This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Kentucky.² All demographic data are based on Pew Research Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Kentucky’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Kentucky is the 38th largest in the nation. About 134,000 Hispanics reside in Kentucky, 0.3% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Kentucky’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 43rd largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 51,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky—the 39th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 2% of Kentucky eligible voters are Hispanic, the 48th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 38% of Hispanics in Kentucky are eligible to vote, ranking Kentucky 35th nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, 78% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky (36%) are ages 18 to 29, about the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Kentucky eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky, 17% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 1% of all eligible voters in Kentucky and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky have a roughly similar Hispanic origin profile to Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Half of Hispanic eligible voters (54%) in Kentucky are of Mexican origin, 20% of Puerto Rican origin and 26% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. Less than two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Kentucky (14%) have not completed high school, about the same as the 16% of all Kentucky eligible voters who have not completed high school and less than the 23% of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. About half of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky (53%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Kentucky (69%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Kentucky, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky by 57 to 1, and black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by about 5 to 1. There are more than twice as many Hispanic eligible voters as there are Asian eligible voters.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in Kentucky. Some 36% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 20% of white eligible voters, 28% of black eligible voters and 22% of Asian eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic, white, black and Asian eligible voters in Kentucky have similar levels of high school education. However, the share of Hispanic eligible voters in Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree or more (24%) is higher than that of blacks (12%). A larger share of Asian eligible voters (46%) have at least a bachelor’s degree. Hispanics and whites have roughly similar levels of bachelor’s degree attainment (24% and 20%, respectively). A larger share of Asian eligible voters (46%) have at least a bachelor’s degree.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (53%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (44%) in Kentucky, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (72%) or Asian (63%) eligible voters.