This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters1 and other major groups of eligible voters in Missouri.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 Missouri’s Eligible Voter Population
- The Hispanic population in Missouri ranks 30th in the nation.4 About 212,000 Hispanics reside in Missouri, 0.4% of all Hispanics in the United States.
- Missouri’s population is 4% Hispanic, ranking 41st in Hispanic population share nationally.
- There are 87,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri—ranking 27th in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
- Some 2% of Missouri eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 39th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
- About four-in-ten (41%) of Hispanics in Missouri are eligible to vote, ranking Missouri 22nd nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, nearly eight-in-ten (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.
Characteristics of Eligible Voters
- Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri are ages 18 to 29, the same as the share of Latino eligible voters nationwide (both 33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Missouri eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
- Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri, 14% 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 Missouri and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S overall.
- Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri have a somewhat different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Seven-in-ten (70%) Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri are of Mexican origin, 5% of Puerto Rican origin and a quarter (25%) claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, only six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, some 14% are Puerto Rican, and 26% are of some other Hispanic origin.
- Educational Attainment. Two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Missouri (20%) have not completed high school, more than the 13% of all Missouri eligible voters who have not completed high school.
- Homeownership. Fewer than six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri (56%) live in owner-occupied homes, similar to the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Missouri (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.
Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Missouri, by Race and Ethnicity
- Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Missouri by 43 to 1, and blacks outnumber Hispanics by more than 5 to 1. There are about twice as many Hispanic (87,000) as Asian (42,000) eligible voters.
- Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than Asian, black and white eligible voters in Missouri. Some 33% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared with 27% of Asian eligible voters, 26% of black eligible voters and 20% of white eligible voters.
- Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do Asian and white eligible voters in Missouri. Some 20% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 10% of Asian eligible voters and 12% of white eligible voters. An equal share of Hispanic and black eligible voters have no high school diploma (20%), but a slightly larger share of Hispanics have a bachelor’s degree or more (19% vs. 14%).
- Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (56%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (46%) eligible voters, but they are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than Asian (77%) and white (75%) eligible voters in Missouri.
