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

  • The Hispanic population in Mississippi ranks 40th in the nation.4 About 74,000 Hispanics reside in Mississippi, 0.1% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Mississippi’s population is 2% Hispanic, ranking 47th in Hispanic population share nationally.
  • There are 27,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi—ranking 41st in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
  • Some 1% of Mississippi eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 48th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
  • Some 36% of Hispanics in Mississippi are eligible to vote, ranking Mississippi 31st nationwide in the share of the Hispanic population that is eligible to vote. By contrast, nearly eight-in-ten (78%) of the state’s white population is eligible to vote.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters

  • Age. About one-third of Hispanic eligible voters (34%) in Mississippi are ages 18 to 29, similar to the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 22% of all Mississippi eligible voters and of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi, 12% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is smaller than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S, but greater than the 1% of all eligible voters in Mississippi and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S overall.
  • Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi have a similar Hispanic origin profile to Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. More than half (56%) of Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi are of Mexican origin, 13% of Puerto Rican origin and 31% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 26% are of some other Hispanic origin.
  • Educational Attainment. Nearly three-in-ten Latino eligible voters in Mississippi (29%) have not completed high school, a greater share than that of all Mississippi eligible voters (19%) and of all Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S. (25%).
  • Homeownership. About half of Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi (52%) live in owner-occupied homes, smaller than the shares of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide (58%), all eligible voters in Mississippi (71%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%).

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Mississippi, by Race and Ethnicity

  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Mississippi by nearly 50 to 1, and blacks outnumber Hispanics by almost 29 to 1.
  • Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Mississippi. Some 34% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29 compared with 27% of black eligible voters and 19% of white eligible voters.
  • Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of high school education than do black and white eligible voters in Mississippi. Some 29% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 26% of black eligible voters and 14% of white eligible voters. Hispanics (12%) are slightly more likely than blacks (11%) to have a bachelor’s degree or more. About two-in-ten (21%) white eligible voters have at least a bachelor’s degree.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (52%) are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (77%) and black (60%) eligible voters in Mississippi.