Latinos in the 2014 Election: Connecticut

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Connecticut.² All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Connecticut’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Connecticut is the 17th largest in the nation. About 511,000 Hispanics reside in Connecticut, 1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Connecticut’s population is 14% Hispanic, the 11th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 265,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut—the 16th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some one-in-ten Connecticut eligible voters are Hispanic, the 10th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 52% of Hispanics in Connecticut are eligible to vote, ranking Connecticut 12th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, more than three-quarters (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. About three-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut (31%) are ages 18 to 29, about the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 19% of all Connecticut eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut, 17% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 9% of all eligible voters in Connecticut and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut have a much different Hispanic origin profile than Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Only 5% of Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut are of Mexican origin, two-thirds (67%) are of Puerto Rican origin, and 28% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. About one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Connecticut (27%) have not completed high school, triple the 9% of all Connecticut eligible voters who have not completed high school and slightly higher than the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. About four-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut (42%) live in owner-occupied homes, lower than the 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Connecticut (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Connecticut, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Connecticut by more than 7 to 1. There are a similar number of Hispanic eligible voters (265,000) and black eligible voters (225,000) in Connecticut. Hispanic eligible voters outnumber Asian eligible voters by about 4 to 1.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in Connecticut. Some 31% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 17% of white eligible voters, 25% of black eligible voters and 20% of Asian eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white, black and Asian eligible voters in Connecticut. Some 27% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 7% of white eligible voters, 12% of black eligible voters and 10% of Asian eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (42%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black (46%), white (78%) or Asian (74%) eligible voters.