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

• The Hispanic population in Iowa ranks 36th in the nation.⁴ About 151,000 Hispanics reside in Iowa, 0.3% of all Hispanics in the United States.
• Iowa’s population is 5% Hispanic, ranking 35th in Hispanic population share nationally.
• There are 52,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa—ranking 36th in Hispanic eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 5.9 million.
• Some 2% of Iowa eligible voters are Hispanic, ranking 36th in Hispanic eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 39%.
• About one-third of Hispanics (34%) in Iowa are eligible to vote, ranking Iowa 34th 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. More than four-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa (44%) are ages 18 to 29, greater than the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide (33%) in that age range. By contrast, only 21% of all Iowa eligible voters and 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
• Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa, 23% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This compares with 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but just 2% of all eligible voters in Iowa and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S overall.
• Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. More than three-quarters (77%) of Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa are of Mexican origin, 7% of Puerto Rican origin and 16% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, six-in-ten (59%) are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican and about one-quarter (26%) are of some other Hispanic origin.
• Educational Attainment. About one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Iowa (26%) have not completed high school, almost triple the 9% of all Iowa eligible voters who have not completed high school.
• Homeownership. Six-in-ten Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa (60%) live in owner-occupied homes, compared with 58% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Iowa (73%) and all eligible voters nationwide (69%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Iowa, by Race and Ethnicity

• Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Iowa by more than 40 to 1. There are a similar number of Hispanic (52,000) and black (55,000) eligible voters in Iowa.
• Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than black and white eligible voters in Iowa. Some 44% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 29% of black eligible voters and 20% of white eligible voters.
• Educational Attainment. Hispanic eligible voters have lower levels of education than do black and white eligible voters in Iowa. Some 26% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma compared with 19% of black eligible voters and 8% of white eligible voters.
• Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (60%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (31%) in Iowa, but they are less likely to do so than white (75%) Iowa eligible voters.