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Hispanics/Latinos in Los Angeles County
By the Numbers

Woman Mariachi Singer, Los Angeles

A woman mariachi singer in Dia de los Muertos face painting sings at a college campus performance. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.


Population

4.9 million

The Hispanic/Latino population in Los Angeles County according to 2021 Census estimates. People of Hispanic/Latino origin are the county's largest ethnic/racial group in Los Angeles County, making up 49% of the population. Los Angeles County had the largest Hispanic/Latino population of any county in the United States, followed by Harris County, Texas, at 2.1 million and Miami-Dade County, Florida, at 1.8 million.

5.3 million

Projected Hispanic/Latino population for Los Angeles County, in 2060, according to the California Demographic Research Unit. This projection would make the Hispanic/Latino population 54% of the county's population by that year.

75%

Percent of Hispanic/Latino population in Los Angeles County of Mexican heritage, according to 2021 Census estimates. Another 8.9% were of Salvadoran heritage, 5.6% Guatemalan, 2.9% South American, and Honduran 1.1%. The remainder were of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, other Central American, or other Hispanic/Latino origin.

47

Number of cities, among Los Angeles County’s 88 incorporated cities, in which Hispanics/Latinos were the largest ethnic/racial group, according to 2021 Census estimates.


Families


Father, Family, Latino

Father with children around a laptop. Photo by Kindel Media at Pexels.com.


1,034,805
Number of Hispanic/Latino family households in Los Angeles County, making up 47% of all family households in the county, according to 2021 Census estimates.

54%
Percent of Hispanic/Latino households in Los Angeles County that had related children younger than age 18 present, as compared to 46% for of all households in the county, according to 2020 Census estimates.


Language

3.5 million

Number of Los Angeles County residents, age 6 and older, who spoke Spanish at home. Spanish speakers made up 38% of Los Angeles County residents, age 6 and older, according to 2021 Census estimates. More than 59% spoke English "very well."


Education


Family at College Graduation Event in Los Angeles

Family at a college graduation event in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.


65%

Percent of all students enrolled in Kindergarten through high school in Los Angeles County who were hispanic/Latino, according to 2021 Census estimates.

50%

Percent of all students enrolled in college (both undergraduate and graduate) in Los Angeles County who were Hispanic/Latino, according to 2021 Census estimates.

16%

Percent of Hispanics/Latinos in Los Angeles County, age 25 and older, who had a bachelor's degree or higher, as compared to 23% for all persons in the county, age 25 and older, according to 2021 Census estimates.


Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$66,929

Median income of Hispanic/Latino households in Los Angeles County, as compared to $77,456 for all county households, according to 2021 Census estimates.

16%
Poverty rate among Hispanics/Latinos, as compared to 14% across the county’s population as a whole, according to 2021 Census estimates.


Jobs


A Latina nurse at work. Photo from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.


47%

Percent of Los Angeles County Labor Force, age 16 and older, who were Hispanic or Latino, according to 2021 Census estimates.

77%

Percent of Los Angeles County's construction workers who were Hispanic/Latino.Hispanics/Latinos also made up 65% of childcare workers and 63% of food and restaurant workers. The county’s Hispanics/Latino population also makes up 45% of K-12 teachers, 44% of law enforcement officers and firefighters, 23% of librarians, curators, and archivists, 23% of engineers, 19% of scientists, 18% of registered nurses and physician assistants, 10% of lawyers, and 8% of healthcare professionals according to 2018 California Employment Development Department data.


Business


A Mexican food business at Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.


24,853

Number of businesses with employees with at least one Hispanic/Latino-owner in Los Angeles County, according to a 2017 Census Business Survey. These were 13% of all businesses with employees in the county. Los Angeles County had the second largest number of Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses among all U.S. counties, second only to Miami-Dade County, Florida.

$37 billion

Receipts from businesses with employees with at least one Hispanic/Latino-owner in Los Angeles County, according to a 2017 Census Business Survey. This made up 3% of receipts from all businesses with employees in the county.


Veterans


Veterans, Military

"Wall of Heroes" honor local veterans in a retail store in Pico Rivera. Los Angeles Almanac photo.


62,140

Number of Hispanic/Latino veterans of the U.S. armed forces in Los Angeles County. They accounted for 26% of all veterans in the county, according to 2021 Census estimates.


Politics

54%

Percent of Los Angeles County Hispanic/Latinos respondents to a 2021 survey who described themselves between "strong Democrat" to "lean Democrat." Those who described themselves as "Independent (neither Democrat or Republican)" came to 38%. Those who described themselves as between "strong Republican" to "lean Republican" came to 9%.


Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau;
California Dept. of Finance, Demographic Research Unit;
California Labor Market Information Division;
Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs


Dia de los Muertos, Olvera Street
Also see: Hispanic or Latino Ethnic Origin - Los Angeles County.