Oregon's Latino population is growing much faster than the rest of the state. That's one of the findings of a report released Monday by the Oregon Community Foundation.
Latinos make up 12 percent of Oregon's population. That's below the national rate, but since 2000 the number of Latinos in Oregon has increased by 72 percent. That's a far bigger growth rate than that of whites in the state.
The median age for Latinos in Oregon is also just 24, compared to 41 for the white population. Researcher Caitlin Ruffenach worked on the report for the Oregon Community Foundation.
"I think the big takeaway is that the Latino population here in Oregon is young and growing, and Latinos are increasingly a very important part of the state's overall well-being," Ruffenach said.
The report also found nearly two-thirds of Oregon Latinos were born in the United States, and nearly a quarter of all public school students in the state are Latino.
The report finds that the vast majority of Latino Oregonians identify as Mexican. It also found that while the majority of Oregon Latinos speak Spanish, nearly a third are "English-dominant" and speak only English at home.