2010 Census Hispanic Population Report: A Changing Texas
By: ARTFor years, demographers have hypothesized about the rapid growth of the U.S. Hispanic population. Consequently, political scientists and pundits have gone to great lengths to attach predictions about ideology and voting behavior to the quickly changing electorate. While the actual political implications of this demographic shift remain to be seen, for the first time ever, the 2010 Census provides us with a concrete look at what this change means for Hispanics and Hispanic Outreach in Texas.
According to the Census, from 2000 to 2010, the Hispanic population in Texas grew to from 6.6 million to 9.5 million, an increase of 41.8% – more than two times faster than any other ethnic group. This has made the Hispanic population in Texas the second largest in the nation behind California, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the total U.S. Hispanic population. This trend is evidence of Texas Hispanics’ growing national influence.
This statewide shift has made a significant impact on local communities in Texas as well. Hispanics are now the majority in 51 out of 254 Texas counties and Texas boasts four of the top ten places in the U.S. with the highest numbers of Hispanics. Houston has the third largest with 919,666. San Antonio has the fourth Largest with 838,951. El Paso and Dallas have the seventh and eighth largest, respectively, with over 500,000 each. Hispanics in these metropolitan areas account for roughly 35% of Texas’s overall population. To be effective, therefore, any Hispanic outreach effort must be statewide in its reach.
One clear conclusion emerges from this data – Hispanics will continue to play a major role in Texas elections as the demographic grows in size and among the electorate. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics are the largest minority population of eligible voters in Texas, outnumbering African Americans by 2 to 1. This is further evidence that now more than ever before, Hispanic outreach efforts are critical.
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2010
Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos in the 2010 Elections: Texas
