NCLR
Tennessee
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA www.nclr.org
State Fact Sheet
As the data below show, Hispanics✝ are quickly becoming a population with a national presence. The most dramatic Latino population growth has occurred in "nontraditional" states, and Hispanics are now the largest minority in the country. Given that almost half of Hispanics are under 25 years old, they will constitute a large segment of the future U.S. population, workforce, and electorate.
Tennessee Compared to the Nation ▼ ▼
▼
Tennessee Hispanic Population, by Age: 2003
Tennessee is the state with the 28th-largest Latino population.1 Between 1990 and 2000, the growth rate of the Latino population in Tennessee ranked fourth in the country.1 Of all states, Tennessee has the 38th-largest share of Latinos when compared to the total state population.1
U.S.
Growth Rate (1990-2000)1
Total
Hispanic
Hispanic Percent of Population2
282,909,885
39,194,837
13.9%
13.2%
57.9%
36.0 years
26.7 years
5,689,261
135,669
2.4%
16.7%
278.2%
36.9 years
26.2 years
Population (2003)2
Tennessee
Over 65 yrs. 1.5%
30-44 yrs. 25.8%
Under 5 yrs. 13.3% 5-19 yrs. 21.5%
Median Age (2003)2
Total
Hispanic
Total
Hispanic
20-29 yrs. 27.7% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
Tennessee Hispanic Population, by Ethnic Subgroup: 2003
Economic Well-Being ▼
45-64 yrs. 10.1%
Latinos are overwhelmingly vulnerable to economic downturns and experience high poverty rates, especially among working families with children. Total (2003) Hispanic (2003) 3
Hispanic Proportion of Total
In Labor Force Participation Rate* Unemployed Unemployment Rate
2,909,000 64.6% 169,000 5.8%
84,000 74.0% 3,000 4.1%
2.9% -1.8% --
Population Below Poverty Level2 Percent of Population Below Poverty Population Under 18 (Children)2 Children Below Poverty Level Percent of Children Below Poverty
779,589 13.8% 1,367,060 271,633 19.9%
38,305 28.5% 42,593 15,897 37.3%
4.9% -3.1% 5.9% --
Dominican 0.2% Cuban 4.2% Other Hispanic 6.3% Puerto Rican 9.4%
Central and South American 14.5%
Mexican 65.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
* The Labor Force Participation Rate is calculated using the civilian, noninstitutionalized population, not the total population.
2
Median Household Income (2003): Hispanic Median Household Income (2003):2
$38,247 $28,922
Tennessee Hispanic Population, by Citizenship Status: 2000 Foreign-born, not yet citizens 40.8%
Native-born citizens 50.5% Foreign-born, naturalized citizens 8.7%
✝ The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchangeably by the U.S. Census Bureau and throughout this document to identify persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, and Spanish descent; they may be of any race.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000