Latinos in the 2012 Election: Illinois

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Illinois.² All demographic data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Illinois’ Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Illinois is the fifth largest in the nation.⁴ About 2.0 million Hispanics reside in Illinois, 4.0% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Illinois’s population is 16% Hispanic, the 10th largest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 773,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois—the 6th largest Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
• Some 9% of Illinois eligible voters are Hispanic, the 11th largest Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
• Nearly four-in-ten (38%) Hispanics in Illinois are eligible to vote, ranking Illinois 27th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, nearly eight-in-ten (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. More than one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois (35%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all Illinois eligible voters and of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois, 29% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., and just 8% of all eligible voters in Illinois and in the U.S overall.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. About seven-in-ten (70%) Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois are of Mexican origin, 17% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 13% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and about a quarter (26%) are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. One-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Illinois (25%) have not completed high school, more than double the 11% of all Illinois eligible voters who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. Two-thirds of Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois (67%) live in owner-occupied homes, higher than the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Similar shares of all eligible voters in Illinois (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Illinois, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Illinois by about 8 to 1, and black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by almost 2 to 1. There are more than double as many Hispanic eligible voters as Asian eligible voters.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black, Asian and white eligible voters in Illinois. Some 35% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 25% of black eligible voters, 24% of Asian eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do black, white and Asian eligible voters in Illinois. Some 25% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 19% of black eligible voters and 8% of white and Asian eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (67%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (44%) eligible voters in Illinois, but they are less likely to do so than Asian (76%) or white (78%) eligible voters in Illinois.