CB02-FF.15
September 3, 2002
Hispanic Heritage Month 2002:
Sept. 15-Oct. 15
Population
35.3 million
The nation's Hispanic population as enumerated in Census 2000. Hispanics
comprised 12.5 percent of the nation's total population. (This does not include
the 3.8 million Hispanic residents of Puerto Rico.) <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
58
The percentage increase in the nation's Hispanic population between
the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Numerically, this was 13.0 million. Hispanics accounted
for 40 percent of the increase in the nation's total population during this period. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
The Latino Family
7.4 million
Number of Hispanic or Latino families counted in Census 2000. Of these,
- 4.8 million, or 64 percent, had children under 18;
- 5.0 million, or 67 percent, consisted of married couples; and
- 3.3 million, or 45 percent, consisted of "traditional families," i.e., a married couple with their own children under 18. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
Spanish Language
28 million
Number of U.S. residents age 5 and over who spoke Spanish at home, according
to Census 2000. Spanish-speakers constituted a ratio of more than 1-in-10 residents.
Among all those who spoke Spanish, slightly more than half also reported speaking
fluent English. The 1990 census counted 17 million Spanish speakers. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/demoprofiles.html>
29
The percentage of people age 5 and over in New Mexico who spoke Spanish
at home, according to Census 2000. New Mexico led all states, with Texas (27
percent) and California (26 percent) close behind. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/demoprofiles.html>
Coming to America
- According to Census 2000, 16.1 million, or slightly more than half, of the nation's 31.1 million foreign-born residents were born in Latin America. The size of the foreign-born population from Latin America has grown rapidly since the 1990 census when it totaled 8.4 million. (Census 2000 numbers include both the group quarters and household population.) <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/demoprofiles.html>
- According to the March 2000 Current Population Survey, more than one-quarter of the foreign-born population was from Mexico, which had the largest share of any country. Cuba, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador also ranked among the 10 leading countries of foreign birth in the United States. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-18.html>
13.5
Median number of years, as of 2000, that the U.S. population born in
Latin America had lived in the United States. Within this group, the median length
of residence was highest for those from the Caribbean (17.6 years), reflecting
the relatively large number of immigrants from Cuba in the 1960s and 1970s. The
median lengths of residence of the population from Central America (about four-fifths
of whom are from Mexico) and South America, 12.9 years and 13.0 years, respectively,
were not statistically different from each other. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-18.html>
68
Percentage of the nation's Hispanic population in 2000 that was either
foreign-born themselves or had at least one parent who was foreign-born. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-18.html>
Income and Poverty
$33,455
The real median income of Hispanic households in 2000 -- the highest
ever recorded. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-158.html>
21.2
The poverty rate among individual Hispanics in 2000. The 2000 rate matches
the record lows reached in the 1970s. A total of 7.2 million Hispanics were poor
in 2000, not statistically different from 1999. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-158.html>
18.5
The percentage of poor Hispanic families in 2000, representing a decline
of 1.7 percentage points from 1999. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-158.html>
Education
57
The percentage of Hispanics 25 and over who had at least a high school
education in 2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
11
The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and over with at least
a bachelor's degree in 2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
573,000
Number of Hispanics 15 and over with an advanced degree (e.g., master's,
doctorate, medical or law) in 2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-211.html>
Jobs
80
Percentage of Hispanic men age 16 and over who were in the labor force
in 2000. Fifty-seven percent of Hispanic women were in the labor force. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
41
Percentage of Hispanic workers employed in service occupations or as
operators and laborers in 2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
14
Percentage of Hispanic workers employed in managerial or professional
occupations in 2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
Homeownership
Census 2000 showed that the Hispanic homeownership rate -- the percentage of Hispanic households owning their own home -- was 46 percent. This is up from 42 percent in 1990. Among Hispanic groups, Cubans and Spaniards had the highest homeownership rates in 2000 (58 percent each). <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
The Latino Vote
While turnout by Hispanic citizens in the 2000 presidential election - 45 percent - was not statistically different from 1996, the number of Hispanic voters increased about 20 percent over the period. This reflected growth in the number of Hispanics 18 years of age and older and in the number who were citizens. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-31.html>
Population Distribution
20.6 million
The number of people of Mexican origin in 2000. They comprised 58 percent
of the nation's Hispanics or Latinos and an increase of 7.1 million since 1990.
The rest of Hispanics in 2000 were: 3.4 million of Puerto Rican heritage; 1.2 million of Cuban background; 1.7 million of Central American descent; 1.4 million of South American origin; 765,000 of Dominican heritage; 100,000 of Spanish background; and 6.1 million of other Hispanic origins. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
States
50
Percentage of Hispanic population in 2000 that lived in California and
Texas. California was home to 11.0 million Hispanics and Texas, to 6.7 million.
About 3-in-4 Hispanics lived in seven states with 1 million or more each: California,
Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Arizona and New Jersey. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
42
Percentage of New Mexico's population that was Hispanic in 2000, highest
of any state. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
7
Number of states where the Hispanic population more than tripled between
1990 and 2000. Except for Nevada, each was in the South. The others: Alabama,
Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
Places
2.2 million
New York City's total Hispanic population in 2000, the largest of any
city in the nation. Those of Puerto Rican heritage comprised the biggest share
of the city's Hispanic population (37 percent); they were particularly concentrated
in Bronx County and Kings County (Brooklyn), each of which contained more people
of Puerto Rican origin than any other county in the nation. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
97
Percentage of East Los Angeles, Calif., residents in 2000 who were Hispanic,
highest of any place with 100,000 or more population outside Puerto Rico. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
The nation's populations of Cuban and Dominican heritage each are heavily concentrated in a single place. More than half of the population of Cuban background (52 percent) lived in Miami-Dade County, Fla., and the majority of those of Dominican descent (53 percent) resided in New York city in 2000. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
Ages
25.8
The median age of the Hispanic population in 2000, meaning one-half
were above it and one-half, below. Among Hispanic groups, median ages ranged
from 24.3 years for those of Mexican origin to 40.1 years for people of Cuban
descent. The median age for the total U.S. population was 35.3 years. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>
Businesses
1.2 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States in 1997.
These firms employed almost 1.4 million people and generated $186.3 billion in
revenues. Hispanic-owned firms made up 6 percent of the nation's 20.8 million
nonfarm businesses. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
472,000
Number of firms in 1997 whose owners were of Mexican descent. Among
Hispanic groups, those of Mexican descent owned by far the highest number of
Hispanic-owned firms. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
39
Percentage of minority-owned firms in 1997 owned by Hispanics, more
than any other minority group. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html>
30
Percentage increase between 1992 and 1997 in the number of Hispanic
firms, excluding C corporations, for which prior comparable data are not available.
C corporations are incorporated businesses, excluding sub-chapter S corporations,
whose shareholders elect to be taxed as individuals rather than as corporations. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
28
Percentage of Hispanic-owned firms owned by women in 1997. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html>
The preceding facts come from the Current Population Survey, the Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises and Census 2000. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous 2002 Census Bureau Facts for Features: African American History Month (February), Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), Women's History Month (March), St. Patrick's Day (March 17), Census Bureau Centennial (March 6), Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May), Older Americans Month (May), Mother's Day (May 12), Father's Day (June 16), the Fourth of July, the 12th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26), Back to School (August), Labor Day (Sept. 2) and Grandparents Day (Sept. 8). Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office (tel.: [301] 763-3030; fax: [301] 457-3670; and e-mail: <pio@census.gov>).
