Hispanic Marketing Facts and Figures

A majority of Hispanic householders (53 percent) were born outside the United States. Hispanics are the fastest growing segment in the United States.

Between 1995 and 2005 nearly five million new Hispanic households were created throughout the United States–an increase of 57 percent. This compares to only a 10 percent increase for all other (non–Hispanic) households. During this ten–year period Hispanics accounted for more than one–third (34 percent) of the total growth in US households.

Between 2000 and 2005 more than three million new Hispanic households were created, resulting in a 30 percent increase in only five years. Since 2000, Hispanic households have accounted for 36 percent of the total increase in households nationwide.

Hispanic households increased by more than 50 percent in 45 of the 50 states. Although nearly two-thirds of all Hispanic households are still concentrated in only four states–California, Texas, Florida and New York–major growth is occurring in almost every state, with some of the most dramatic growth taking place in Southern and Midwestern states that until recently did not have many Hispanic households.

Between 1995 and 2005 the number of Hispanic owner-occupied homes increased by 3.1 million, reaching a total of 6.9 million in 2005. This is an 81 percent increase over the ten-year period beginning in 1995 and compares to a 19 percent increase for all other (non–Hispanic) households. Increases in the number of Hispanic owner–occupied households occurred in every state.

The Hispanic homeownership rate of 49 percent is much lower that that of all other (non-Hispanic) householders (72 percent) and, in particular, of non-Hispanic white householders (76 percent). However, between 1995 and 2005 the 7 percentage point increase in the Hispanic homeownership rate (from 42 percent in 1995 to 49 percent in 2005) narrowed the homeownership gap, outpacing the 5 percentage point increase for non–Hispanic whites. The increase in the Hispanic homeownership rate during this ten-year period is particularly remarkable in that it coincided with the arrival of 6.6 million new Hispanic immigrants, the great majority of whom initially reside in rental housing. - Current Population Survey, 1995, 2005

On average, Hispanics workers only earn about two-thirds (67 percent) as much as their non-Hispanic white counterparts (American Community Survey, 2004). However, Hispanic households tend to be much larger than others and have multiple wage earners contributing to the household economy. As a result, Hispanic household income is equal to 74 percent of that of non–Hispanic white households, a much smaller Hispanic–white gap in household income than the Hispanic–white gap between individual workers' earnings.

State Specific Facts

Growth in the number of Hispanic households in the Midwest between 1995 and 2005 ranged from 44 percent in Illinois–which already had a very large Hispanic community–to 311 percent in Iowa.

In North Carolina Hispanic households increased by 401 percent between 1995 and 2005 and accounted for nearly a quarter of the total growth in that state.

Hispanics account for about 90 percent of all household growth in Hawaii.