Latinos in the 2010 Elections: North Carolina

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

Hispanics in North Carolina’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in North Carolina is the 11th-largest in the nation. Some 678,000 Hispanics reside in North Carolina.
• The population in North Carolina is 7% Hispanic, the 25th-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 138,000 eligible Hispanic voters in North Carolina—the 19th-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• Some 2% of eligible voters in North Carolina are Latinos, the 35th-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• Only two-in-ten (20%) of Latinos in North Carolina are eligible to vote, ranking North Carolina 51th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 78% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Three-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina (31%) are ages 18 to 29, equal to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide. By contrast, only 21% of all North Carolina eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship. Three-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina (31%) are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 3% of all North Carolina eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina are less likely to be native-born citizens (69%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. Two-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in North Carolina (22%) 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. Some 58% of Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. A greater share of all eligible voters in North Carolina (70%) and eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in North Carolina, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. Among the total population in North Carolina, whites outnumber Hispanics by a margin of 9 to 1. However, white eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina by nearly 35 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in North Carolina. Three-in-ten (31%) of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared to 25% of black eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white eligible voters in North Carolina. Some 22% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained at least a high school diploma compared with 13% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters in North Carolina are less likely than white eligible voters, but more likely than black eligible voters, to live in owner-occupied homes—57% versus 76% and 52%, respectively.