Latinos in the 2012 Election: Wyoming

This profile provides key demographic information on Latino eligible voters¹ and other major groups of eligible voters in Wyoming.² All demographic data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Wyoming’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Wyoming ranks 43rd in the nation.⁴ About 50,000 Hispanics reside in Wyoming, 0.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Wyoming’s population is 9% Hispanic, ranking 22nd in Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 25,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming—ranking 42nd in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
• Some 6% of Wyoming eligible voters are Hispanic, the 17th-largest Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
• More than half (51%) of Hispanics in Wyoming are eligible to vote, ranking Wyoming sixth nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, more than three-quarters (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming (33%) are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all eligible voters both in Wyoming and nationwide are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming, 11% are naturalized U.S. citizens, less than Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (25%). Only 1% of all eligible voters in Wyoming are naturalized citizens, as are 8% of all U.S. eligible voters.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. More than seven-in-ten (71%) Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming are of Mexican origin, compared to 59% among all U.S. Hispanic eligible voters. About 1% of Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming are Puerto Rican and 1% are Cuban, while the remaining 27% is of another Hispanic origin. Among all U.S. Hispanic eligible voters, 14% are Puerto Rican and 5% are Cuban.
• Educational Attainment. More than one-in-ten eligible voters in Wyoming (12%) have not completed high school, more than the 8% of all Wyoming eligible voters who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. More than six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming (61%) live in owner-occupied homes, above the share of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%). Greater shares of all eligible voters in Wyoming (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Wyoming, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Wyoming by a margin of 15 to 1 (376,000 vs. 25,000).
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white eligible voters in Wyoming. One-in-three (33%) Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 21% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do white eligible voters in Wyoming. Some 12% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 7% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (61%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white eligible voters (72%) in Wyoming.