Newsroom

Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept. 15 – Oct. 15, 2006

In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week. The observance was expanded in 1988 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15). America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

Population

42.7 million

The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2005, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 14 percent of the nation’s total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million residents of Puerto Rico.)
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

About 1

. . . of every two people added to the nation’s population between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, were Hispanic.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

3.3%

Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

102.6 million

The projected Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 24 percent of the nation’s total population on that date.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html>

22.4 million

The nation’s Hispanic population during the 1990 census — just slightly over half the current total.
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/c2kbr01-3.pdf>

64%

The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in households who are of Mexican background. Another approximately 10 percent are of Puerto Rican background, with about 3 percent each of Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominican origins. The remainder are of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origins. (Source: AmericanFactFinder)

Roughly half of the nation’s Dominicans live in New York City, with about half of the nation’s Cubans residing in Miami-Dade County, Fla. (Source: AmericanFactFinder)

27.2

Median age, in years, of the Hispanic population in 2005. This compares with 36.2 years for the population as a whole.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

107

Number of Hispanic males in 2005 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

States and Counties

49%

The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that lives in California or Texas. California is home to 12.4 million Hispanics, and Texas is home to 7.8 million.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

13

The number of states with at least half a million Hispanic residents. These states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

43%

The percentage of New Mexico’s population that is Hispanic, highest of any state. Hispanics also make up more than one-third of the population in California and Texas, at 35 percent each.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

4.6 million

The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif. — the largest of any county in the nation.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

715,000

The increase in California’s Hispanic population between July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2004, which led all states. Los Angeles County alone added 76,400, which led all the nation’s counties.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

19

Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest race or ethnic minority group.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb05-118.html>

Businesses

1.6 million

The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.
<http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/>

Triple

The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002 (31 percent) compared to the national average (10 percent) for all businesses.

$222 billion

Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up 19 percent from 1997.

44%

. . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by people of Mexican origin.

29,184

Number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.

• Nearly 3-in-10 Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction and other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Retail and wholesale trade accounted for 36 percent of Hispanic-owned business revenue.
• States with the fastest rates of growth for Hispanic-owned firms between 1997 and 2002 included New York (57 percent), Rhode Island and Georgia (56 percent each), and Nevada and South Carolina (48 percent each).
• Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los Angeles County, Calif. (188,472); Miami-Dade County, Fla. (163,188); Harris County, Texas (61,934); and Bronx County, N.Y. (38,325).

Source for statements in the above section:
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/business_ownership/cb06-41.html>

Families and Children

9.5 million

The number of Hispanic families who reside in the United States. Of these families, 63 percent include their children under 18 years old.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/families_households/cb06-83.html>

67%

The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/families_households/cb06-83.html>

44%

The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a married couple with children under the age of 18.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/families_households/cb06-83.html>

65%

Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html>

22%

Percentage of population under age 5 that is Hispanic, as of July 1, 2005.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb06-72.html>

Spanish Language

31 million

The number of U.S. household residents age 5 and older who speak Spanish at home. Spanish speakers constitute a ratio of more than 1-in-10 U.S. household residents. Among all those who speak Spanish at home, more than one-half say they speak English “very well.” (Source: American FactFinder)

Coming to America

53%

Percentage of the foreign-born population from Latin America. This amounts to 18.3 million people.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/foreignborn_population/cb05-22.html>

10 million

The number of foreign-born people who were born in Mexico, by far more than any other Latin American country or any other country in the world for that matter. Other countries of birth that contribute large numbers of Hispanics are El Salvador (937,000), Cuba (925,000), the Dominican Republic (688,000), Guatemala (590,000) and Colombia (500,000). (The difference between the estimates for El Salvador and Cuba is not statistically significant.) (Source: AmericanFactFinder)

4

. . . states are home to about 2 of every 3 foreign-born persons born in Latin America. Those states are California, Florida, New York and Texas.
<http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/foreign/acst2.html>

Income and Poverty

$35,967

The median income of Hispanic households in 2005, unchanged from the previous year, in real terms.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb06-136.html>

21.8%

The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2005, unchanged from 2004.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb06-136.html>

32.7%

The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2005 — unchanged from 2004.
<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb06-136.html>

Education

58%

The percentage of Hispanics age 25 and older who had at least a high school education in 2004.

12%

The percentage of the Hispanic population age 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2004.

2.7 million

The number of Hispanics age 18 and older who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2004.

714,000

Number of Hispanics 25 years and older with advanced degrees in 2004 (e.g., master’s, professional, doctorate).

11%

Percentage of all college students in October 2004 who were Hispanic.
<http://www.census.gov/population/hispanic/>

Jobs

68%

Percentage of Hispanics age 16 and older who are in the civilian labor force.

18%

The percentage of Hispanics who work in managerial, professional and related occupations. Approximately 24 percent of Hispanics work in service occupations, 22 percent in sales and office jobs, 15 percent in construction, extraction and maintenance jobs and 19 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations. (The difference between the proportions working in managerial, professional and related occupations and in production, transportation and material moving occupations is not statistically significant.) (Source: AmericanFactFinder)

Voting

7.6 million

The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2004 presidential election. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting — about 47 percent — did not change from four years earlier.

Serving our Country

1.1 million

The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. (Source: AmericanFactFinder)

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: (301) 763-3030; fax: (301) 457-3670; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.