Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean. In 1968, Congress set aside a week for this observance and two decades later expanded it to a month stretching from September 15 to October 15. The timing is historically significant as September 15 is the anniversary of independence in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The designated period is also a nod to those from Mexico and Chile, which celebrate their independence September 16 and September 18, respectively.
The following facts are possible thanks to the invaluable responses toU.S. Census Bureau surveys. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we measure America’s people, places and economy.
Did You Know?
63.7 million
The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2022, making it the nation’s largest racial or ethnic minority — 19.1% of the total population.
13
The number of states with one million or more Hispanic residents in 2022 — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
34,782
The increase (from July 1, 2021-July 1, 2022) in the number of Hispanics in Harris County, Texas, the county with the nation’s largest gain in this population during this time period, up 1.7%.
30.7
The median age of the Hispanic population in 2022, up from 30.4 in 2021.
More Stats
Adetailed profileof the Hispanic population based on 2021 American Community Survey 1-year estimates is available, including data on:
Previous Facts for Features
The following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’sFacts for Featuresseries:
Black (African American) History Month (February)
Women's History Month (March)
Irish-American Heritage Month (March)
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
The Fourth of July (July 4)
Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act (July 26)
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Halloween (Oct. 31)
American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
Thanksgiving Day/Holiday Season (November-December)
Editor’s note:The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail:pio@census.gov.
Profile America'sFacts for Featuresprovides statistics related to observances and holidays not covered by Stats for Stories. For observancesnot listed below, visit ourStats for Storiesweb page.
Profile America'sStats for Storiesprovides links to timely story ideas highlighting the Census Bureau's newsworthy statistics that relate to current events, observances, holidays,and anniversaries. The story ideasare intended to assistthe media instory miningandproducing content for their respective audiences.
