U.S. Census Bureau

2010 Census Shows Nation's Hispanic Population Grew Four Times Faster Than Total U.S. Population

Mexicans are Largest Hispanic Group Nationwide

      The 2010 Census brief on the nation's Hispanic population shows it increased by 15.2 million between 2000 and 2010 and accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population increase of 27.3 million. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43%, or four times the nation's 9.7% growth rate.

      About three-quarters of Hispanics in the United States reported as Mexican, Puerto Rican or Cuban origin in the 2010 Census. Mexican origin was the largest group, representing 63% of the total U.S. Hispanic population. This group also saw the largest numeric change (11.2 million), growing from 20.6 million in 2000 to 31.8 million in 2010. Mexicans accounted for about three-fourths of the 15.2 million increase in the total Hispanic population between 2000 and 2010.

Regional Geographic Distribution

      The Hispanic population grew in every region of the United States between 2000 and 2010, and most significantly in the South and Midwest. The South saw a 57% increase in its Hispanic population, which was four times the growth of the total population in the South (14%). Significant growth also occurred in the Midwest, where the Hispanic population grew by 49%. This was more than 12 times the growth of the total population in the Midwest (4%). The Hispanic population grew by 34% in the West, which was more than twice the growth of the total population in the West (14%). The Northeast's Hispanic population grew by 33%, or 10 times the growth of the total population in the Northeast (3%).

State Distribution

More than half of the Hispanic population in the United States resided in just three states: California, Texas and Florida. In 2010, 37.6 million, or 75%, of Hispanics lived in the eight states with Hispanic populations of 1 million or more: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey and Colorado.  

The Hispanic population experienced growth between 2000 and 2010 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In eight states in the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) and in South Dakota, the Hispanic population more than doubled in size between 2000 and 2010. Even with this large growth rate, the percentage of Hispanics in 2010 in each of these states remained less than 9%, far below the national level of 16%.        

Hispanics in New Mexico comprised 46% of the total state population, the highest proportion for any state.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau press release, May 26, 2011.