Latinos in the 2012 Election: Arkansas

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Arkansas.² All demographic data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Arkansas’ Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Arkansas ranks 33rd in the nation.⁴ About 182,000 Hispanics reside in Arkansas, 0.4% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Arkansas’s population is 6% Hispanic, ranking 29th in Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 51,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas—ranking 37th in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
• Some 2% of Arkansas eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 35th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
• Fewer than three-in-ten (28%) Hispanics in Arkansas are eligible to vote, ranking Arkansas 43rd nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, more than three-quarters (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. More than one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas (35%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Arkansas eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas, 30% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 2% of all eligible voters in Arkansas and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S overall.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas are of Mexican origin, 7% of Puerto Rican origin and 20% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and about a quarter (26%) are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. More than one-third of Latino eligible voters in Arkansas (35%) have not completed high school, more than double the 16% of all Arkansas eligible voters who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. More than six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas (62%) live in owner-occupied homes, slightly more than the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Arkansas and all eligible voters nationwide (both 69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Arkansas, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Arkansas by almost 34 to 1, and black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by more than 6 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Arkansas. Some 35% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared with 27% of black eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do black and white eligible voters in Arkansas. Some 35% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma compared with 22% of black eligible voters and 15% of white eligible voters. However, a slightly larger share of Hispanic (14%) than black (11%) eligible voters in Arkansas have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (62%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (47%) eligible voters in Arkansas, but they are less likely to do so than white (73%) eligible voters.