Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Latinos in the 2016 Election: Tennessee

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters1 and other major groups of eligible voters in Tennessee.2 All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey.3

Hispanics in Tennessee’s Eligible Voter Population

Population and Electorate in the United States and Tennessee, 2014
  • The Hispanic population in Tennessee is the 27th largest in the nation. About 322,000 Hispanics reside in Tennessee, 0.6% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Tennessee’s population is 5% Hispanic, the 37th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
  • There are 92,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Tennessee—the 30th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.9 million.
  • Some 2% of Tennessee eligible voters are Hispanic, the 45th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
  • Some 28% of Hispanics in Tennessee are eligible to vote, ranking Tennessee 50th 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 in Tennessee and the United States, 2014
Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Tennessee, by Race and Ethnicity, 2014
  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.
  2. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.
  3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau’s 2014 American Community Survey (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), 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 and associated error.