Latinos in the 2014 Election: New Jersey

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in New Jersey.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 New Jersey’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in New Jersey is the seventh largest in the nation. About 1.6 million Hispanics reside in New Jersey, 3.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• New Jersey’s population is 19% Hispanic, the eighth largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
• There are 770,000 Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey—the seventh largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
• Some 13% of New Jersey eligible voters are Hispanic, the ninth largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
• Some 47% of Hispanics in New Jersey are eligible to vote, ranking New Jersey 19th 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 three-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey (28%) are ages 18 to 29, somewhat lower than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 19% of all New Jersey eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey, 34% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is greater than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S. Just 16% of all eligible voters in New Jersey and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall are naturalized U.S. citizens.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Some four-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey are of Puerto Rican origin, 12% are of Dominican origin, 9% are of Cuban origin, 5% are of Mexican origin, and 34% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, only 14% are Puerto Rican, 3% are Dominican, 5% are Cuban, 59% are Mexican, and 19% are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. Some two-in-ten Latino eligible voters in New Jersey have not completed high school, twice the 10% of all New Jersey 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 New Jersey (51%) live in owner-occupied homes, lower than the 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in New Jersey (72%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in New Jersey, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in New Jersey by 5 to 1. Hispanics eligible voters outnumber Asian eligible voters by 2 to 1. There are about the same number of black (789,000) than Hispanic (770,000) eligible voters in New Jersey.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in New Jersey. Some 28% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 16% of white eligible voters, 23% of black eligible voters and 19% of Asian eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do white, black and Asian eligible voters in New Jersey. Some 20% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 7% of white eligible voters, 14% of black eligible voters and 7% of Asian eligible voters. Hispanics and blacks are less likely to have a bachelor’s degree or more (19% of each) than whites (38%) or Asians (62%).
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (51%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (47%) in New Jersey, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (81%) or Asian (79%) eligible voters.