Texas, Florida are still the biggest Latino hubs, but highest growth rate comes from unexpected states

Letsbox.it has published a study around data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the growth of Latino population in each state between 2017 and 2022. And although there are few surprises regarding the states that harbor the biggest Latino populations (with Texas, Florida and California leading the pack), the study did offer some surprises in terms of the states with biggest growth rate in that period of time.

States traditionally not known for having large Latino populations top the list, led by North and South Dakota, with 34,13% and 31.09% respectively, and followed closely by several other: New Hampshire (29.58%), Maine (26.78%) and Montana (25.27%). The data shows "a broader expansion of the Hispanic community into regions previously less affected by immigration and birth rates among this group."

The study underlines the significant increase in the Latino population, which reached a total of 61,755,866 people in the aforementioned time span (5 years), a growth rate of 9.28%.

"This demographic trend is not just a matter of numbers" the study adds. "The growth of the Hispanic population is reshaping the social, economic, and political fabrics of local communities. In education, schools are adapting to the increasing number of Hispanic students by integrating bilingual education and culturally responsive teaching methods. Economically, the rise in Hispanic residents has spurred the growth of Latino-owned businesses and has become a pivotal market segment for both local and national companies."

Politically, an estimated 36.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote this year, up from 32.3 million in 2020, which represents 50% of the total growth in eligible voters during this time. The Latino vote might be even more defining when taking into account the so-called "swing states". A recent Axios report revealed that of the six states that are still considered to be "up for grabs" in the upcoming elections, three are Latino-heavy: Arizona, Nevada and Georgia