Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Latinos in the 2012 Election: Wyoming

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

  • The Hispanic population in Wyoming ranks 43rd in the nation.4 About 50,000 Hispanics reside in Wyoming, 0.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Wyoming’s population is 9% Hispanic, ranking 22nd in Hispanic population share nationally.
  • There are 25,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming—ranking 42nd in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
  • Some 6% of Wyoming eligible voters are Hispanic, the 17th-largest Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
  • More than half (51%) of Hispanics in Wyoming are eligible to vote, ranking Wyoming sixth 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. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming (33%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all eligible voters both in Wyoming and nationwide are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming, 11% are naturalized U.S. citizens, less than Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (25%). Only 1% of all eligible voters in Wyoming are naturalized citizens, as are 8% of all U.S. eligible voters.
  • Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. More than seven-in-ten (71%) Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming are of Mexican origin, compared to 59% among all U.S. Hispanic eligible voters. About 1% of Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming are Puerto Rican and 1% are Cuban, while the remaining 27% is of another Hispanic origin. Among all U.S. Hispanic eligible voters, 14% are Puerto Rican and 5% are Cuban.
  • Educational Attainment. More than one-in-ten eligible voters in Wyoming (12%) have not completed high school, more than the 8% of all Wyoming eligible voters who have not completed high school.
  • Homeownership. More than six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming (61%) live in owner-occupied homes, above the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Wyoming (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Wyoming, by Race and Ethnicity

  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming by a margin of 15 to 1 (376,000 vs. 25,000).
  • Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white eligible voters in Wyoming. One-in-three (33%) Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 21% of white eligible voters.
  • Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white eligible voters in Wyoming. Some 12% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 7% of white eligible voters.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (61%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white eligible voters (72%) in Wyoming.
  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 “whites,” “Asians” and “blacks” are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.
  3. This statistical profile of eligible voters in California 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 on the 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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