CB01-FF.13
September 4, 2001
Hispanic Heritage Month 2001:
Sept. 15-Oct. 15
Population Distribution
Nation
35.3 million
The nation's Hispanic population as enumerated in Census 2000.
Hispanics comprised 13 percent of the nation's total population. (This
does not include the 3.8 million Hispanics enumerated in Puerto Rico.)
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
13.0 million & 58%
The numeric and percentage increase in the nation's Hispanic population between the 1990 and
2000 censuses. Hispanics accounted for 40 percent of the increase in the nation's total population
during this period. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
20.6 million
The number of people of Mexican origin in 2000. They comprised 58 percent of the nation's
Latinos. The Mexican population increased by 7.1 million between 1990 and 2000.
Among the remaining Latinos in 2000, 3.4 million were Puerto Rican, 1.2
million were Cuban, 1.7 million were Central American, 1.4 million were South American, 765,000 were Dominican,
100,000 were Spaniards and 6.1 million were of other Hispanic origins.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
States
50%
Proportion of Hispanic population in 2000 that lived in California and Texas. California was
home to 11.0 million Latinos and Texas, to 6.7 million. About 3 in 4 Hispanics lived in the seven
states that had 1 million or more Latinos each: California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois,
Arizona and New Jersey. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
42%
Proportion of New Mexico's total population that was Hispanic in 2000, the highest proportion
of any state. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
7
Number of states where the Hispanic population more than tripled between 1990 and 2000.
Except for Nevada, each one was located in the South (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
Places
2.2 million
New York City's total Hispanic population in 2000, the largest of any city in the nation. Puerto
Ricans comprised a larger share of the city's Hispanic population (37 percent) than any other
group; they were particularly concentrated in the Bronx and Brooklyn, each of which contained
more people of Puerto Rican origin than any other county in the nation.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
97%
Proportion of residents of East Los Angeles, Calif., in 2000 who were Latino, the highest for any
place with 100,000 or more total population outside Puerto Rico.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
Age Distribution
25.9
The median age of the Hispanic population in 2000, meaning one-half were
above this midpoint and one-half, below. Among Hispanic groups, median age
ranged from 24.2 years for Mexicans to 40.7 years for Cubans. The median
age for the entire U.S. population was 35.3 years.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-81.html>
Businesses
1.2 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States in 1997. These firms employed more than 1.3 million people and generated $186.3 billion in revenues. Hispanic-owned firms made up 6 percent of the nation's
20.8 million nonfarm businesses.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
472,000
Number of firms in 1997 whose owners were of Mexican descent. Among Hispanic groups,
Mexicans owned by far the greatest number of Hispanic-owned firms.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
39%
Proportion of minority-owned firms in 1997 owned by Hispanics. Hispanics owned more such
firms than any other minority group.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html>
30%
The increase between 1992 and 1997 in the number of Hispanic firms, excluding C corporations,
for which prior comparable data are not available.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-53.html>
28%
Percent of Hispanic-owned firms owned by women in 1997.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-115.html>
Families
31%
Proportion of Hispanic family households consisting of five or more persons in
2000. Among Latino groups, households with Mexican householders were the most
likely to be of this size (36 percent).
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
53%
Proportion of Hispanics age 18 and over who were married and living with their spouse in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-113.html>
65%
Proportion of Hispanic children under 18 living with both parents in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-113.html>
Spanish Language
21.4 million
The number of Spanish-speaking adults 18 and over living in the United States in
2000. They comprised more than one-tenth of the adult population.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-27.html>
Coming to America
39%
Proportion of the Hispanic population that was foreign-born in 2000. The number of
foreign-born Hispanics was 12.8 million.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
43%
Proportion of the foreign-born Hispanic population in 2000 that had entered the United States
since 1990. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
14.5 million
Number of U.S. residents in 2000 who were born in Latin America. They comprised 51 percent
of the nation's total foreign-born population. Nearly two-thirds of the Latin American-born were
from Mexico and Central America.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-04.html>
Income and Poverty
$30,735
The median income of Hispanic households in 1999 -- the highest ever
recorded. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-158.html>
22.8%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 1999, which statistically equaled the rate in 1979 -- the all-time low. The number of Hispanics in poverty fell by 600,000 between 1998 and 1999, to
7.4 million. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-158.html>
1.5 million & 20.2%
The number and percentage of poor Hispanic families in 1999. The percentage represents a
20-year low; it was not statistically different from the 1979 poverty rate but was lower than the
rates for every year since. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-158.html>
Education
57%
The proportion of Hispanics age 25 and over who had attained at least a high
school education in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
11%
The percentage of the Hispanic population age 25 and over with at least a bachelor's degree in
2000. Among Hispanic groups, the proportion ranged from a high of 23 percent for Cuban
Americans to a low of 7 percent for Mexican Americans.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
573,000
Number of Hispanics with an advanced degree (e.g., master's, Ph.D, M.D. or J.D.) in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-211.html>
Jobs
41%
Proportion of Hispanics employed in service occupations or as operators and
laborers in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
14%
Proportion of Hispanics employed in managerial or professional occupations in 2000.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-41.html>
The preceding facts come from the Current Population Survey, Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises, Census 2000 and the Statistical Abstract of the United States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous 2001 Census Bureau Facts for Features: African American History Month (February), Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), Women's History Month (March), Census Day, 2000: One Year Later (April 1), Mother's Day (May 13), Asian Pacific American Month (May), Older Americans Month (May), Father's Day (June 17), the Fourth of July, Americans with Disabilities Act Anniversary (July 26), Back to School and Grandparent's Day (Sept. 9). Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office (Tel: 301-457-3030; Fax: 301-457-3670; E-mail: pio@census.gov).
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