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

• The Hispanic population in Pennsylvania is the 14th largest in the nation.⁴  About 719,000 Hispanics reside in Pennsylvania, 1.4% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Pennsylvania’s population is 6% Hispanic, ranking 33rd in Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 353,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania—the 10th largest Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
• Some 4% of Pennsylvania eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 28th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
• Nearly half (49%) of Hispanics in Pennsylvania are eligible to vote, ranking Pennsylvania eighth nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 80% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote. 

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Fully 35% of Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania are ages 18 to 29, greater than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 20% of all Pennsylvania eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania, 13% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 4% of all Pennsylvania eligible voters and 8% nationwide.
• Hispanic Origin. Unlike in the overall U.S., Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania are most likely of Puerto Rican origin. Two-thirds (66%) of Hispanic eligible voters in the state are Puerto Rican, while Mexicans make up 9% of the total and Dominicans 5%. Among Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, nearly six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 3% are Dominican.
• Educational Attainment. More than one-in-four Latino eligible voters in Pennsylvania (26%) have not completed high school, more than double the 11% of all Pennsylvania eligible voters who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. Less than half of Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania (48%) live in owner-occupied homes, below the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Pennsylvania (72%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Pennsylvania, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania by more than 22 to 1. Hispanics are outnumbered by blacks by more than 2 to 1 among eligible voters, but the number of Hispanics eligible to vote is about double that of Asians.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than Asian, black and white eligible voters in Pennsylvania. Some 35% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 29% of Asian eligible voters, 26% of black eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do black, Asian and white eligible voters in Pennsylvania. Some 26% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 18% of black eligible voters, 17% of Asian eligible voters and 10% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (48%) are slightly less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (50%) eligible voters in Pennsylvania, and they have far lower homeownership rates than white (76%) or Asian (72%) eligible voters in the state.