11.5 million people
Based primarily in the southwest, these 161 counties are not necessarily majority Hispanic, but they are places where self-identified Hispanics make up a large part of the population, 56% on average. While the counties are heavily rural, there are large urban areas in Texas and Florida that also fall within the group. They are younger than average, with 30% of the population under 18, with a median annual income of about $42,000. The presidential vote in these places has grown increasingly divided as more of the young Hispanic population reaches voting age. Republican nominee Mitt Romney won these counties by about three percentage points in 2012.