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Latinos in the 2012 Election: Ohio

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters1 and other major groups of eligible voters in Ohio.2 All demographic data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.3

Hispanics in Ohio’s Eligible Voter Population

  • The Hispanic population in Ohio ranks 23rd in the nation.4 About 355,000 Hispanics reside in Ohio, 0.7% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Ohio’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 42nd ranked Hispanic population share nationally.
  • There are 166,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio—the 19th largest Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
  • Some 2% of Ohio eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 40th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
  • Fully 47% of Hispanics in Ohio are eligible to vote, ranking 13th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, more than three-quarters (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

  • Age. More than three-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio (32%) are ages 18 to 29, just below the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 20% of all Ohio eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio, 13% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 3% of all Ohio eligible voters and 8% nationwide.
  • Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. More than four-in-ten (44%) Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio are of Mexican origin, while another 33% are of Puerto Rican origin and 23% are of another Hispanic origin. Among Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, nearly six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 26% are of some other Hispanic origin.
  • Educational Attainment. Nearly one-in-four Latino eligible voters in Ohio (23%) have not completed high school, about double the 12% of all Ohio eligible voters who have not completed high school.
  • Homeownership. More than half of Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio (54%) live in owner-occupied homes, just below the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Ohio (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes. 

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Ohio, by Race and Ethnicity

  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio by nearly 44 to 1. Black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by about 6 to 1, but there are about twice as many Hispanic eligible voters as Asian eligible voters in Ohio.
  • Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black, white and Asian eligible voters in Ohio. Some 32% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 24% of black eligible voters and 19% of both Asian and white eligible voters.
  • Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do black, Asian and white eligible voters in Ohio. Some 23% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 19% of black eligible voters, 12% of eligible Asian eligible voters and 11% of white eligible voters. However, a larger share of Hispanic eligible voters (16%) than black eligible voters (12%) in Ohio have bachelor’s degrees.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (54%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (42%) eligible voters in Ohio, but they are less likely to do so than Asian (77%) or white (75%) eligible voters in Ohio.

 

  1. Eligible voters are defined as U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Eligible voters are not the same as registered voters. To cast a vote, in all states except North Dakota, an eligible voter must first register to vote.
  2. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.
  3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is the largest household survey in the United States, with a sample of about 3 million addresses. The data used for this statistical profile come from the 2010 ACS Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), representing a 1% sample of the U.S. population. Like any survey, estimates from the ACS are subject to sampling error and (potentially) measurement error. More information is available on ACS sampling strategy and associated error.
  4. Rankings for “Percent of Hispanic population eligible to vote” are based on the District of Columbia and the 46 states whose Hispanic samples in the 2010 ACS are large enough to generate reliable estimates. All other rankings are based on the District of Columbia and the 50 states.
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