Latinos in the 2014 Election: Delaware

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Delaware.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 Delaware’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Delaware is the 40th largest in the nation. About 79,000 Hispanics reside in Delaware, 0.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Delaware’s population is 9% Hispanic, the 27th largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 30,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Delaware—the 42nd largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 4% of Delaware eligible voters are Hispanic, the 26th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 39% of Hispanics in Delaware are eligible to vote, ranking Delaware 34th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 81% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Delaware are ages 18 to 29, the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Delaware eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Delaware, 19% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 5% of all eligible voters in Delaware and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Unlike in the overall U.S., Hispanic eligible voters in Delaware are most likely of Puerto Rican origin. Some 55% of Hispanic eligible voters in the state are Puerto Rican, while Mexicans make up 20% of the total and another 26% claim other Hispanic origin. Among Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. About two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Delaware (21%) have not completed high school, twice the 11% of all Delaware eligible voters who have not completed high school and about the same as the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. Over half of Hispanic eligible voters (58%) in Delaware live in owner-occupied homes, similar to the 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Delaware (72%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Delaware, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Delaware by 16 to 1. Hispanics are outnumbered by blacks by more than 4 to 1 among eligible voters.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white and black eligible voters in Delaware. Some 33% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 18% of white eligible voters and 25% of black eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do white and black eligible voters in Delaware. Some 21% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 10% of white eligible voters and 14% of black eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters are less likely to have at least a bachelor’s degree (22%) than white eligible voters (30%) and have similar college completion rates as black eligible voters (18%).
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (58%) are equally likely to live in owner-occupied homes as black eligible voters (53%) in Delaware, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white eligible voters (78%).