Mapping the Latino Population

Pew Hispanic Research Center has over the years become the go-to place for demographic information about Latinos in the US, and today they hit another home run with a set of maps allowing you to visualize what's happening with Latinos. There is a report to accompany the maps which reminds us why these maps are important:

Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group and among its fastest growing populations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), the Latino population in 2012 was 53 million, making up 17% of the U.S. population. Latino population growth between 2000 and 2010 accounted for more than half of the nation’s population growth.

Latinos are the nation’s largest minority group and among its fastest growing populations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), the Latino population in 2012 was 53 million, making up 17% of the U.S. population.1 Latino population growth between 2000 and 2010 accounted for more than half of the nation’s population growth.

Half (52%) of those counties are in three states—California, Texas and Florida. Along with Arizona, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, these eight states contain three-quarters (74%) of the nation’s Latino population. But with the dispersal of the U.S. Latino population across the country, this share too is down from 79% in 2000 and 84% in 1990.

The map and accompanying table of metro areas is especially interesting, so that you can put your own area into context. Since I live in San Diego, contiguous to the US-Mexico border, you might expect that we would be among the very highest in terms of the Latino population, but in fact we are #11 on the list, with cities like New York and Chicago ahead of us.