This statistical profile provides key demographic information of Latino eligible voters in Hawaii.¹ It also contains data on other major groups of eligible voters in Hawaii.² All data are based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey.³

Hispanics in Hawaii’s Eligible Voter Population

• The Hispanic population in Hawaii is the 38th-largest in the nation. Some 109,000 Hispanics reside in Hawaii.
• The population in Hawaii is 8% Hispanic, the 20th-highest Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 62,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Hawaii—the 30th-largest Hispanic eligible-voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.4 million.
• Some 7% of eligible voters in Hawaii are Latinos, the 12th-largest Hispanic eligible voter population share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 38%.
• Nearly six-in-ten (57%) of Latinos in Hawaii are eligible to vote, ranking Hawaii fourth nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. In contrast, 80% of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

• Age. Some 36% of Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii are ages 18 to 29, greater than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (31%) in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all Hawaii eligible voters and U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship. One-in-ten of Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii (10%) are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared with 13% of all Hawaii eligible voters. Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii are more likely to be native-born citizens (90%) than are Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (74%).
• Educational Attainment. One-in-ten of Latino eligible voters in Hawaii (11%) have not completed high school. That was less than the rate for all Latino eligible voters—26%—and the rate for U.S. eligible voters nationwide—13%.
• Homeownership. Less than half of Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii (45%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 60% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Somewhat greater shares of all eligible voters in Hawaii (63%) and all eligible voters nationwide (70%) live in owner-occupied homes.

  

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Hawaii, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Latino Eligible Voters. Asian eligible voters outnumber Latino eligible voters in Hawaii by a margin of more than 5 to 1—352,000 Asians compared with 62,000 Hispanic eligible voters.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white and Asian eligible voters in Hawaii. More than one third (36%) of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared with 23% of white eligible voters and 13% of Asian eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters in Hawaii have lower levels of education than do Asians or white voters. A majority 52% of Hispanic eligible voters have attended college or earned at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 60% of Asian and 74% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters are less likely than white or Asian eligible voters in Hawaii to live in owner-occupied homes—45% versus 53% and 78%, respectively.