Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Connecticut

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

Hispanics in Connecticut’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Connecticut is the 17th-largest in the nation. Some 424,000 Hispanics reside in Connecticut.
• The population in Connecticut is 12% Hispanic, the 11th-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 202,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Connecticut—the 14th-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• More than 8% of eligible voters in Connecticut are Latinos, the 11th-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• Nearly half (48%) of Latinos in Connecticut are eligible to vote, ranking Connecticut 14th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 77% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Three-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut (29%) are ages 18 to 29, less than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (31%) in that age range. By contrast, only 19% of all Connecticut eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship. Some 16% of Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 8% of all Connecticut eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut are more likely to be native-born citizens (84%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. Three-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in Connecticut (29%) 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. Less than half of Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut (43%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Somewhat greater shares of all eligible voters in Connecticut (73%) and all eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Connecticut, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut by nearly 10 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Connecticut. Among Latino eligible voters, 29% are ages 18 to 29 compared with 26% of black and 17% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do black and white eligible voters in Connecticut. Some 29% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained at least a high school diploma compared with 19% of black and 8% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters are less likely than white eligible voters in Connecticut to live in owner-occupied homes—43% versus 79%.