%
The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_house...

66%
The percentage of Hispanic children living with two married parents.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/families_house...

INCOME, POVERTY and HEALTH INSURANCE

$37,800
Median income of Hispanic households in 2006, statistically unchanged from the previous year after adjusting for inflation.
(Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006, at
http://www.census.gov/Press- Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/010583.html.

20.6%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2006, down from 21.8% in 2005.
(Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006, at
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/....

34.1%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2006, up from 32.3% in 2005.
(Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006, at
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/....

EDUCATION

59%
The percentage of Hispanics aged 25 and older who had at least a high school education in 2006.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/0097...

12%
The percentage of the Hispanic population aged 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2006.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/0097...

Overall one-third of the U.S. population aged 25 years and older has a college degree.

3.1 million
The number of Hispanics aged 18 and older who had at least a bachelor's degree in 2006, up from 1.4 million a decade earlier.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/0097...

839,000
The number of Hispanics aged 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2006 (e.g., master's, professional, doctorate).
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/0097...

11%
The percentage of all college students in October 2005 who were Hispanic. Among elementary and high school students combined, the corresponding proportion was 19%.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/education/0079...

Educational attainment levels are higher among certain Hispanic groups than among others. For example, among Cubans ages 25 and older, 73 percent were at least high school graduates, and 24% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/american_commu...

VOTING

7.6 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2004 presidential election.
(Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2004,at http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986....