Commentary

New Hispanic Demographics

New Hispanic Demographics

A recently released research study from The Media Audit, sampling almost 10,000 Hispanics in 85 US markets, notes that the Hispanic communities in each of the metro markets surveyed are distinctively different. In New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and Houston the Hispanic communities come from different countries and cultures.

However, much of the data represents collective culture and reveals that young Hispanics are graduating from college in much greater numbers than their preceding generations. 14.3% of urban Hispanic adults, 18 to 34, have annual household incomes of $50,000 or more. The comparable percent for Caucasians is 12.7; African-Americans, 12.3; and, the general population, 13.6%. The 18 to 34 age group accounts for approximately 51% of the adult Hispanic population in this survey and 41% of Hispanics with degrees are 18 to 34, and this age group is the fastest growing segment of the Hispanic population in the markets studied.

According to the survey, Hispanics lose ground – in both affluence and education as the age group gets older. Only 4.6% of Hispanics age 50 or older have annual household incomes of $50,000 or more while the percentage among the general adult population is 11.6%. Among Caucasians it is 14.3% and among African-Americans it is 7.3%.

Although only 8.3% of Hispanics surveyed are employed in professional/technical occupations, 46.3% of them are 18 to 34. In the proprietor/managerial occupations the picture is the same: 13.3% of all Hispanics are in this group, but 50% of them are 18 to 34.

The Hispanic community is a very distinctive group. They don’t read the front-page section of newspapers as regularly as the general population (35.8% vs. 51.4%) but they come closer with the sports section (24.8% vs. 28.7%). They are more inclined to read the classified ad section (12% vs.10%). They watch sporting events on television and they watch soccer and boxing a lot more than the general adult population. They read more direct mail advertising than the general population and they listen to radio during the week almost as much as the general population. And, they are more likely to buy vans, trucks and sport utility vehicles than cars.

Even in politics the Hispanics stand alone. While the Caucasian population in the study was split almost evenly between Democrats, Republicans and Independents, 65% of African-Americans tilted strongly to the Democrats, 22.4% Independent and just 4% Republican. 42% of Hispanics surveyed said they were Democrats, almost 30% said they were Independent, and 13.5% said they were Republicans.

"Overall, says Bob Jordan, co-chairman of the 30-year-old firm that produces The Media Audit, "the research reveals a culturally diverse segment of our population which is growing rapidly and is just beginning to earn the attention it deserves from marketers." According to the U.S. census, the Hispanic population has grown 58% in the past ten years.

The report is extensive and fact filled.

Read more at www.themediaaudit.com

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