Southland Area Called Largest Latino Market

A seven-county region of California has been identified as the nation’s largest Latino market, with spending amounting to $57 billion annually. The Los Angeles area market--Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties--surpassed the New York and Miami markets in population and spending, according to the 1998 U.S. Hispanic Market study conducted by Strategy Research Corp. of Miami, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Market Facts Inc. The L.A. area market has about 6.3 million Latinos. The New York market has 3.6 million with $35 billion in annual spending power, and Miami has 1.4 million who spend $15 billion yearly, the survey said. Nationally, the marketing firm said, an estimated 30.4 million Latinos spend $273 billion a year. The survey’s sources included the U.S. Census, academic and marketing journals and door-to-door interviews. Survey sponsors included the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Spanish Broadcasting System and La Opinion newspaper.