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Demography & Population Studies

New Study Illuminates Latino Resilience in Fresno County

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute Latino Data Hub released a new data brief that analyzes the Fresno County Latino population’s socioeconomic characteristics, including employment, homeownership and poverty rates. The data brief titled “Facts about Latinos in Fresno County, California” used data from the Latino Data Hub, which draws from the 2021 pooled 5-year American Community Survey (ACS).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: lppipress@luskin.ucla.edu

UCLA LPPI Study Illuminates Latino Resilience in Fresno County 

The new factsheet highlights key socioeconomic factors about Latinos in Fresno County and how they stand out in several ways

FRESNO, CA (March, 21, 2024) –The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute Latino Data Hub released a new data brief that analyzes the Fresno County Latino population’s socioeconomic characteristics, including employment, homeownership and poverty rates. The data brief titled “Facts about Latinos in Fresno County, California” used data from the Latino Data Hub, which draws from the 2021 pooled 5-year American Community Survey (ACS).

The brief showed that over the last decade, Latinos in Fresno County have accounted for all of the county’s population growth and now form over half of the county’s population. Yet despite strong labor force participation and employment rates in 2021, almost one in four Latinos in Fresno County lived in poverty while Latino workers earned $9 less per hour than their white counterparts.

“In the heart of Fresno County, the resilience of our Latino community shines bright,” said co-author and UCLA LPPI graduate fellow Alberto Vargas. “However, beneath this resilience lies an urgent truth: one in four Latinos faces the harsh reality of poverty, earning less than their white counterparts. We hope these findings propel meaningful policy changes from California representatives, ensuring equity for Latino communities across Fresno County and the Central Valley.”

Our key findings include: 

  • Over a third of Fresno County Latinos are children, the second-highest among major racial and ethnic groups.
  • Compared to Latinos statewide, Latinos in Fresno County were more likely to be U.S.-born and less likely to speak Spanish at home.
  • Over a third of Latinos in Fresno County did not have a high school diploma, similar to statewide Latino rates. 
  • Only 11% of Latinos in Fresno County completed a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, which is three percentage points lower than Latinos statewide.
  • Despite strong labor force participation and employment rates, almost one in four Latinos in Fresno County lives in poverty. In addition, Latinos in Fresno County are less likely to be entrepreneurs or work in higher-wage occupations like engineering, the arts, media, and entertainment.
  • Latinos earned the lowest median wage among major racial and ethnic groups in Fresno County, earning $9 less per hour than their white counterparts in 2021.

Co-author Misael Galdámez, senior research analyst at UCLA LPPI, added, “The data speaks resolutely: growth and struggle coexist within Fresno County’s Latino community. We encourage Fresno County representatives to use these findings to make needed policy changes that empower the Latino community and unlock Fresno County’s full potential.”

Read the full data brief here. 

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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute:

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is a non-partisan research institute that seeks to inform, engage, and empower Latinos through innovative research and policy analysis. LPPI aims to promote equitable and inclusive policies that address the needs of the Latino community and advance social justice. latino.ucla.edu.