Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Florida

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

Hispanics in Florida’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Florida is the third-largest in the nation. More than 3.8 million Hispanics reside in Florida, 8% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• The population in Florida is 21% Hispanic, the sixth-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 1.8 million eligible Hispanic voters in Florida—the third-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• Some 15% of eligible voters in Florida are Latinos, the fifth-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• One-half (48%) of Latinos in Florida are eligible to vote, ranking Florida 13th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 80% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Florida’s Hispanic eligible voters are younger than all eligible voters in Florida—23% of Hispanic eligible voters in Florida are ages 18 to 29 versus 19% of all Florida eligible voters.
• Citizenship. Some 44% of Hispanic eligible voters in Florida are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 12% of all Florida eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Florida are less likely to be native-born citizens (56%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. Two-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in Florida (21%) have not completed high school. That was less than the rate for all Latino eligible voters—26%—but greater than the rate for U.S. eligible voters nationwide—13%.
• Homeownership. Two-thirds of Hispanic eligible voters in Florida (68%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Somewhat greater shares of all eligible voters in Florida (72%) and all eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Florida, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic and black eligible voters in Florida by more than 4 to 1.
• Age. Black eligible voters are younger than Hispanic or white eligible voters in Florida—28% of black eligible voters are ages 18 to 29 compared with 23% of Hispanic and 16% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters in Florida are more likely than blacks, but less likely than whites, to have attended college or earned at least a bachelor’s degree—51% of Hispanic eligible voters have attended college or earned at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 59% of white and 45% of black eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters are less likely than white eligible voters in Florida to live in owner-occupied homes—68% versus 77%.