Hispanic Texans may now be the state’s largest demographic group, new census data shows

Josie and Santos Ramos dance during a Cinco de Mayo parade and festival on April 30. The couple have been married for 49 years and raised their family in Texas City. (Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune)

A closely watched estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday indicates that Texas may have passed a long-awaited milestone: the point where Hispanic residents make up more of the state’s population than white residents.

The new population figures, derived from the bureau’s American Community Survey, showed Hispanic Texans made up 40.2% of the state’s population in 2021 while non-Hispanic white Texans made up 39.4%. The estimates — based on comprehensive data collected over the 2021 calendar year — are not considered official.