American Latinos have been key in the U.S. overall population growth, but the gains are declining as immigration rates ease.

New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed the U.S. Latino population slowed down in recent years. In 2014, the Latino population hit a new peak of 55.4 million, which equates to 17.4 percent of the overall U.S. population. The Latino population rate in 2014 is an increase of 1.2 million from 2013. According to Pew Research Center, from 2013 to 2014, the Latino population rate increase was 2.1 percent, which is considered troubling, as the rate has gradually slowed since 2010.

"From 1995 to 2000, annual average growth was 4.8 percent, and growth has declined since then. From 2010 to 2014, the annual average growth had dropped to 2.2 percent. Part of the reason for this decline in population growth is the slowdown in immigration from Latin America, and in particular, from Mexico," wrote Pew Research Center's Jens Manuel Krogstad and Mark Hugo Lopez in their latest "FactTank" report.

Based on the Census Bureau's data, Los Angeles County is home to the largest Latino population with 4.9 million Latinos, followed by Harris County, Texas with 1.9 million and Miami-Dade County, Florida with 1.8 million Latinos.

"Hispanic populations are not necessarily growing everywhere. From 2010 to 2014, the Hispanic population declined in 11 counties that have Hispanic populations of 10,000 or more," Lopez and Krogstad noted, identifying select cities including Jefferson, Alabama; Santa Cruz, Arizona; San Juan, New Mexico; and Hale, Texas. The biggest Latino population decline came from DeKalb County, located in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, where the population dropped by 4-percentage points from 2010.

Based on Latino populations on state-based figures, California is still home to the largest Latino population with 15 million. Texas and Florida were next with 10.4 million and 4.8 million, respectively.

Pew Research added, "Together, these three states account for more than half (55 percent) the Hispanic population. But their share is down from 58 percent in 2000, reflecting a wider dispersion of the nation's Hispanic population over the past decade and a half."

The Census Bureau also acknowledged the average U.S. Latino's age is 29 years old, which is younger than most racial and ethnic groups. Within the non-Hispanic blacks, the median age is 34, while Asians were at 36 years old. Non-Hispanic whites appeared to be the oldest in average age with 43 years old.

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