Latinos in the 2014 Election: Iowa

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

• The Hispanic population in Iowa ranks 36th in the nation. About 161,000 Hispanics reside in Iowa, 0.3% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Iowa’s population is 5% Hispanic, ranking 35th in Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 61,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa—ranking 36th in Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 3% of Iowa eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 36th in Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 38% of Hispanics in Iowa are eligible to vote, ranking Iowa 38th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 78% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa (36%) 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 Iowa eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa, 20% are naturalized U.S. citizens—lower than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S. Just 2% of all eligible voters in Iowa and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. About three-quarters (76%) of Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa are of Mexican origin, 7% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 18% 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 Iowa (23%) have not completed high school, about triple the 8% of all Iowa eligible voters who have not completed high school and the same as the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. Six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Iowa (73%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Iowa, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa by about 35 to 1. There are a similar number of Hispanic (61,000) and black (57,000) eligible voters in Iowa.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white eligible voters in Iowa. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 20% of white eligible voters. About one-third of black eligible voters (31%) are ages 18 to 29.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do white and black eligible voters in Iowa. Some 23% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 7% of white eligible voters and 13% of black eligible voters. However, Hispanics are about as likely as blacks to have at least a bachelor’s degree—15% compared with 12%. One-quarter of whites have a bachelor’s degree or more.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (60%) are more likely than black eligible voters (35%), but are less likely than white eligible voters (75%) to live in owner-occupied homes in Iowa.