Virginia Among Nation's Best in Hispanic Assimilation

To honor the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year, online financial resource WalletHub released its rankings of the states in which Hispanics are the most assimilated.

The Hispanic community makes up more than 17 percent of the current American population, making it the second-fastest growing minority group in the country behind Asians.

WalletHub looked at 14 different metrics to determine its rankings, which include all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The study looked at language proficiency, educational achievements, homeownership rates and more, then divided those metrics into three categories that ultimately helped sort the rankings: Cultural and Civic Assimilation, Educational Assimilation and Economic Assimilation.

So where did Virginia place in this year’s rankings? It cracked the top 10, finishing No. 8 overall just behind Hawaii and ahead of Missouri.

Virginia ranked 17th in cultural assimilation and 23rd in educational assimilation, but reached the top 10 by placing No. 2 in the nation in economic assimilation. It placed seventh in Hispanic median annual income and sixth in lowest poverty rate among Hispanics.

Check out the full top 10, as well as the nation’s bottom 5 overall.

Top 10:

1. Vermont

2. West Virginia

3. Alaska

4. Louisiana

5. Kentucky

6. Florida

7. Hawaii

8. Virginia

9. Missouri

10. Wyoming

Bottom 5:

47. Wisconsin

48. Minnesota

49. Connecticut

50. Rhode Island

51. Massachusetts

Patch file photo