In this article, we look at 20 cities with the most Hispanics in the United States. You can skip our detailed analysis on the economic contributions of the Hispanic or Latino community and head over directly to the 5 Cities with the Most Hispanics.
Hispanics are Americans who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Latin America, and the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean. They are the largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States – with an estimated population of 62.9 million as of July 2021 according to the Census Bureau – which equates to 18.9% of the total population in the country.
A 2022 report by the Joint Economic Committee stated the total economic output of the Hispanic or Latino population of the United States to be an estimated $2 trillion. This includes five-million businesses that contribute $800 billion every year to the national economy. Number of Hispanic-owned businesses between 2012 and 2017 in the country grew by 14%, which was more than twice the national average. According to McKinsey & Company, they also account for the fastest growing portion of the United States GDP. So much so that if the American Latinos had a country of their own, they would have the third highest GDP growth in the past decade after China and India.
California, Texas, Florida, Arizona and New Mexico are the states with the highest Hispanic population. These states also have the highest concentration of Latino-owned businesses. In California, 85,000 of the total 764,000 businesses are owned by Hispanics or Latinos, which is equivalent to over 11% of all businesses in the state. These businesses provide jobs to an estimated 670,000 people and contribute $25 billion towards the state economy. These figures were shared by the Latino Policy and Politics Institute in August 2023.
Hispanic Representation in Leading Companies
Despite making up nearly one-fifths of the overall population of the US, Hispanics are underrepresented in boards of Fortune 500 companies and C-suites of corporate America – with less than 5% of top management positions in companies being held by Hispanics. Only 1% of all board seats are held by Latina women. 69% of the Fortune 1000 companies in 2021 did not have a single director from a Hispanic background. Only 20 of Fortune 500 companies had CEOs of Hispanic descent.
This includes Juan Ricardo Luciano, the CEO of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM), which is a food processing and commodities trading company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) was ranked 35th in the 2023 Fortune 500 list, having a revenue of $101 billion in 2022. Luciano grew up in Argentina and studied engineering at the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology. He worked 25 years for Dow Chemical before taking over as the CEO of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM) in 2015.
One of the world’s most diversified and largest healthcare products companies, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is also headed by a Latino, Joaquin Duato, who is the CEO and Chairman of the Board at the company. Duato joined Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) 34 years ago and served as the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee before becoming CEO in 2022. During the coronavirus pandemic, Duato spearheaded Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)’s efforts in ensuring employee health and that life-saving medicines including the company’s Covid-19 vaccine reached those who were in need.
PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)’s Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta, was born in Spain and completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the ESADE Business School in Barcelona. He is the first Spanish to be the chief executive officer of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP), and has held the position since 2018. Laguarta previously oversaw PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP)’s operations in Europe and Africa before moving to the United States.
Methodology
We have ranked 20 cities with the most Hispanics using figures released by the Census Bureau in its 2021 American Community Survey (ACS). Cities are listed in ascending order of the number of Hispanic population in these cities. Their share as a percentage of the overall population for each city is also mentioned to provide readers an overview of the ethnic and racial demographics in these cities.
Let’s now head over to the list of cities with the most Hispanics in the United States.
20. Las Vegas, Nevada
Hispanic Population: 223,077
Share of City Population: 34.49%
Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada. More than one-thirds of the city’s population comprises Hispanics. Las Vegas is popular for its casinos. A large number of casino-related businesses are owned or operated by members of the Hispanic community, including Red Rock Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ:RRR)’s Station Casino.
19. Santa Ana, California
Hispanic Population: 234,404
Share of City Population: 75.74%
Santa Ana is a Hispanic-majority city in Orange County of California. Ingram Micro, an IT company, is one the biggest employers in the city. Mexico-born Alain Monié is the current CEO of the billion-dollar company.
18. Laredo, Texas
Hispanic Population: 245,945
Share of City Population: 95.32%
Laredo is located in southern Texas along the border with Mexico. It has one of the highest percentages of Hispanic population in the US. The city's economy is dependent on the international trade between the United States and Mexico.
17. Tucson, Arizona
Hispanic Population: 248,116
Share of City Population: 45.68%
Tucson is the second largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and is home to the University of Arizona, which is also the largest employer in the city. Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites are two of the largest communities in Tucson.
16. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hispanic Population: 250,485
Share of City Population: 15.89%
Philadelphia is home to a quarter of a million Hispanics. The community has a significant footprint in the food and catering industry in the city. Sea Philly, Joshua Caterings, and The Faiya Company are some prominent names of businesses owned by Latinos in Philadelphia.
15. Fresno, California
Hispanic Population: 270,662
Share of City Population: 49.71%
Located in California's San Joaquin Valley, nearly half of Fresno’s population comprises Latinos. It is one of the poorest cities in the state, with a poverty rate of 19.4% in 2021 according to the Census Bureau. Fresno’s economy is based on agriculture.
14. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Hispanic Population: 284,753
Share of City Population: 50.61%
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, and is popular in the United States for the annual International Balloon Fiesta. Hispanics are the largest racial group in the city, accounting for more than half of the overall population.
13. San Jose, California
Hispanic Population: 301,143
Share of City Population: 30.62%
San Jose is a major economic and technological hub in California, that is also home to a sizable Hispanic population that contributes to the economic wellbeing of the city. Members of the communities operate a number of restaurants, coffee shops, and fashion outlets in the city.
12. Austin, Texas
Hispanic Population: 308,048
Share of City Population: 31.96%
Austin is the capital of Texas. Nearly one-thirds of the city's population is Hispanic. Several Fortune 500 companies operate in the city, such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), and Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) that employ talented individuals from the Hispanic community as well among others. The number of Hispanics living in Austin has grown by 35% between 2010 and 2020.
11. Miami, Florida
Hispanic Population: 315,742
Share of City Population: 71.77%
Miami serves as the center of Latin American operations for a number of companies due to its close proximity to Latin America. Miami is also often referred to as the 'commercial capital of Latin America'. More than 70% of the city's population is Hispanic.
10. Fort Worth, Texas
Hispanic Population: 319,731
Share of City Population: 34%
Fort Worth in Texas ranks 10th on the list of cities with the most Hispanics. The city has a population nearing one million, of which 34% were Hispanics according to the American Community Survey 2021. Fort Worth is popular for its museums, zoos, and BBQ.
9. San Diego, California
Hispanic Population: 400,337
Share of City Population: 28.98%
San Diego is a city in California that is known for its beaches along the Pacific coast. It has a thriving Hispanic community. A number of companies in San Diego are headed by Hispanic CEOs, including QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) by Brazilian-born Cristiano Amon, and Cano Health, Inc. (NYSE:CANO) by Marlow Hernandez.
8. Dallas, Texas
Hispanic Population: 541,466
Share of City Population: 42.02%
Dallas in the state of Texas has more than half a million Hispanics. Members of the community have a solid hold in the corporate circle of the city, with many holding top management positions in large corporations such as AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE:KMB), and Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV).
7. El Paso, Texas
Hispanic Population: 556,625
Share of City Population: 82.05%
El Paso’s economy is dependent on the production of food, construction material, clothes, electronics, and medical equipment. Nearly 20% of Texas’ international trade with Mexico goes through the El Paso port of entry. Hispanics form more than four-fifths of the population in the city.
6. Phoenix, Arizona
Hispanic Population: 693,147
Share of City Population: 42.67%
Phoenix is the capital city of the state of Arizona, with Hispanics making up a major chunk of the city’s population. According to a report in a local daily, The Arizona Republic, Hispanics contribute over $65 billion to the economy of the city.
