New UCLA LPPI Data Brief Shows California’s Evolving Latino Voter Profiles Amidst Rising Diversity
This November, while boasting the largest Latino voter population of any state, Californians will vote on a U.S. Senator and 52 House Representatives, in addition to the President.
LOS ANGELES (August 14, 2024) – The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (UCLA LPPI) released a new data brief on Latino eligible voters in California, marking the third in a series of data briefs utilizing the Latino Data Hub to focus on Latino voters in critical states for the 2024 election. The untapped electoral potential of California’s Latino population could prove crucial to the results of Congressional races, which party controls the 119th Congress, and what state policy will look like in the years to come.
The brief shows that California’s Latino population does not look the same as it did in the decades prior or even as recently as 2010. While the majority of California’s Latinos are still Mexican American, groups from Central and South America are growing, with the population of Dominicans and Venezuelans more than doubling between 2010 and 2020. Not only are the state’s Latinos diversifying in origin, but they are also fundamentally shifting away from first-generation immigrants. As waves of immigration subside, California welcomes a new generation of younger, U.S.-born, and English-speaking Latinos who are rapidly becoming eligible to vote. Nevertheless, turnout for Latinos remains strikingly low.
The data brief also provides a comprehensive analysis of the state’s Latino electorate, detailing their demographic growth, economic participation, educational attainment, language proficiency, housing, health insurance, and connectivity. The key findings include:
- The Latino population in California is growing more rapidly than non-Latinos and accounts for more than 30% of eligible voters—making them the second largest group after non-Hispanic whites.
- Latino adults in California are significantly younger than eligible voters as a whole. Young voters ages 18-24 are more diverse than all eligible voters, and Latinos’ share among young voters is almost half of that population.
- Almost half of all Latino eligible voters in California are bilingual, and an additional one in five only speaks Spanish.
- Most Latino eligible voters in California are U.S.-born, but a sizable share (25%) are naturalized citizens.
- Latino eligible voters in California have low levels of formal education. More Latinos lack a high school diploma compared to any other major racial or ethnic group. Additionally, Latinos have the second-lowest rates of bachelor’s degree attainment in the state.
- Despite their high propensity to work, Latinos have the lowest hourly wage out of all racial and ethnic groups.
- Latino eligible voters in California are overrepresented in retail trade and underrepresented in the professional services and waste management industries.
- The proportion of Latino eligible voters living in overcrowded homes is almost twice that of the overall rate in the state. Additionally, half of Latino renters in the state face housing cost burdens.
- Latino eligible voters have the second-highest uninsured rates among major racial and ethnic groups in the state.
- The vast majority of Latino voters in California have access to the internet, a smartphone, and a vehicle.
See additional briefs as part of the 2024 election research series here.
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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute
The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is a non-partisan research institute that seeks to inform, engage, and empower Latinos through innovative research and policy analysis. LPPI aims to promote equitable and inclusive policies that address the needs of the Latino community and advance social justice. latino.ucla.edu.
