By Lautaro Grinspan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) — The Hispanic community is growing faster in Georgia than in most other U.S. states, a new report finds.
On Nov. 19, a group of Latino-serving Georgia nonprofits released an in-depth analysis of census data to capture how the Hispanic population is expanding in size and influence. The report also lays out the challenges the Hispanic population continues to face, ranging from higher uninsured and poverty rates to lower college enrollment.
The end product provides a comprehensive and up-to-date look into one of the minority groups whose growth is reshaping metro Atlanta and dozens of other communities across the state.
“Historically, the voices of Latinos in Georgia have been muted by systemic barriers and a lack of comprehensive data that reflect our true needs and contributions,” the report says. “Latinos demand greater recognition and support.”
The coalition behind the report, titled “The State of the Latino Community in Georgia,” includes Latino Community Fund Georgia, Ser Familia, and other local nonprofits that provide services to local Hispanic residents.
Georgia’s Latino population, which numbers just over one million people, is the country’s ninth largest, according to the report. Since 2010, it has been growing at a faster clip than the U.S. average (32.7% compared to 25.9%).
In 2010, 60% of the state’s Latino population was made up of foreign-born people. As those immigrants set roots in Georgia and started families, that figure has started to tumble down.
Now, just over 40% of Georgia Latinos are foreign-born. That is still high, to be sure, but it’s indicative of a trend that could have significant political implications. The longer an immigrant population becomes established in the U.S., the more likely they are to achieve citizenship and participate in elections.
In recent years, Venezuelans have powered the growth of the Georgia Hispanic population, with that specific community growing at a rate of 257% since 2010.
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That development is no surprise, as record numbers of Venezuelan migrants helped fuel a massive border surge in recent years. To alleviate pressure from the southern border, the Biden administration created a program that allowed thousands of Venezuelans to legally fly to the U.S. each month and stay in the country for two years.
As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, many of the Venezuelan newcomers to the metro area in recent years arrived with limited means and few connections, requiring assistance from nonprofits to stay off the streets. Other fast-growing Hispanic immigrant communities since 2010 were Nicaraguans (up 137%) and Bolivians (up 119%).
Overall, Mexico continues to account for the biggest share of Hispanic immigrants in Georgia, followed by Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia.
Persisting disparities
With an average age of just 26, Latinos represent the youngest population in the state, according to the report. That relative youth is reflected in the demographics of student bodies across the state.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, Hispanic students accounted for 18% of the pre-K through 12th grade student population in Georgia (by contrast, Latinos make up just over 11% of the state’s overall population). Some school districts are dominated by Hispanic students, including those of Dalton (72% of the student body population is Hispanic) and Gainesville (62%).
In metro Atlanta, the county with the highest share of Hispanic students is Gwinnett (34%).
But despite what the report describes as a strong commitment to education among Hispanic families, just 78% of Latino students graduated high school on time in Georgia in 2023, a figure that dips to 66% for English-learners. Georgia’s overall graduation rate that year exceeded 84%.
Latino students are also underrepresented on college campuses, with 53% of high school graduates enrolling in college, compared with nearly 65% of overall Georgia graduates.
Many Latino youth discontinue their education to support their families, according to the report. Those without legal status also face obstacles enrolling in public higher education institutions in the state.
In 2023, Georgia Latinos tallied a higher employment rate than the state average (66.1% compared to 59.6%).
The report also says Latino workers are overrepresented in industries such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction, where over a quarter of the state’s workforce is Hispanic.
In 2023, 7.6% of working Latinos reported being self-employed, compared to 5.9% of all employed Georgians. That statistic reflects “the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit” within the community, the report says. In 2021, the GDP of the Georgia Latino population exceeded $52 billion, comparable to the economic outputs of small states such as Wyoming or Vermont.
Despite Latinos’ economic activity, significant disparities remain.
The median income for Latino households was roughly $64,000 in 2022, lower than the Georgia median that year of $71,355. That year, 18% of Georgia’s Latino population was food insecure, compared to 13% among all Georgians. About one in five Latinos live in poverty.
Access to health insurance is also a challenge.
In 2022, over 40% of Georgia Latinos ages 19 through 64 lacked health insurance. That represented a higher uninsured rate than reported among overall Georgians (19%) and among overall U.S. Latinos (24%).
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