Latinos in America: A Demographic Overview
Latinos in the United States are a diverse and fast-growing group that is amassing considerable economic and political power. As data from the 2010 Census and other sources demonstrate, Latinos account for one-sixth of the U.S. population. Most Latinos were born in this country, but more than one-third are immigrants.
Latinos as a whole (both foreign-born and native-born) are sizeable shares of the population and electorate in New Mexico, California and Texas, but the fastest growing Latino populations are in South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. The Mexican population is by far the largest in size, but the number of Spaniards is increasing the fastest. Latinos work in a diverse range of occupations, and nearly half of Latino households are owner occupied.
Latinos also wield significant economic clout. Latino businesses and consumers sustain millions of jobs and add hundreds of billions of dollars in value to the U.S. economy.
Immigration Policy Center. (2012). Latinos in America: A Demographic Overview. Immigration Policy Center: Washington, D.C.