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Latinos are a dynamic, rising population.
But who makes up this population? How big it it, where is it, and what is it like?
For Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s explore some important facts and figures about the population that is often referred to as Latino or Hispanic.
1. The U.S. Latino Population Is Large
Latinos rose rising to 20% of the U.S. population for the first time this past year, according to the U.S. Census. U.S. Latinos grew from 65 million in 2023 to 68 million in 2024,
“The U.S. Latino population has almost doubling in size since 2000, according to Pew Research Center.
2. The U.S. Latino Population Is Mostly of Mexican Origin
Among Latino, people of Mexican origin are the largest single group represented in the U.S. at 57% (40 million) in 2024, according to Pew Research Center.
People of Puerto Rican origin are the next largest group at 6.1 million.
Additional Latino origin groups that make up 1 million or more people include Cubans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians Hondurans, Venezuelans, and Ecuadorians.
3. The U.S. Latino Population Is Heavily Located in Texas and California
California and Texas have the nation’s largest Latino populations.
By 2024, Latinos accounted for 41% of the population in California. In Texas, Latinos now make up 40% of the population.
Rounding out the top five states with the largest Latino populations are Florida (6.7 million), New York (4.0 million), and Illinois (2.5 million)
4. The U.S. Latino Population Is Earning More Degrees
Data shows that a growing share of U.S. Latinos ages 25 and older have attended college and completed degrees.
“In 2024, 46% had at least some college experience, up from 36% in 2010. And 21% had a bachelor’s degree or more education, up from 13%,” according to Pew Research Center.
Around a quarter of Latino women ages 25 and older (24%) had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2024 (up from 14% in 2010).
Similarly, 19% of Latino men had this level of education, up from 12%.
5. The U.S. Latino Population Is Increasingly Speaking English
The share of U.S.-born Latinos who speak English proficiently increased by 10 percentage points since 2000.
In 2024, 71% of Latinos ages 5 and older (44.8 million people) spoke English proficiently.
“This growth has been driven by U.S.-born Latinos – that is, those born in the U.S. and its territories, including Puerto Rico, and those born abroad to American parents,” according to the Pew Research Center.
6. The U.S. Latino Population Is Proud of Their Heritage
Most Latinos say their heritage is an important part of their identity, according to the Pew Research Center.
In fact, 61% of Latinos said that “being Hispanic is an extremely or very important part of how they think about themselves,” according to a survey of 4,923 U.S. Latino adults in English and Spanish from October 2025.
7. The U.S. Latino Population Usually Identify with Their Heritage Group
Over half of Latinos identify with a label that reflects their country of origin or heritage (53% of people, either on its own or combined with American) or a pan-ethnic term like “Hispanic” (27% of people, either alone or combined with American), and 18% most often describe themselves as “American.”
Out of the pan-ethnic terms, “Hispanic” and “Latino” are favored.
“The October survey finds a majority of Hispanic adults say they prefer the term Hispanic (54%) over Latino (30%), while very few prefer Latinx (1%) or Latine (1%),” the Pew Research Center states.
8. The U.S. Latino Population Is Mostly U.S. Citizens
In 2024, 79% of all U.S. Latinos were U.S. citizens, up from 71% in 2000.
“Two-thirds (67%) are U.S. citizens by birth, including people born in the U.S. and its territories (e.g., Puerto Rico) plus people born abroad to American parents. About 13% of Latinos are immigrants who have become naturalized U.S. citizens,” according to Pew Research Center.
9. The U.S. Latino Population Deals with Fair and Unfair Treatment
33% of U.S. Latinos say being Hispanic hurts their ability to get ahead a lot or a little, according to a Pew survey.
“[These people] say they personally experienced discrimination or were treated unfairly in the 12 months before the survey because of their Hispanic background by someone who is not Hispanic,” according to the Pew Research Center.
54% say they have not experienced any of the four discrimination incidents related to being Hispanic asked about in the survey.
34% say that someone expressed support for them because they are Latino.
10. The U.S. Latino Population Is Decreasing in Faith
Catholics are the largest religious group among Latinos with 42% in 2024, down from 67% in 2010, according to Pew Research Center.
Another 17% of Latinos identify as Evangelical Protestants. This share has been relatively stable since 2010.
27% of Latinos were unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” (up 10% from 2010).
11. The U.S. Latino Population Is Younger than Other Population Groups
In 2024, the median age among Hispanics in the U.S. was 31.2.
This is much younger than the median age among Black Americans (36.2), Asian Americans, (39.0) and White Americans (43.2), according to Pew Research Center.
“Expressed another way, Hispanics account for a larger share of the U.S. population in younger age groups and a smaller share of the population in older age groups,” according to Pew Research Center.
Improve Health For the U.S. Latino Population and All People
How is the state of health in your community?
Find out by downloading a Salud America! Health Report Card for your town!
Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more.
See how your county stacks up compared to the rest of your state and nation.
Then email the Report Card to local leaders to raise awareness, include the data in a presentation or grant proposal, or share it on social media to drive healthy change in your community!
By The Numbers
44
million
immigrants live in the United States
