Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Pennsylvania

This statistical profile provides key demographic information of Latino eligible voters in Pennsylvania.¹ It also contains data on other major groups of eligible voters in Pennsylvania.² All data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Pennsylvania’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Pennsylvania is the 14th-largest in the nation. Some 589,000 Hispanics reside in Pennsylvania.
• The population in Pennsylvania is 5% Hispanic, the 33rd-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 289,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Pennsylvania—the 10th-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• Some 3% of eligible voters in Pennsylvania are Latinos, the 27th-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• One-half (49%) of Latinos in Pennsylvania are eligible to vote, ranking Pennsylvania 10th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 79% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Three-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania (31%) are ages 18 to 29, equal to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide. By contrast, only 20% of all Pennsylvania eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship. Some 13% of Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 3% of all Pennsylvania eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania are more likely to be native-born citizens (87%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. More than one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Pennsylvania (28%) have not completed high school. That was greater than the rate for all Latino eligible voters—26%—and the rate for U.S. eligible voters nationwide—13%.
• Homeownership. One-half of Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania (51%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Somewhat greater shares of all eligible voters in Pennsylvania (73%) and all eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Pennsylvania, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. Black eligible voters in Pennsylvania outnumber Hispanic eligible voters by a margin of 3-to-1—878,000 blacks compared with 289,000 Hispanics.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than other major racial groups in Pennsylvania. Three-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in Pennsylvania (31%) are ages 18 to 29 compared with 26% of black eligible voters, 23% of Asian eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white and black eligible voters in Pennsylvania. Some 28% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained at least a high school diploma compared with 18% of black eligible voters and 11% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters in Pennsylvania are less likely than white eligible voters, but more likely than black eligible voters, to live in owner-occupied homes—51% versus 76% and 48%, respectively.