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Contact: lppipress@luskin.ucla.edu
New Latino Voters Data Brief Shows Texas’ Latino Electorate Has More Than Doubled Since 2000
UCLA analysis shows state’s 6.3 million Latino eligible voters represent nearly one-third of the electorate and more than 45% of young eligible voters
LOS ANGELES (September 17, 2026) —The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute has released a new data brief on Latino eligible voters in Texas. Part of a series using data from the institute’s Latino Data Hub, the brief examines the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of one of the nation’s largest Latino electorates.
Texas’ Latino eligible voter population has more than doubled over the past two decades, growing from 3 million in 2000 to 6.3 million in 2024. During that period, the Latino share of the state’s electorate increased by more than 9 percentage points, from 22.3% to 31.7%.
The brief also finds that Latinos are shaping the next generation of the Texas electorate. Latinos are the largest racial or ethnic group among eligible voters ages 18 to 24, accounting for more than 45% of young eligible voters in the state.
The analysis details Latino eligible voters’ demographic growth, age, language proficiency, nativity, educational attainment, employment, wages, housing, health insurance, and connectivity. Key findings include:
- Latino eligible voters are the youngest major racial or ethnic group in the Texas electorate. Their median age is 39, five years younger than that of all eligible voters and 11 years younger than that of non-Hispanic white eligible voters.
- Two-thirds of Latino eligible voters speak Spanish at home. Half are bilingual in English and Spanish, while 17% primarily speak Spanish, underscoring the importance of sustained bilingual voter outreach.
- Most Latino eligible voters are U.S.-born citizens, while 17% are naturalized citizens.
- More than half have attended college, although 22% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 35% of all eligible voters in Texas.
- Latino eligible voters have a 70% labor-force participation rate, among the highest of any major racial or ethnic group in the state.
Despite their high labor-force participation, Latino eligible voters have the lowest median hourly wage among major racial and ethnic groups in Texas, at $20. Their median household income is $68,600—approximately $11,000 below the statewide median and $23,600 below the median for non-Hispanic white eligible voters.
Housing and health disparities are also prevalent. Nearly half of Latino eligible voters living in rented homes face housing-cost burdens, including 21% who spend more than half of their household income on housing. Latino eligible voters also have the state’s highest rate of living in overcrowded homes, at 10%.
Nearly one-quarter of Latino eligible voters are uninsured—the highest rate among the state’s major racial and ethnic groups. They are 8 percentage points more likely to be uninsured than eligible voters overall and 14 percentage points more likely than non-Hispanic white eligible voters.
The brief also finds that 17% of Latino eligible voters lack broadband access, suggesting that voter-engagement efforts relying exclusively on digital outreach may not reach the full electorate. Most, however, have access to a smartphone and a vehicle.
The Texas and North Carolina and Washington state (Oct. 2026) data briefs build on UCLA LPPI’s 2024 examinations of Latino eligible voters in California, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, Los Angeles County, and Orange County. The data profiles are designed to help researchers, policymakers, advocates, and community organizations better understand the composition and experiences of the Latino electorate.
Read the full brief here.
About the 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.
