Latinos in the 2014 Election: Mississippi

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

• The Hispanic population in Mississippi is the 41st largest in the nation. About 76,000 Hispanics reside in Mississippi, 0.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Mississippi’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 47th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 31,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi—the 40th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 1% of Mississippi eligible voters are Hispanic, the 49th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 41% of Hispanics in Mississippi are eligible to vote, ranking Mississippi 28th 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. Some 36% of Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi 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 22% of all Mississippi eligible voters and of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi, 14% 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 Mississippi and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi have a similar Hispanic origin profile to Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi are of Mexican origin, 21% of Puerto Rican origin and 20% 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. Two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Mississippi have not completed high school, about the same as the 17% of all Mississippi eligible voters and the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school. Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi (10%) are less likely than U.S. Hispanic eligible voters (15%) and less likely than all eligible voters in Mississippi (18%) to have a bachelor’s degree or more.
• Homeownership. About six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi (57%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Mississippi (69%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Mississippi, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi by about 43 to 1, and blacks outnumber Hispanics by 25 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white and black eligible voters in Mississippi. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 19% of white eligible voters and 27% of black eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do white eligible voters in Mississippi. Some 20% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 14% of white eligible voters. About one-quarter (23%) of black eligible voters do not have a high school diploma. Hispanic eligible voters (10%) are about equally as likely as black (13%) and less likely than white eligible voters (22%) to have a bachelor’s degree or more.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (57%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (77%) eligible voters. They are about equally as likely to live in owner-occupied homes as black eligible voters (56%).