Hispanic population booms over last decade, tipping political landscape

A new census analysis shows the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S. grew by 23% during the past decade — but some metro areas saw a population boom three or more times that rate.

Why it matters: It's Hispanic Heritage Month. The national population is changing, and the rapidly growing and more dispersed Latino populations come with important implications for U.S. politics.

• While Democrats have typically enjoyed strong support among Latinos, there are signs some may be skewing Republican.
• And while counties with some of the most Latino representation tend to be in the Southwest, some of the fastest-growing Latino communities are in metro areas to the east.

By the numbers: In 1990, 2 in 5 Latinos lived in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, writes Bill Frey of the Brookings Institution.

• Now, about the same proportion are spread between those four metros, as well as Houston, Dallas and Riverside, California.
• All seven metro areas have more than 2 million Latino residents.
• But Latino communities are growing faster in areas that have smaller Latino populations to begin with — a sign of the demographics dispersing rather than congregating in a handful of cities.

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