Nearly Half of the Nation’s Hispanic Population Lives in 10 Metropolitan Areas

Forty-five percent of the nation's Hispanic1 population lives in just 10 metropolitan areas, according to tabulations of the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS) by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif., metropolitan area has the nation's largest Hispanic population-5.7 million-and alone accounts for 11 percent Hispanics nationally. In Los Angeles, Hispanics make up 45 percent of the area's residents.

The New York-Northeastern New Jersey metropolitan area is the second largest by Hispanic population - 4.2 million - and is home to 8 percent of Hispanics nationwide. In the New York metropolitan area, Hispanics make up 25 percent of all residents.

Among the 60 metropolitan areas with the largest Latino populations, two have Latino population shares above 90 percent. The population of Laredo, Texas-with the 36th largest Latino population-is 96 percent Latino. The McAllen-Edinburg-Pharr-Mission, Texas, metropolitan area-which has the 13th largest Hispanic population-is 91 percent Latino.

Cubans are the largest Hispanic origin group in Miami and make up 54 percent of all Hispanics there. In the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia, area-the 12th largest Hispanic metropolitan population-the largest Hispanic origin group is Salvadoran, making up 34 percent of the area's Hispanic population. Puerto Ricans are the largest Hispanic origin group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/New Jersey-the 24th largest Hispanic metropolitan area-making up 53 percent of all Hispanics there.

Mexican-Americans are by far the nation's largest Hispanic origin group, comprising 65 percent of the total Hispanic population in the United States. They are also the largest Hispanic origin group in 50 of the 60 metropolitan areas covered by the report, and make up more than half of the Hispanic population in 46 of them. In 33 of these metro areas Mexicans are not only the largest Hispanic origin group, they are also bigger than any other racial or ethnic group.

Median ages among Hispanics in the top 10 Hispanic metro areas range from a low of 24 years (Phoenix) to a high of 39 years (Miami). For all U.S. Hispanics, the median age is 27. For the total U.S. population, the median age is 37.

Among Hispanics ages 25 and older in the top 10 metro areas, Dallas has the highest share without a high school diploma-46 percent. Dallas is followed closely by the Los Angeles and Houston areas-both with 44 percent.

Among the top 10 metropolitan areas by Hispanic population, the share of Hispanics ages 25 and older with at least a bachelor's degree is highest in the Miami area-23 percent. Miami leads the next most highly educated metro area, San Francisco - 16 percent.

San Antonio has the highest rate of U.S. citizenship among Hispanics in the top 10 metropolitan areas - 88 percent. Its share is well above the other metro areas in the top 10. Riverside is second with 78 percent.

Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. Hispanics are U.S. citizens by birth or naturalization.

The median annual household incomes among Hispanics in the 10 largest metropolitan areas range from a low of $35,600 in Phoenix to a high of $55,000 in San Francisco.

As well as having the lowest household income, the Phoenix area has the highest Hispanic poverty rate - 28 percent - among the top 10 Hispanic metropolitan areas.