Understanding the Opportunity: The Latino Community by the Numbers
Family and Children
11.6 Million
Number of Hispanic households in the United States
65.7%
Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents
74.3%
Percentage of Hispanics 5 and older who speak Spanish in the home
—U.S. Census Bureau
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance
$38,624
Median income of Hispanic households
25.3%
Poverty rate among Hispanics in 2011, down from 26.5 in 2010
30.1%
The percentage of Hispanic families that lacked health insurance in 2011
—U.S. Census Bureau
Good News on Education
69%
of Hispanic high school graduates in 2012 immediately enrolled in college. That’s two percentage points higher than their white counterparts (67 percent). There has also been a significant improvement in the drop-out rate among Hispanic high school students—14 percent in 2011 compared to 28 percent a decade earlier. Despite this progress, Hispanics do continue to lag behind whites in several key higher education measures. They are less likely to enroll in a four-year college (54 percent versus 72 percent); they are also less likely to attend college full-time or to complete a bachelor’s degree.
63.2%
Percentage of Hispanics 25 and older with at least a high school education
13.2%
Percentage with a bachelor’s degree of higher (3.7 million)
1.2 Million
Number with an advanced degree
—U.S. Census Bureau/Pew Research Center
Employment and Business
67.4%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and older in the civilian work force
19.2%
Percentage in management, business, science and the arts
1.2 Million
Number of Hispanics 18 and older who are veterans
—U.S. Census Bureau
