Where Do They Live?
Up through the 1980s, some 50% of all Hispanics in the U.S. lived in a mere handful of places: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and New York.
But Hispanics haven’t stayed put.
From California to the New York Island, from the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters, growing Latino populations have taken up residence in areas of the country that might surprise you, including:
Arkansas.
Colorado.
Georgia.
Idaho.
Illinois.
Indiana.
Iowa.
Kansas.
Michigan.
Minnesota.
Missouri.
Nebraska.
North Carolina.
North Dakota.
Ohio.
Oregon. South Dakota. Tennessee. Utah. Virginia. And Wisconsin.
Today, the number of Spanish speakers in the country’s top 25 Hispanic markets has grown 40% to 55%,* and, between 1980 and 2000, the following eighteen metro areas racked up Hispanic population gains of more than 300% each** — a level of expansion that some have termed “hypergrowth.”
Three of these — Orlando (859%), Greensboro (962%), and Atlanta (995%) — exceeded the 800% mark. And one — Raleigh, North Carolina — topped out at 1,180%.
These are markets that, barely a decade ago, did not exist. Now, each boasts its share of Spanish-language radio and television stations.
Today, U.S. Hispanics continue to spread out. And their numbers continue to grow. When the new numbers are released next year, this year’s Census results may surprise us with just how far and how much.
So. The Hispanic market continues to be the only large demographic group in the country that is still growing. That hasn’t changed.
What has changed is that marketers looking to profit from this steadily expanding opportunity now need to integrate Latino-targeted efforts into their overall marketing plan for the entire country.
We can help.
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Next time we’ll talk about brand loyalty.
And how Hispanics compare to other demographics in that area.
Stay tuned.
*Source: Hispanic U.S.A. **Source: Brookings Institution/Pew Hispanic Center.
