Hispanics are now Texas' largest demographic group, data shows as Hispanic Heritage Month begins

Hispanic Texans have surpassed white Anglo Texans by over 230,000 people, becoming the state’s largest racial population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The total population of Texas reached over 29.5 million people in 2021 — an 1.8 percent increase from 2019. Statewide, 11.6 million people — or 39.4 percent — identified as white non-Hispanic in 2021, while 11.9 million — or 40.2 percent — were Hispanic.

The Census Bureau released its one-year American Community Survey this week, showing changes from 2019 to 2021. It didn’t release the survey for 2020 because of sampling problems owing to the pandemic. In 2019, the Hispanic population in Texas was 11.5 million — or 39.7 percent. In two years, that total jumped by over 330,000 people — a 2.9 percent increase. Over the same period, the Anglo Texan population declined by about 300,000 people — a 2.5 percent drop. For years, the Hispanic population in Texas has increased several hundred thousand every year. Meanwhile, the Anglo population had remained steady — about 11.8 million people — since 2015. But in 2021, that population fell drastically to the lowest number of Anglos since 2014.