--- title: "Latinos in the 2014 Election: Kentucky" description: "This profile provides key demographic information on Latino 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.] and other major groups of eligible voters […]" date: "2014-10-16" authors: - name: "Anna Brown" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/fact-sheet/latinos-in-the-2014-election-kentucky/" --- # Latinos in the 2014 Election: Kentucky This profile provides key demographic information on Latino 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.] and other major groups of eligible voters in Kentucky.[2. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.] All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey.[3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau's 2012 [American Community Survey](http://www.census.gov/acs/www) (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](http://usa.ipums.org/usa/)), 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](http://usa.ipums.org/usa/design.shtml) and [associated error](http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/pums/Accuracy/2012AccuracyPUMS.pdf).] ### Hispanics in Kentucky’s Eligible Voter Population [![Population and Electorate in the United States and Kentucky, 2012](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/10/PH-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-KY-01.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheets/2014-state-election-fact-sheets/latinos-in-the-2014-election-kentucky/ph-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-ky-01/) - The Hispanic population in Kentucky is the 38th largest in the nation. About 134,000 Hispanics reside in Kentucky, 0.3% of all Hispanics in the United States. - Kentucky’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 43rd largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally. - There are 51,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky—the 39th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million. - Some 2% of Kentucky eligible voters are Hispanic, the 48th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%. - Some 38% of Hispanics in Kentucky are eligible to vote, ranking Kentucky 35th 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 [![Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky and the United States, 2012](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/10/PH-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-KY-02.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheets/2014-state-election-fact-sheets/latinos-in-the-2014-election-kentucky/ph-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-ky-02/) - **Age.** About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky (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 Kentucky eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29. - **Citizenship and Nativity.** Among Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky, 17% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 1% of all eligible voters in Kentucky and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens. - **Hispanic Origin.** Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky have a roughly similar Hispanic origin profile to Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Half of Hispanic eligible voters (54%) in Kentucky are of Mexican origin, 20% of Puerto Rican origin and 26% 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.** Less than two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Kentucky (14%) have not completed high school, about the same as the 16% of all Kentucky eligible voters who have not completed high school and less than the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school. - **Homeownership.** About half of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky (53%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Kentucky (69%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes. ### Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky, by Race and Ethnicity [![Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky and the United States, by Race and Ethnicity, 2012](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2014/10/PH-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-KY-03.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheets/2014-state-election-fact-sheets/latinos-in-the-2014-election-kentucky/ph-2014-10-election-fact-sheet-ky-03/) - **Number of Eligible Voters.** White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky by 57 to 1, and black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by about 5 to 1. There are more than twice as many Hispanic eligible voters as there are Asian eligible voters. - **Age.** Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in Kentucky. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 20% of white eligible voters, 28% of black eligible voters and 22% of Asian eligible voters. - **Educational Attainment.** Hispanic, white, black and Asian eligible voters in Kentucky have similar levels of high school education. However, the share of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree or more (24%) is higher than that of blacks (12%). A larger share of Asian eligible voters (46%) have at least a bachelor’s degree. Hispanics and whites have roughly similar levels of bachelor’s degree attainment (24% and 20%, respectively). A larger share of Asian eligible voters (46%) have at least a bachelor’s degree. - **Homeownership.** Hispanic eligible voters (53%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (44%) in Kentucky, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (72%) or Asian (63%) eligible voters.