Exploring the Largest Latin American Groups in the US

If you take a look at Mexican-American people who have descended from those who arrived before 1920, the end of the Mexican Civil War, they would be spread across much of the Southwest. We want to create an environment that supports Latinos on their journey to success in the workforce and achieve economic prosperity. At the state level, Mexicans are the biggest Latino population in 40 out of 50 states, and have gained ground since 2000, when they were the largest group in 35 states. However, South American Latinos (colored in shades of blue), including Venezuelans, Uruguayans and Colombians, experienced the most rapid growth in states where the Latino population was already more established.Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans are the largest Latino group in 7 states (Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania), Salvadorans in Maryland and the District of Columbia, Cubans in Florida and Dominicans in Rhode Island.

South Americans (except Ecuadorians and Venezuelans) are more likely to live in their own home than Latinos in general. On the other hand, Panamanian, Chilean, Venezuelan, Argentinian and Bolivian women have seen a decrease in their percentage of Latinas over the last two decades. The Latino population continued to grow significantly in states that experienced little growth or a decline in their overall population, such as West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois and Rhode Island. Like most Central American ethnic groups, Hondurans are often found in many rural counties throughout the country. Over the past two decades, Latinos have expanded their presence in states across the country, accounting for most of the population growth in many states.

Like Salvadorans, Americans of Guatemalan origin are also scattered in smaller populations across the country, mainly in rural areas due to the high number of Central American migrant agricultural workers in the United States. Central Americans (yellow and orange) grew faster on the East Coast and Midwest. The first major Guatemalan American community is located in Southern California, particularly in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties. However, other racial and ethnic groups that began with a higher level of education in 2000 - including whites, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) - also made significant progress during this period. North Dakota and South Dakota experienced the fastest growth in their Latino population - 333% and 265%, respectively - while their total population growth was around 20%.

Willem Vermeulen
Willem Vermeulen

Alcohol expert. Infuriatingly humble sushi aficionado. Award-winning zombie practitioner. Beer maven. Extreme bacon enthusiast. Amateur internet geek.