The Hispanic population: 1990-2000 growth and change

Data sources indicate that there were significant changes in the Hispanic population between 1990 and 2000. Using short-form data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses, we explore changes in the size and distribution of the Latino population. The most important shifts in the Hispanic population are the continued increase of the Latino population in the United States, the significant growth of Hispanic population who identify as 'other' Latino, and the growing importance of the Midwest and South as popular receiving areas for Latinos. Additionally, our comparison of household composition over the ten-year period shows little change. We offer potential explanations, both substantive and methodological, for these important transitions in the Latino population over the decade.