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Latinos in the 2012 Election: Indiana

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters1 and other major groups of eligible voters in Indiana.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 Indiana’s Eligible Voter Population

  • The Hispanic population in Indiana ranks 21st in the nation.4 About 390,000 Hispanics reside in Indiana, 0.8% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Indiana’s population is 6% Hispanic, ranking 30th in Hispanic population share nationally.
  • There are 141,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana—ranking 22nd in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
  • Some 3% of Indiana eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 31st in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
  • More than one-third (36%) of Hispanics in Indiana are eligible to vote, ranking Indiana 32nd nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, more than three-quarters (77%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

  • Age. More than one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (36%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all Indiana eligible voters and of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana, 18% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 2% of all eligible voters in Indiana and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S overall.
  • Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana are of Mexican origin, 13% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 15% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, a similar share are Puerto Rican (14%), and about a quarter (26%) are of some other Hispanic origin.
  • Educational Attainment. One-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Indiana (26%) have not completed high school, double the 13% of all Indiana eligible voters who have not completed high school.
  • Homeownership. More than six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (63%) live in owner-occupied homes, slightly more than the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Indiana (72%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Indiana, by Race and Ethnicity

  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana by nearly 29 to 1, and black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by nearly 3 to 1. Hispanic eligible voters outnumber Asian eligible voters by more than 3 to 1.
  • Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black, Asian and white eligible voters in Indiana. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 26% of black and Asian eligible voters and 20% of white eligible voters.
  • Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do black, white and Asian eligible voters in Indiana. Some 26% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 18% of black eligible voters, 12% of white eligible voters and 10% of Asian eligible voters. A similar share of Hispanic (13%) and black (12%) Indiana eligible voters have a bachelor’s degree or more, compared with 51% of Asians and 22% of whites.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (63%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (44%) eligible voters in Indiana, but they are less likely to do so than white (76%) or Asian (72%) eligible voters in Indiana.
  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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