The U.S. Hispanic population surged another 1.2 million last year and now is a record 59.9 million, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
The percentage of Hispanics as part of the overall U.S. population also jumped to 18%.
A Pew Research Center analysis of the new data also found that between 2008 and 2018, “Latinos accounted for about half (52%) of all U.S. population growth over this period.”
The largest growth area for Hispanics was the South, at 33% since 2008. That includes Texas and Florida.
Every region in the U.S. saw growth.
And there were areas of historic growth not typically associated with Latinos, including North Dakota.
Said Pew, “The states with the fastest Hispanic population growth tend to have relatively small Hispanic populations – and are not in the South. North Dakota’s Hispanic population grew by 135% between 2008 and 2018 – from 12,600 to 29,500, the fastest growth rate of any state. However, the state ranked 49th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia in its overall Hispanic population in 2018. Hispanic populations in South Dakota (75%), the District of Columbia (57%), Montana (55%) and New Hampshire (50%) also experienced rapid growth during this period, though all have relatively small Hispanic populations.”
