This data brief, produced by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute research team, provides detailed information on Florida’s Latino population using the 2015-19 American Community Survey data.

1. Latinos are the second-largest racial and ethnic group in Florida at 26% of the population. Non-Hispanic white Floridians form the largest group (54%), while Black (15%) and AAPI (3%) Floridians form the third- and fourth-largest population groups. 

2. Latinos in Florida are young for the state. With a median age of 35, the Latino population skews significantly younger than Floridians overall (42). However, Florida Latinos are older than Latinos nationally—the average U.S. Latino is only 29.

3. Florida Latinos are diverse, especially when compared to U.S. Latinos (Figure 1). Latinos of Cuban descent represent the single largest Latino ancestry group (28%), while Puerto Ricans (21%), South Americans (18%), Mexicans (14%), and Dominicans (4%) round out the top 5 groups by origin. In contrast, U.S. Latinos are majority Mexican (62%), while Puerto Ricans, South Americans, Cubans, and Dominicans respectively represent 10% or less of the Latino population.

Figure 1: Florida Latino Population by Ancestry, 2019
Percent of Total Florida Latino Population

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.

4. Almost a quarter of Florida Latinos are college-educated (Figure 2), significantly higher than the national average for Latinos (16%). Still, fewer Latinos have completed a bachelor’s degree compared to the state overall (30%). 

Figure 2: Florida Population with a Bachelor’s Degree or More by Race and Ethnicity, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.

5. Latinas have more education than Latino men. 26% of Florida Latinas completed a bachelor’s degree or more, compared to just 23% of Latino men. This gender difference follows national patterns: nationally, 18% of Latinas have completed a bachelor’s degree or more, compared to just 15% of Latino men. 

6. Latino men have higher labor force participation rates than men from other racial groups. 75% of Latino men participate in the workforce, which is 12 percentage points higher than for Florida men overall. 

7. Latina women have the second-highest labor force participation rate among women (58.9%). Only Black women are more likely to participate in the workforce. 

8. Despite their propensity to work, almost half of Latinos in FL live in poverty or low-income conditions. In Florida, 19% of Latino households live under the federal poverty line, while another 25% are considered low-income. By comparison, only 13% of the state population lives in poverty, while 19% of the population is low-income. Florida Latinos are less likely to live below the poverty line than U.S. Latinos (19% vs 21.5%), but are just as likely to live in low-income conditions (25% vs 25.8%). 

9. Latinos have the second-lowest median household income of any racial group in Florida (Figure 3; $48,600), over $7,000 below the state median household income ($55,000). 

Figure 3: Florida Median Household Incomes by Race and Ethnicity, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.

10. Latinos are more likely to be uninsured relative to other groups (Figure 4). 20% of Florida Latinos are uninsured, compared to just 13% of Floridians overall and 19% of U.S. Latinos. Only 8% of Latino children are uninsured, in-line with the national rate for U.S. Latino children (8%) but slightly above the state rate of 7%. Among Latino origin groups, roughly half of Guatemalans are uninsured, the most of any group. 

Figure 4: Florida Uninsured Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.

11. Almost half of Latino Floridians are covered by private insurance, while another 25% are covered by Medicaid. Latinos are 7 percentage points more likely to rely on Medicaid compared to the state (18%). Nationally, 49% of Latinos are covered through private insurance and 32% are covered by Medicaid.

12. Conversely, Latino children are more likely to have Medicaid coverage. Over half of Latino children are covered by Medicaid—well above the rate for kids statewide (52% vs. 43% respectively)—while only 39% of Latino children are covered by private insurance (vs. 49% for all children statewide). 

13. Latinos have relatively low homeownership rates (Figure 5). Latinos are 14 percentage points less likely to own a home relative to the state (51% vs. 65% statewide). They also have the second-lowest homeownership rate among major racial groups—only Black Floridians are less likely to own their home (45%). Despite this gap, Florida Latinos are more likely to own a home relative to U.S. Latinos (51% vs 47%). 

Figure 5: Florida Homeownership Rates by Race and Ethnicity, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.

14. Latinos boast the second-highest home values in Florida among major racial groups. In 2019, Latino median home values were $220,000, $20,000 more than the state median. Only Asian Americans had higher home values ($250,000). Among Latino origin groups, Cubans and South Americans possessed the highest median home values ($250,000 each).

15. Nearly two-thirds of Latinos are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their incomes on rent. Further, 7% of Latinos live in overcrowded households, more than twice the state’s overall rate (3%). 

This work was made possible by the generous support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Casey Family Programs. Featured photo by Lance Asper on Unsplash.