Latinos in the 2014 Election: Texas

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

• The Hispanic population in Texas is the second largest in the nation. About 10 million Hispanics reside in Texas, 18.8% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Texas’s population is 38% Hispanic, the third largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 4.5 million Hispanic eligible voters in Texas—the second largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 27% of Texas eligible voters are Hispanic, the second largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 46% of Hispanics in Texas are eligible to vote, ranking Texas 21st nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 79% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Texas are ages 18 to 29, the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (also 33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 24% of all Texas eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Texas, 17% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 8% of all eligible voters in Texas and of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Texas have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. About nine-in-ten (88%) are Mexican, greater than the 59% rate nationwide. An additional 2% are of Puerto Rican origin and 1% are Salvadoran. In the U.S., 14% of Hispanic eligible voters are Puerto Rican and 3% are Salvadoran.
• Educational Attainment. About one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Texas (26%) have not completed high school, twice the 13% of all Texas eligible voters who have not completed high school and somewhat higher than the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. About two-thirds of Hispanic eligible voters in Texas (65%) live in owner-occupied homes, larger than the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (56%) and a somewhat smaller share than all eligible voters in the state (67%). Nationwide, 67% of eligible voters live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Texas, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. There are about twice as many white eligible voters as Hispanic eligible voters in Texas. Hispanic eligible voters outnumber black eligible voters by about 2 to 1 and Asian eligible voters by about 9 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in Texas. Some 33% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 19% of white eligible voters, 26% of black eligible voters and 21% of Asian eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white, black and Asian eligible voters in Texas. Some 26% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 8% of white eligible voters, 13% of black eligible voters and 11% of Asian eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (65%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (47%) in Texas, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (72%) or Asian (77%) eligible voters.