Florida's population consist mainly of whites of northern European stock namely from Germany and the United Kingdom , blacks, and Hispanics. The largest group of first- and second-generation residents are Cubans, who represented 5.2% of Florida's population in 2000. There were 2,682,715 Hispanics and Latinos in 2000, including 833,120 Cubans (more than 100,000 of whom arrived on Florida shores as refugees in 1980), 482,027 Puerto Ricans, and 363,925 Mexicans. The nonwhite population, as in 2000, was 3,517,349, or 12% of the total state population.

As of 2000 Florida had an Asian population of 266,256, the eighth largest in the nation. Asians that make up the population are namely Filipinos, Chinese, Indians, Japanese, and Koreans.