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Latinos in the 2014 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 Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey.3

Hispanics in Indiana’s Eligible Voter Population

Population and Electorate in the United States and Indiana, 2012
  • The Hispanic population in Indiana is the 21st largest in the nation. About 409,000 Hispanics reside in Indiana, 0.8% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Indiana’s population is 6% Hispanic, the 30th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
  • There are 156,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana—the 22nd largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
  • Some 3% of Indiana eligible voters are Hispanic, the 30th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
  • Some 38% of Hispanics in Indiana are eligible to vote, ranking Indiana 37th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 77% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Indiana and the United States, 2012
  • Age. About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (35%) are ages 18 to 29, about the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Indiana eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana, 17% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but greater than the 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. Some seven-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana are of Mexican origin, 14% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 16% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
  • Educational Attainment. About one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Indiana (24%) have not completed high school, twice the 12% of all Indiana eligible voters who have not completed high school and about the same as the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
  • Homeownership. About six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana (62%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Indiana (71%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Indiana, by Race and Ethnicity

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Indiana and the United States, by Race and Ethnicity, 2012
  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Indiana by about 26 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 white, black and Asian eligible voters in Indiana. Some 35% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 20% of white eligible voters, 26% of black eligible voters and 21% of Asian eligible voters.
  • Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do white, black and Asian eligible voters in Indiana. Some 24% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 11% of white eligible voters, 18% of black eligible voters and 8% of Asian eligible voters. Similar shares of Hispanics and blacks have at least a bachelor’s degree (14%), but larger shares of whites (22%) and Asians (44%) have a bachelor’s degree or more.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (62%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (43%) in Indiana, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (75%) or Asian (74%) eligible voters.
  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 2012 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 2012 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.↩