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Latinos in the 2014 Election: Ohio

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

Population and Electorate in the United States and Ohio, 2012
  • The Hispanic population in Ohio is the 23rd largest in the nation. About 371,000 Hispanics reside in Ohio, 0.7% of all Hispanics in the United States.
  • Ohio’s population is 3% Hispanic, the 42nd largest Hispanic statewide population share nationally.
  • There are 185,000 Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio—the 19th largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter population nationally. California ranks first with 6.4 million.
  • Some 2% of Ohio eligible voters are Hispanic, the 42nd largest Hispanic statewide eligible voter share nationally. New Mexico ranks first with 40%.
  • Half of Hispanics in Ohio are eligible to vote, ranking Ohio 14th 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

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Ohio and the United States, 2012
  • Age. One-third of Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio are ages 18 to 29, the same as the share of all Latino eligible voters nationwide in that age range. By contrast, only 20% of all Ohio eligible voters and of 22% of all U.S. eligible voters are ages 18 to 29.
  • Citizenship and Nativity. Among Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio, 11% are naturalized U.S. citizens. This is less than the 25% of Hispanic eligible voters in the U.S., but greater than the 2% of all eligible voters in Ohio and 8% of eligible voters in the U.S. overall who are naturalized U.S. citizens.
  • Hispanic Origin. Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio have a different Hispanic origin profile from Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Some 42% of Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio are of Mexican origin, 37% are of Puerto Rican origin, and 21% claim other Hispanic origin. Among all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide, 59% are Mexican, 14% are Puerto Rican, and 27% are of some other Hispanic origin.
  • Educational Attainment. About one-quarter of Latino eligible voters in Ohio (23%) have not completed high school, twice the 11% of all Ohio eligible voters who have not completed high school and the same as the share of Hispanics nationwide who have not completed high school.
  • Homeownership. About half of Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio (52%) live in owner-occupied homes, less than the 56% of all Hispanic eligible voters nationwide. Greater shares of all eligible voters in Ohio (69%) and eligible voters nationwide (67%) live in owner-occupied homes.

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Ohio, by Race and Ethnicity

Characteristics of Eligible Voters in Ohio and the United States, by Race and Ethnicity, 2012
  • Number of Eligible Voters. White eligible voters outnumber Hispanic eligible voters in Ohio by 39 to 1. Black eligible voters outnumber Hispanics by about 5 to 1, but there are about twice as many Hispanic eligible voters as Asian eligible voters in Ohio.
  • Age. Latino eligible voters are younger than white, black and Asian eligible voters in Ohio. Some 33% of Latinos are ages 18 to 29, compared with 19% of white eligible voters, 26% of black eligible voters and 22% 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 Ohio. Some 23% of Hispanic eligible voters have not obtained a high school diploma, compared with 10% of white eligible voters, 18% of black eligible voters and 10% of Asian eligible voters. Roughly equal shares of Hispanic (15%) and black (13%) eligible voters have at least a bachelor’s degree, but higher shares of white (24%) and Asian (54%) have a bachelor’s degree or more.
  • Homeownership. Hispanic eligible voters (52%) are more likely to live in owner-occupied homes than black eligible voters (41%) in Ohio, but are less likely to live in owner-occupied homes than white (73%) or Asian (78%) eligible voters.
  1. Eligible voters are defined as U.S. citizens ages 18 and older. Eligible voters are not the same as registered voters. To cast a vote, in all states except North Dakota, an eligible voter must first register to vote.↩
  2. The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are used interchangeably. References to other races and ethnicities are to the non-Hispanic components of those populations.↩
  3. This statistical profile of eligible voters is based on the Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey (ACS). The ACS is the largest household survey in the United States, with a sample of about 3 million addresses. The data used for this statistical profile come from the 2012 ACS Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS), representing a 1% sample of the U.S. population. Like any survey, estimates from the ACS are subject to sampling error and (potentially) measurement error. More information is available on ACS sampling strategy and associated error.↩