---
title: "Latinos in the 2016 Election: California"
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 in […]"
date: "2016-01-19"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/fact-sheet/latinos-in-the-2016-election-california/"
---

# Latinos in the 2016 Election: California

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 California.[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 2014 American Community Survey.[3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau's 2014 [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 2014 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](https://usa.ipums.org/usa/resources/codebooks/AccuracyACS_2014.pdf).]

### Hispanics in California’s Eligible Voter Population

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[![Population and Electorate in the United States and California, 2014](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/12/PH_Election-Fact-Sheet-2016_California-01.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheets/2016-state-election-fact-sheets/latinos-in-the-2016-election-california/ph_election-fact-sheet-2016_california-01/)

The Hispanic population in California is the largest in the nation. About 15 million Hispanics reside in California, 27.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.

- California’s population is 39% Hispanic, the second highest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
- There are 6.9 million Hispanic eligible voters in California—the largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. Texas ranks second with 4.8 million.
- Some 28% of California eligible voters are Hispanic, the third largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
- Some 46% of Hispanics in California are eligible to vote, ranking California 24th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 81% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

### Characteristics of Eligible Voters

- **Age.** About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in California (36%) are ages 18 to 29, slightly higher than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) and the share of all California eligible voters (24%) and of all U.S. eligible voters (22%) in that age range.
- **Citizenship and Nativity.** Among Hispanic eligible voters in California, 26% are naturalized U.S. citizens, close to the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S. Some 20% of all eligible voters in California—but just 9% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall—are naturalized U.S. citizens.
- **Hispanic Origin.** Hispanic eligible voters in California have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. About eight-in-ten (82%) of Hispanic eligible voters in California are of Mexican origin, 2% 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 California (23%) have not completed high school, about double the 12% of all California eligible voters who have not completed high school and similar to the 22% of Latinos nationwide who have not completed high school.
- **Homeownership.** Over half of Hispanic eligible voters in California (53%) live in owner-occupied homes, a little lower than the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (55%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in California (59%) and all eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

![Characteristics of Eligible Voters in California and the United States, 2014](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/12/PH_Election-Fact-Sheet-2016_California-02.png)

### Characteristics of Eligible Voters in California, by Race and Ethnicity

- **Number of Eligible Voters.** White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in California by about 2 to 1. Hispanic eligible voters outnumber Asian eligible voters by about 2 to 1 and black eligible voters by about 4 to 1.
- **Age.** Latino eligible voters are younger than white, Asian and black eligible voters in California. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 18% of white eligible voters, 20% of Asian eligible voters and 25% of black eligible voters.
- **Educational Attainment.** Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white, black and Asian eligible voters in California. Some 23% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 6% of white eligible voters and 11% of both Asian and black eligible voters.
- **Homeownership.** Hispanic eligible voters (53%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (38%) in California, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (65%) or Asian (66%) eligible voters.

[![Characteristics of Eligible Voters in California, by Race and Ethnicity, 2014](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/12/PH_Election-Fact-Sheet-2016_California-03.png)](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheets/2016-state-election-fact-sheets/latinos-in-the-2016-election-california/ph_election-fact-sheet-2016_california-03/)