Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Georgia

This statistical profile provides key demographic information of Latino eligible voters in Georgia.¹ It also contains data on other major groups of eligible voters in Georgia.² All data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Georgia’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Georgia is the 10th-largest in the nation. Some 780,000 Hispanics reside in Georgia, 2% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• The population in Georgia is 8% Hispanic, the 23rd-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 178,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Georgia—the 17th-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• Some 3% of eligible voters in Georgia are Latinos, the 29th-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• One-quarter (23%) of Latinos in Georgia are eligible to vote, ranking Georgia 50th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 76% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Georgia (32%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (31%) in that age range. By contrast, only 23% of all Georgia eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Georgia (34%) are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 4% of all Georgia eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Georgia are less likely to be native-born citizens (66%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. Two-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in Georgia (22%) have not completed high school. That was less than the rate for all Latino eligible voters—26%—but greater than the rate for U.S. eligible voters nationwide—13%.
• Homeownership. More than six-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in Georgia (63%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Seven-in-ten (70%) of all eligible voters in Georgia and eligible voters nationwide live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Georgia, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. Among the total population in Georgia, whites outnumber Hispanics by a margin of 7 to 1. However, white eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Georgia by 24 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Georgia. More than three-in-ten (32%) of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared with 27% of black eligible voters and 20% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white eligible voters in Georgia. Some 22% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained at least a high school diploma compared with 13% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters are less likely than white eligible voters in Georgia to live in owner-occupied homes—63% versus 77%.