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

1. Latinos are the second largest racial or ethnic group in Washington at 13% of the population (Figure 1). This is 5 percentage points less than the national share of Latinos (18%). Since 2000, the Latino population has grown by 133%—more than four times the state’s overall growth rate during the same time (30%).

Figure 1: Population by Race and Ethnicity in Washington, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.
Note: AAPI refers to the Asian American and Pacific Islander population.

2. Latinos in Washington are younger than the average Washingtonian. The median age of Latino Washingtonians is 25, compared to 37 for Washingtonians overall. Additionally, 23% of Latinos in Washington are 10 or under, compared to 14% of the overall state population.

3. More than three-quarters of Latinos in Washington are of Mexican descent (80%)—18 percentage points more than the national average (62%). Latinos of other descent (6%), Puerto Ricans (4%), South Americans (3%), and Salvadorans (2%) close out the top five Latino descent groups in Washington. The substantial proportion of Latinos of other descent may reflect Washington’s historical development. Latinos have had a permanent presence in the state since the early 1800s when Mexico’s border extended to Oregon, while Mexican migration intensified in the 1920s during the Mexican Revolution.

4. Washington Latinos are less likely to complete high school compared to the state overall and Latinos nationally. About 34% of Latinos did not complete high school, compared to 9% of the state overall and 30% of U.S. Latinos. In Washington, Latinos of Guatemalan and Mexican descent are the most likely to lack a high school diploma (46% and 39%, respectively).

5. Latinas are more likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree than Latino men (Figure 2). An estimated 16% of Latinas have completed a four-year college degree, compared to just 13% of Latino men. However, both Latinas and Latino men are less likely to have completed college relative to Latinos nationally.

Figure 2: Population with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Washington, 2019

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

6. Latino men participate in the labor force at the highest rate among the major racial, ethnic, and gender groups in Washington (Figure 3; 81%). Latinas have the second-highest labor force participation rate (64%) among women of major racial and ethnic groups.

Figure 3: Labor Force Participation Rates by Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Washington, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.
Note: Data are for the civilian non-institutionalized population.

7. The median household income for Latinos is $55,000—$3,000 higher than that of Latinos nationally ($52,000). However, Latinos’ median household income is $18,000 less than the Washington state median ($73,200), and lower than that of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI; $93,700) and white households ($75,900).

8. Despite Latinos’ high labor force participation, 18% of Latino households experience poverty. An additional 25% of Latino households live in low-income conditions. Among children, more than half of Latino children live in poverty or low-income conditions (57%), well above the rate for Washington children overall (34%).

9. Latinos hold the second lowest homeownership rate in Washington among major racial and ethnic groups (44%). This rate is 3% lower than that of Latinos nationally (47%).

10. Washington Latinos possess the second lowest median home value in the state among major racial and ethnic groups, at $225,000 (Figure 4). This is $100,000 less than the overall median home value in Washington. Among Latino descent groups, South Americans ($400,000) and Cubans ($375,000) have the highest median home values.

Figure 4: Median Home Values by Race and Ethnicity in Washington, 2019

Source: LPPI analysis of 2015-2019 5-Year American Community Survey public use microdata.
Note: Data reflect race and ethnicity of head of household.

11. In Washington, half of Latino households experience a housing cost burden—meaning they spend more than 30% of their incomes on housing costs. This rate is 3 percentage points higher than that of Washington households overall (47%). Furthermore, 54% of Latino children live in cost-burdened households, a share 4 percentage points higher than that of children overall (50%).

12. Latinos, especially Latino children, are the group most likely to live in an overcrowded household—meaning they live with more than one person per room. About 13% of Latino households and 28% of Latino children live in overcrowded conditions, compared to 3% of Washington households and 14% of Washington children.

13. Latinos are three times more likely to be uninsured compared to Washingtonians overall (18% vs. 6%, respectively). However, Washington Latinos are just as likely to be uninsured as Latinos nationally (Figure 5). Among Latino groups, non-citizen Latino Washingtonians are the most likely to be uninsured (50%).

Figure 5: Uninsured Rates by Race and Ethnicity in Washington, 2019

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

14. In Washington, Latino children are about as likely to be uninsured compared to Washingtonian children overall (4% vs. 3%, respectively).

15. Across all racial and ethnic groups in Washington, Latinos are the most likely to be covered by Medicaid at 37%—16 percentage points higher than the share of Washingtonians overall (21%). Similarly, Latino children are more likely to be covered by Medicaid (66%) than Washington children overall (40%).

Featured photo courtesy of Lalit Gupta on Unsplash. Education and Work banner images courtesy of Juan Ramos and Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash.