Fewer than One-Third of Adults Have a Landline Phone

Only 31 percent of American adults live in a household with a landline phone, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) survey fielded July-December 2021. Among children, the proportion who live in a household with a landline is an even smaller 20 percent. 

NCHS has been asking the public about its telephone status since 2003. The reason for doing so is to provide health researchers who conduct RDD (random-digit-dial) telephone surveys with information about how the cell phone population differs from the landline population. With this information, "survey research organizations can evaluate whether they have appropriately included this [cell phone] population in their telephone surveys," explains NCHS.

The 31 percent of adults who live in a household with a landline phone in 2021 was less than half of the 66 percent who had a landline phone in their household a decade ago. The figure fell below 50 percent for the first time in 2015.

Percent of adults who live in a household with a landline phone

2021: 31%

2016: 46%

2011: 66%

2007: 84%

2003: 95%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2021 (PDF) and Early Release Reports on Wireless Substitution

Full-Service Restaurants Roar Back from the Pandemic

At least one thing is back to normal: food-away-from-home spending has returned to its top position in the food chain. With Covid receding, or increasingly ignored, Americans in 2021 spent more on "food away from home" than they did on "food at home"—a return to the normal pattern. Not only that, but food away from home spending reached a record high in 2021 of $463 billion. This was fully 21 percent more than in 2020, after adjusting for inflation.

The category "food away from home" includes the amount spent on food purchased from full-service and fast-food restaurants, bars, vending machines, schools and colleges, and places of recreation. The category "food at home" includes the amount spent on food purchased from grocery stores, convenience and other food stores, mail order, and farmer's markets. 

Annual spending on food (in billions of inflation-adjusted dollars)

	Food at home	Food away from home	difference
2021	$430	$463	–$32
2020	$414	$382	$32
2019	$398	$454	–$56

Within the food-away-from-home category, spending at both fast-food and full-service restaurants fell in 2020. Full-service restaurant spending dropped 27 percent between 2019 and 2020, and fast-food spending fell 6 percent. The 2021 rebound in full-service restaurant spending was impressive—an increase of 45 percent to a record high of $162 billion. Fast-food spending climbed 14 percent and hit a record high of $164 billion. 

In all but four years of the USDA's Food Expenditure data series, which dates back to 1997, spending at full-service restaurants has exceeded spending at fast-food restaurants. The first time when full-service dining fell behind fast-food was in 2010, a consequence of the Great Recession, but the difference was just 0.3 percent. The next time full-service spending fell behind fast-food spending was in 2019, the year before the pandemic—again, by just 0.3 percent. In 2020, full-service spending was a stunning 22 percent below fast-food. In 2021, full-service closed most of the gap and was just 1 percent behind fast-food. 

Source: USDA, Food Expenditure Series, Constant Dollar Food and Alcohol Expenditures, with Taxes and Tips, for All Purchasers

44% of Americans Know Someone Who Is Transgender

More than 100 million Americans (44 percent of adults) know someone who is transgender (their gender differs from their sex assigned at birth), according to the results of a Pew Research Center survey. More than 50 million (20 percent) know someone who is nonbinary (they identify as neither male nor female). 

Overall, 1.6 percent of adults are either transgender (0.6 percent) or nonbinary (1.0 percent). The figure is highest among 18-to-29-year-olds (5.1 percent) and falls with age. Among people aged 30 to 49, 1.6 percent say they are transgender or nonbinary. Among those aged 50 or older, the share is just 0.3 percent. 

The number of transgender and nonbinary adults may be small but their reach is large...

Percent who personally know someone who is transgender

Total aged 18-plus: 44%

Aged 18 to 49: 52%

Aged 30 to 49: 48%

Aged 50 to 64: 43%

Aged 65-plus: 33% 

Percent who personally know someone who is nonbinary

Total aged 18-plus: 20%

Aged 18 to 49: 37%

Aged 30 to 49: 24%

Aged 50 to 64: 13%

Aged 65-plus: 7% 

Source: Pew Research Center, About 5% of Young Adults in the U.S. Say Their Gender is Different from Their Sex Assigned at Birth

Marriages Fall To a Low Not Seen Since 1963

Americans are less inclined to marry these days. The pandemic didn't help matters. The marriage rate fell to 5.1 marriages per 1,000 population in 2020, according to the National Center for Health Statistics—yet another record low. The number of marriages fell to a level not seen since 1963. 

Marriage rate (and number of marriages), 2000 to 2020

2020: 5.1 (1.7 million)

2019: 6.1 (2.0 million)

2010: 6.8 (2.1 million)

2000: 8.2 (2.3 million)

Marriages were not the only vital statistic affected by the pandemic. Both the divorce rate and the number of divorces, which had already been on a downward slide, plunged in 2020 as the pandemic forced couples to hunker down. The divorce rate fell to a level not seen since 1961. There were fewer divorces than in any year since 1968.

Divorce rate (and number of divorces), 2000 to 2020

2020: 2.3 (631,000)

2019: 2.7 (747,000)

2010: 3.6 (872,000)

2000: 4.0 (944,000)

Marriage and divorce are likely to rebound as the effects of the pandemic fade. But because marriage and divorce were both in a long-term decline when the pandemic hit, the rebound could be short-lived.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Marriage and Divorce, National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends for 2000–2020

Most Americans Rarely or Never Read a Newspaper

Only 21 percent of Americans aged 18 or older read a newspaper every day, according to the 2021 General Social Survey. Readership has plummeted since 1972 when the 69 percent majority of the American public read a newspaper every day. 

Now, the share of adults who never read a newspaper (40 percent) is far greater than the share who read a newspaper daily. Fully 57 percent of the public reads a newspaper less than once a week or never. 

Frequency of reading a newspaper in 2021 and 1972

	2021	1972
Every day	21%	69%
Few times a week	14	15
Once a week	9	8
Less than once a week	17	4
Never	40	4

During the past 50 years, there have been two periods of decline in "every day" newspaper readership. The first occurred during the 1970s. Between 1972 and 1982, the percentage of adults who read a newspaper every day fell from 69 to 52 percent—a 17 percentage point drop. One factor behind the decline was the expansion of television news. 

Daily newspaper readership stabilized during the 1980s and was still at 52 percent in 1991. Then the internet happened. By 2002, the share who read a newspaper every day had fallen to 42 percent. By 2012, it was just 27 percent. Now at 21 percent, how much lower can it go?

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the General Social Survey

It's Getting Worse

In the 2020-21 school year, 145 elementary/middle/secondary schools in the United States experienced a school shooting—a record high. Not only that, but 2020-21 was the first year in which there were more school shootings at elementary schools (59) than at high schools (57), according to an analysis of the K-12 School Shooting Database by the National Center for Education Statistics. 

Number of public or private elementary-secondary schools with shootings, 2015-16 to 2020-21

2020-21: 145 

2019-20: 114

2018-19: 113

2017-18:   89

2016-17:   47

2015-16:   38

Forty-six people died from school shootings in 2020-21, below the record high of 52 fatalities from school shootings in 2017-18—the year of the shooting at Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The fatality data for 2021-22 have yet to be released.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Condition of Education, Violent Deaths at School and Away from School and School Shootings and Digest of Education Statistics, Table 228.12

Many Say Coronavirus Pandemic Is Over

A substantial 34 percent of the American public say the coronavirus pandemic is over, according to a recent Gallup survey. Of course, Republicans and Democrats have very different perspectives...

Percent who say coronavirus pandemic is over

Democrats: 10%

Republicans: 66%

Although more than one-third of all adults think the coronavirus pandemic is over, just 21 percent say their own life is somewhat or completely back to pre-pandemic normal. 

Fully 50 percent of Americans say their lives will never return to normal.

Source: Gallup, One in Three Americans Think Pandemic Is Over

Large Cities Lost 0.4% of Population between 2020-21

Between 2020 and 2021, the first year of the pandemic, the population of the nation's 798 large cities (defined as incorporated places with populations of 50,000 or more in 2021) fell by 0.4 percent—a loss of 505,000 people. The remainder of the United States grew 0.4 percent, a gain of 898,000 people. The 2020-21 pattern is a reversal of the trend from the previous decade when large cities grew faster than the remainder of the country. Overall, the United States grew by just 0.1 percent between 2020 and 2021, the slowest population growth in U.S. history.

The largest cities—the nine with populations of 1 million or more (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, and Dallas)—experienced the biggest population loss between 2020 and 2021—a 1.7 percent decline. The nation's largest city—New York— lost 3.5 percent of its residents. Regardless of city size, however, growth was nothing to write home about...

City population growth 2020-2021 by city size

1 million or more: -1.7%
500,000 to 999,999: -0.7%
250,000 to 499,999: -0.1%
200,000 to 249,999:  0.3%
150,000 to 199,999: -0.1%
100,000 to 149,999:  0.0%
50,000 to 99,999: 0.2%

It remains to be seen whether the coronavirus pandemic is the cause of the reversal of the previous decade's city population trends. During the 2010s, the growth rate of the nation's large cities was slowing as the decade progressed. The 2020-21 loss is likely a continuation of the slowdown, exacerbated by the pandemic. 

Source: Census Bureau, City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021

11% Say Crime Makes it Unsafe to Walk

How many Americans feel unsafe walking because of crime? That question was included in the 2020 National Health Interview Survey along with several others meant to probe perceptions of the walking environment. 

Overall, 11 percent of people aged 18 or older say crime makes it unsafe for them to walk. Women are more likely to feel that way (13 percent) than men (9 percent). Here are the percentages for women and men by age...

Percent of women (and men) who say crime makes it unsafe for them to walk

Aged 18 to 24: 17.1% (9.3%)

Aged 25 to 44: 14.1% (10.1%)

Aged 45 to 64: 12.7% (8.9%)

Aged 65-plus: 9.9% (6.5%)

The perception that crime makes it unsafe to walk falls with age—particularly among women. 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years Who Felt that Crime Makes it Unsafe to Walk, by Sex and Age Group—National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2020

Men's College Enrollment Rate Falls to 38-Year Low

The percentage of male high school graduates who enroll in college soon after graduating from high school fell to the lowest level in almost 40 years, according to government data. Among 16-to-24-year-old men who graduated from high school in 2021, just 54.9 percent had enrolled in college by October of that year. The 2021 enrollment rate is a hefty 4.4 percentage points below the 2020 figure and fully 12.5 percentage points below the all-time high recorded in 2016. Not since 1983 has the male enrollment rate been lower.

Male college enrollment rate for selected years 

2021: 54.9%

2020: 59.3%

2016: 67.4% (record high)

2010: 62.8%

2000: 59.9%

1990: 58.0%

1980: 46.7%

1970: 55.2%

1960: 54.0%

Note: The college enrollment rate is the percentage of 16-to-24-year-olds who graduated from high school in a given year and were enrolled in college by October of that year. 

While men's college enrollment rate fell between 2020 and 2021, the enrollment rate of women increased by 3.3 percentage points to 69.5 percent. Women's 2021 rate is not far from the all-time high of 74.0 percent reached in 2010. 

The gap between women's and men's college enrollment rates has never been larger. With an enrollment rate of 69.5 percent for women and just 54.9 percent for men in 2021, the difference between women's and men's college enrollment rates is nearly 15 percentage points.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, TED: The Economics Daily, 61.8 Percent of Recent High School Graduates Enrolled in College in October 2021, and National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 302.10

28% Live Close to All or Most Extended Family

Imagine living within an hour's drive of your entire extended family—meaning "children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and in-laws." A substantial 28 percent of Americans aged 18 or older do live that close to "all or most" of their extended family, according to a Pew Research Center survey. This group, in fact, outnumbers all the others...

How many extended family members live within an hour's drive?

28%: all or most

27%: some 

24%: only a few

20%: none

The share of Americans who live near all or most of their extended family varies by demographic characteristic. By race and Hispanic origin, Blacks (31 percent) and Hispanics (31 percent) are most likely to live close to family, followed by non-Hispanic whites (29 percent). Asians (18 percent) are least likely to live close to family. In fact, fully 33 percent of Asians say none of their extended family is within an hour's drive.

The chances of living near all or most extended family is increasingly rare with rising education. Among adults with no more than a high school diploma, 34 percent say they are within an hour's drive of all or most of their extended family. Among those with a graduate degree, the figure is just 16 percent. Fully 32 percent of those with a graduate degree say none of their extended family is nearby. 

By region, living within an hour's drive to all or most extended family is most common among residents of the Midwest (33 percent) and Northeast (32 percent), followed by the South (28 percent). It is least common in the West (22 percent). 

Source: Pew Research Center, More than Half of Americans Live within an Hour of Extended Family

Democrats Continue to Outnumber Republicans

The political affiliations of the American public have not changed much in decades. According to the 2021 General Social Survey, 44 percent of people aged 18 or older identify themselves as Democrats, 30 percent as Republicans, and 23 percent as independents. Here's the GSS question: "Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or what?"

Among the 44 percent of Americans who identify as a Democrat, nearly 19 percent say they are a "strong" Democrat, 14 percent are "not very strong," and 12 percent think of themselves as independent but close to a Democrat. Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers are about equally likely to think of themselves as Democrats, with 41 percent of Gen Xers, 44 percent of Boomers, and 45 percent of Millennials doing so.

Among the 30 percent of Americans who identify as a Republican, 13 percent say they are a "strong" Republican, 9 percent are "not very strong," and 8 percent think of themselves as independent but close to a Republican. Millennials are much less likely than older generations to identify as Republican, with only 23 percent doing so. Among Gen Xers, 38 percent call themselves a Republican. The figure is 36 percent among Boomers.

Political party identification of Americans aged 18 or older, 2000 to 2021

	Democrat	Republican	independent
2021	44.2%	30.2%	23.0%
2016	47.5	32.8	17.1
2010	45.8	32.8	18.8
2000	43.2	34.8	20.4

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2021 General Social Survey

Disparities in Gun Ownership

Gun ownership is common in the United States. Overall, 40 percent of Americans say they or someone in their household owns a gun, according to a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center. 

Surprisingly, the differences in gun ownership by age or education are small. By age, the range is from 35 percent among 18-to-29-year-olds to 42 percent among those aged 50 or older—a 6 percentage point difference. By education, the range is from 33 percent among those with a graduate degree to 45 percent among those with some college—a 12 percentage point gap. 

The gap in gun ownership is much larger by race, type of residence, and political affiliation...

 

PERCENTAGE WITH GUN(S) IN HOUSEHOLD

Total adults: 40%

Race and Hispanic origin

47% of non-Hispanic whites

37% of Blacks

26% of Hispanics

20% of Asians

Difference between highest and lowest: 27 percentage points

Rural-urban status

53% of rural

40% of suburban

29% of urban

Difference between highest and lowest: 24 percentage points

Political party affiliation

54% of Republicans

31% of Democrats

Difference between highest and lowest: 23 percentage points

Source: Pew Research Center, Key Facts about Americans and Guns

Changes in Computer Use: 2011 to 2021

The federal government has been tracking computer and internet use in the United States since the 1990s—the beginning of the internet era for the general public. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) partners with the Census Bureau to probe the public's use of computing devices by adding question about device ownership, use, and internet access to the Current Population Survey. The latest survey results, collected by the November 2021 Current Population Survey, found the great majority of Americans using the internet. 

Overall, 80 percent of the population aged 3 (yes, three) or older reported using the internet in the 2021 survey. The way the public accesses the internet has changed over the past decade. Here are the trends in device use among people aged 3-plus...

Use a smartphone

2021: 70%

2011: 27%

Use a laptop computer

2021: 49%

2011: 43%

Use a tablet computer

2021: 30%

2011:   6%

Use a desktop computer

2021: 28%

2011: 45%

Use a wearable

2021: 16%

2015:   1% (first year question asked)

Use a smart TV

2021: 48%

2011: 14%

Source: NTIA, New NTIA Data Show Enduring Barriers to Closing the Digital Divide, Achieving Digital Equity

Here's Why Pandemic Was So Hard on Families

The latest statistics on the labor force participation of women with children under age 18 shows why the pandemic has been so hard on families. With the great majority of mothers in the labor force, family life was thrown into turmoil as day care arrangements closed and schooling turned remote. Below is a comparison of the labor force participation rates of mothers in 2021 with their counterparts in 1975 by age of child...

Labor force participation rate of all women with children under age 18

2021: 71.2%

1975: 47.4%

Percentage point change: +23.8

Labor force participation rate of women with children aged 6-17, none younger

2021: 75.5%

1975: 54.9%

Percentage point change: +20.6

Labor force participation rate of women with children under age 6

2021: 65.6%

1975: 39.0%

Percentage point change: +26.6

Labor force participation rate of women with children under age 3

2021: 63.1%

1975: 34.3%

Percentage point change: +28.8

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families—2021 and Women in the Labor Force: A Databook 2020

59% Know Someone Who Had an Abortion

Most Americans personally know someone who has had an abortion, according to a Pew Research Center survey fielded in March—prior to the leaking of the Supreme Court's draft opinion in a case challenging Roe v. Wade. "Personally know" is defined as a close friend, family member, or themselves.

There are surprisingly few differences by demographic characteristic in the share of Americans who personally know someone who has had an abortion. At least 50 percent of every demographic segment—with the exception of the youngest adults—personally know someone who has had an abortion. 

Personally know someone who has had an abortion

Total 18-plus: 59%

Aged 18 to 29: 46%

Aged 30 to 49: 60%

Aged 50 to 64: 65%

Aged 65-plus: 60%

Blacks: 67%

Hispanics: 50%

Whites: 61%

Democrats: 62%

Republicans: 57%

Catholics: 55%

Protestants: 61%

White evangelicals: 58%

No religion: 61%

Women (66 percent) are much more likely than men (51 percent) to personally know someone who has had an abortion. This pattern holds true in every demographic segment. 

Source: Pew Research Center, America's Abortion Quandary

Decline in Real Median Annual Earnings of Men

Men of prime working age have not made any economic progress over the past 30 years, according to an analysis by the Social Security Administration. Among men aged 20 to 59, median earnings stagnated or declined between 1989 and 2019, after adjusting for inflation. Here are the numbers...

Real median annual earnings of men aged 20 to 29

2019: $26,830

1989: $26,830

Change: $0

Percent change: 0.0

Real median annual earnings of men aged 30 to 39

2019: $49,540

1989: $50,680

Change: -$1,140

Percent change: -2.2

Real median annual earnings of men aged 40 to 49

2019: $59,470

1989: $64,130

Change: -$4,660

Percent change: -7.3

Real median annual earnings of men aged 50 to 59

2019: $59,220

1989: $61,820

Change: -$2,600

Percent change: -4.2

Fortunately for the nation's families, the real median earnings of women increased during those years, more than making up for men's losses. The real median annual earnings of women aged 20 to 29 increased by $1,490 between 1989 and 2019. The earnings of women aged 30 to 39 grew by $6,520. Those for women aged 40 to 49 grew by $8,200, and the earnings of women aged 50 to 59 grew by $9,730.

Source: Social Security Administration, Earnings of Men Aged 20–59, 1989–2019 and Earnings of Women Aged 20–59, 1989–2019

One in Five Teenagers Is Obese

The percentage of teenagers who are obese has more than quadrupled in the past 40 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Among 12-to-19-year-olds, just 5.0 percent were obese in the 1976–1980 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Forty years later in 2017–2018, a much larger 21.2 percent of teenagers were obese. Obesity is defined as a sex-specific BMI (body mass index) at or above the 95th percentile for the age group in the CDC's 2000 Growth Charts.

Percent of 12-to-19-year-olds who are obese

2017–2018: 21.2%

2007–2008: 18.1%

1999–2000: 14.8%

1976–1980:   5.0%

Teen boys are more likely than teen girls to be obese—22.5 percent of boys and 19.9 percent of girls were obese in 2017–2018. 

Obesity is a growing problem for younger children as well. In the 6-to-11 age group, 20.3 percent were obese in 2017–18 (up from 6.5 percent in 1976–1980). Among children aged 2-to-5, a substantial 13.4 percent were obese in 2017–2018 (up from 5.0 percent in 1976–1980). 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Severe Obesity among Children and Adolescents Aged 2–19 Years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2017–2018

Most Americans Support the Right to Abortion

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as now appears likely, it will be in defiance of public opinion. The great majority of Americans support abortion rights. Take a look at the latest numbers from the 2021 General Social Survey (GSS)...

89% think abortion should be legal if a woman's health is seriously endangered

84% think abortion should be legal if a woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape

77% think abortion should be legal if there is a strong chance of serious defect in the baby

54% think abortion should be legal if a woman wants it for any reason

The General Social Survey has been probing the public's attitudes toward legal abortion since 1972. In that year, 87 percent thought abortion should be legal if a woman's health was seriously endangered. Seventy-nine percent favored legal abortion in the case of rape, and 79 percent supported the right to abortion if there was a serious defect in the baby. For the past 50 years, the public has overwhelmingly supported the right to legal abortion in these circumstances.  

The broader question—whether abortion should be legal if a woman wants one for any reason—was first asked by the GSS in 1977. In that year, only 37 percent of the public supported legal abortion for any reason. The figure inched upward over the years, surpassing 50 percent for the first time in 2018. The 54 percent of 2021 is an all-time high for this measure. 

Perhaps tellingly, support for a woman's right to a legal abortion for any reason does not vary much by age. Among 18-to-44-year-olds, 57 percent support a woman's right to choose. The share is 53 percent in the 45-to-64 age group and 52 percent among those aged 65 or older. Among men, 53 percent support the right to abortion for any reason. Among women, the share is 56 percent.

With this kind of long-term and widespread support for legal abortion, at least in some circumstances, the public is not likely to let these rights go without a fight. Politicians take note.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2021 General Social Survey

First-Time Homebuyer Watch: 1st Quarter 2022

 Homeownership rate of householders aged 30 to 34, first quarter 2022: 49.0%

Homeownership rates in the first quarter of 2022 were little changed from rates in 2021 and below the levels recorded in 2020—when the coronavirus pandemic greatly reduced the response rate to the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey and consequently distorted homeownership trends.  

The overall homeownership rate in the first quarter of 2022 was 65.4 percent, nearly identical to the 65.5 percent annual rate of 2021. The nation's homeownership rate peaked at 69.0 percent in 2004.

The homeownership rate of 30-to-34-year-olds (the age group in which householders typically buy their first home) climbed to 49.0 percent in the first quarter of 2022. This is a bit higher than the age group's 2021 annual rate of 48.4. More significantly, it is the highest quarterly rate for the age group since 2011—if the pandemic distorted rates of 2020 are excluded. Until 2011, the age group's homeownership rate had never sunk below 50 percent in the data series that began in 1982. Will the homeownership rate of the age group finally surpass 50 percent in the months to come? Stay tuned.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey

Pessimism about Climate Change

Democrats and Republicans are in disagreement about most issues. Take climate change, for example. Only 11 percent of Republicans think "dealing with climate change should be a top priority for the president and Congress to address this year," according to a Pew Research Center survey. Among Democrats, fully 65 percent think climate change should be a top priority. Similarly, just 17 percent of Republicans say "human activity, such as the burning of fossil fuels, contributes a great deal to global climate change" versus 71 percent of Democrats.

But there's one climate issue on which the majority of Democrats and Republicans agree. Both are pessimistic that the world's nations will be able to work together to mitigate the worst consequences of climate change. 

Here's the question: "How likely is it countries around the world, including the U.S., will collectively do enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change?" The 51 percent majority of Democrats and the 56 percent majority of Republicans agree such collective action "will not happen."

Probably/definitely WILL NOT happen

Democrats: 51%

Republicans: 56%

Probably/definitely WILL happen

Democrats: 46%

Republicans: 24%

Climate change impacts are not a problem

Democrats: 2%

Republicans: 20%

Source: Pew Research Center, For Earth Day, Key Facts about Americans' Views of Climate Change and Renewable Energy

The Covid Toll: 2021 Worse than 2020

The Covid death toll was greater in 2021 than in 2020 despite the roll-out of vaccines. Why? In part, because pandemic mitigation efforts became politicized, creating an anti-vax movement whose consequences can be seen in the numbers. 

Total number of deaths due to Covid

2021: 460,513

2020: 384,536

Number of Covid deaths per 100,000 population

2021: 111.4

2020:   93.2

Change in death rate from Covid, 2020-21 by age

Aged 15-24:    +179%

Aged 25-34:    +167%

Aged 35-44:    +154%

Aged 45-54:    +117%

Aged 55-64:      +75%

Aged 65-74:      +31%

Aged 75-84:        +1%

Aged 85-plus:    -24%

Change in death rate from Covid, 2020-21 by race and Hispanic origin

Asians: -5%

Blacks: -5%

Hispanics: -4%

Non-Hispanic whites: +36%

Between 2020 and 2021, the Covid death rate among adults under age 55 more than doubled. Among non-Hispanic whites in 2021, the Covid death rate climbed 36 percent while falling for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.

According to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, an estimated 161,900 Covid deaths in 2021 could have been prevented by vaccination—more than one-third of all Covid deaths last year. Many of those deaths were the consequence of the anti-vax movement.

Source: CDC, Provisional Mortality Data—United States, 2021 

More than 2 Million Identify as Transgender on Survey

The Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey does more than track the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on American households. In an effort to determine whether some groups have been impacted by the pandemic more than others, the survey asks a nationally representative sample of the public about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Gender identity

Among the nation's 252 million adults aged 18 or older, 2.4 million identify themselves as transgender, according to the most recent Household Pulse Survey, fielded March 30–April 11. Here's the breakdown by gender identity...

Male at birth: 123 million

Cisgender male: 118 million (96% of total male adults)

Female at birth: 129 million

Cisgender female: 124 million (96% of total female adults)

Transgender: 2.4 million

None of these: 4.8 million

Did not report: 5.1 million

Ninety-six percent of the nation's adults are cisgender—meaning they identify with their sex at birth. An estimated 2.4 million Americans are transgender (0.9 percent of adults). An even larger 5 million say they do not identify with any of the categories, and another 5 million did not answer the question. 

Sexual orientation

Among the nation's 252 million adults aged 18 or older, 19 million say their sexual orientation is gay, lesbian, or bisexual. Here's the breakdown...

Straight: 218 million 

Gay or lesbian: 8.4 million 

Bisexual: 10.9 million

Something else: 5.1 million 

Don't know: 4.8 million

Did not report: 5.1 million

Overall, 86 percent of American adults say their sexual orientation is straight. Fourteen percent of adults identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, "something else," "don't know," or they did not answer the question. 

Source: Census Bureau, Week 44 Household Pulse Survey, March 30–April 11  

Who Worries about Illegal Immigration?

A growing share of Americans is "not at all" worried about illegal immigration, according to a recent Gallup survey. In fact, the "not at all" worried contingent has never been larger, reaching 23 percent in 2022. This is more than double the share who felt this way in 2006, Gallup reports. 

Degree of worry about illegal immigration, 2022

41% a great deal

19% a fair amount

17% only a little

23% not at all 

But those who are "not at all" worried about illegal immigration are outnumbered by the 41 percent who worry "a great deal." And this contingent, too, is growing. At 41 percent in 2022, the greatly worried share has returned to levels not seen in more than a decade. 

The public's attitude toward illegal immigration is becoming increasingly polarized. Behind the polarization is a growing partisan gap, according to Gallup's findings. Among Democrats, 44 percent are "not at all" worried about illegal immigration, up from 26 percent who felt that way just two years ago in 2020. Among Republicans, 68 percent worry "a great deal" about illegal immigration, up from 47 percent in 2020.

Source: Gallup, Four in 10 Americans Still Highly Concerned about Illegal Immigration

The Marriage Market at Age 35

Increasingly, a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for marriage. The latest data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY) provides further evidence of this fact. The NLSY has been tracking a nationally representative sample of men and women born during the years 1980 through 1984. Respondents were aged 12 to 17 the first time they were interviewed in 1997. In the latest (19th!) survey, fielded in 2019–20, respondents were aged 34 to 40. 

At age 25, there were few differences in marital status by educational attainment among the NLSY respondents, with just 27 percent of them married. By age 35, big differences by educational attainment had emerged. Overall, 53 percent of the NLSY respondents were married at age 35. But the married share ranged from a low of 37 percent among the high school dropouts to a high of 65 percent among those with a bachelor's degree or more education.

Partner status at age 35 among people born 1980–84 by educational attainment

	Married	Cohabiting	Single
Total people	53%	17	31
Less than high school diploma	37%	25	38
High school grad, no college	43%	23	34
Some college/associate's degree	50%	16	34
Bachelor's degree or more	65%	11	24

What accounts for these differences in marital status by educational attainment? The Marriage Market. The better educated are more likely to be married because their earnings are higher and their jobs more secure, making them more attractive marriage partners.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Market Experience, Education, Partner Status, and Health for Those Born 1980–1984

Boomer Generation Shrinks by More than 1 Million

Between 2020 and 2021, the Baby Boom generation lost more than 1 million members, according to the Census Bureau's 2021 population estimates. Born from 1946 through 1964, Boomers numbered 71.4 million on July 1, 2020 and just 70.2 million on July 1, 2021—a loss of 1.1 million. Of course the Baby-Boom generation has been shrinking for years as it ages. The coronavirus pandemic pushed the Boomer losses above 1 million.

Boomers aren't alone in their decline. The number of Gen Xers fell by 245,000 between 2020 and 2021. Even the Millennial generation experienced its first-ever decline, falling by 80,000. The number of older Americans, born before 1945, experienced the biggest loss—a decline of 1.8 million. 

Size of generations in 2021 (and % of total population)
331,894,000 (100%): Total population
  47,412,000 (14%): Younger Americans (aged 0 to 11)
  64,940,000 (20%): Generation Z (aged 12 to 26)
  80,202,000 (24%): Millennial generation (aged 27 to 44)  
  49,088,000 (15%): Generation X (aged 45 to 56)  
  70,227,000 (21%): Baby Boom generation (aged 57 to 75)  
  20,024,000 (  6%): Older Americans (aged 76-plus)  

Note: Younger Americans were born in 2010 or later; Generation Z was born from 1995 through 2009; the Millennial generation was born from 1977 through 1994; Generation X was born from 1965 through 1976; the Baby-Boom generation was born from 1946 through 1964; Older Americans were born in 1945 or earlier.

Source: Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics: 2020–2021

382 Days with 1,000+ Covid Deaths

Twenty-five U.S. residents died of Covid-19 on April 10, 2022—the most recent data available from the CDC. This is the smallest daily death toll in more than two years—since March 16, 2020. There's a caveat here: April 10 was a Sunday, and fewer deaths are reported on weekends. But let's take our victories where we can. 

It's been a rough two years. A cumulative 982,809 U.S. residents have died of Covid-19 through April 10, 2022. Here are the stats on the daily count of deaths...

Number of days with more than 4,000 deaths: 2 

• February 1, 2022: 4,182 deaths
• January 13, 2021, 4,072 deaths. 

Number of days with 3,000-3,999 deaths: 41

Number of days with 2,000-2,999 deaths: 110

Number of days with 1,000-1,999 deaths: 229

Number of days with 500-999 deaths: 245

Number of days with 100-499 deaths: 120

Number of days with 1-99 deaths: 25

When will the daily death toll fall to zero on most days? Let's hope it's soon.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the CDC's Covid Data Tracker

Big Decline in the Correctional Population

The "correctional population" is shrinking—a lot. Before we dive into the numbers, first a definition. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' (BJS), the correctional population is...

"the number of adults living in the community while supervised on probation or parole and adults under the jurisdiction of state or federal prisons or in the custody of local jails." 

In other words, it's the whole shebang of people who got into trouble and are still paying their dues. 

Between 2010 and 2020, the correctional population shrank by a substantial 22 percent, according to the BJS. Nearly half of that decline occurred in just one year—in 2020, when the total correctional population fell by 10.6 percent.

Percent change in correctional population, 2010 to 2020 (and 2019-20)

Total correctional population: -22.4% (-10.6%)

Probation or parole: -20.4% (-6.6%)

Incarcerated: -25.8% (-18.9%)

The coronavirus pandemic was behind 2020's big decline in the correctional population, with policy changes made in the correctional system to limit the spread of the virus.

Between 2010 and January 1, 2020, the total correctional population fell by 746,000—from 7.1 million to 6.2 million. In the 12 months from January 1 to December 31, 2020, the total correctional population fell by another 652,000. At the end of 2020, just 5.5 million were under correctional supervision—1 in every 47 adults in the United States. This was down from 1 in every 40 adults in 2019 and 1 in every 33 adults in 2010. 

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Correctional Population in the United States, 2020—Statistical Tables

Back to Normal? Not Really

With Omicron fading in the United States, are Americans back to normal? Not really, according to a KFF survey. Here's how the public responded when asked on March 15-22, "How much have you personally returned to activities that you engaged in before the pandemic?"

14% said they had never changed their activities

27% said they had basically returned to normal

42% said they were doing some but not all their pre-pandemic activities

17% said they were doing very few of their pre-pandemic activities 

So, the 59 percent majority of the public is still holding back—engaging in only some or few of their pre-pandemic activities. Some are holding back more than others...

• Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to be restricting their activities (75 and 62 percent, respectively) than non-Hispanic whites (53 percent). 
• Those with household incomes below $40,000 are more likely to be restricting their activities (65 percent) than those with household incomes of $90,000 or more (54 percent). 
• Democrats are more likely to be restricting their activities (73 percent) than Republicans (45 percent). 
• The vaccinated are more likely (63 percent) to be restricting their activities than the unvaccinated (43 percent).

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, KFF Covid-19 Vaccine Monitor: Views on the Pandemic at Two Years

31% Drop in Immigrants in 2020

707,362: that's the number of legal immigrants (persons granted lawful permanent resident status) who came to the United States in fiscal year 2020, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, that number is 31 percent less than the 1,031,765 legal immigrants of 2019. It is also the smallest number of immigrants admitted to the United States since 2003, when legal immigration plummeted in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Persons obtaining lawful permanent resident status for selected fiscal years, 2000 to 2020

2020:   707,362

2019: 1,031,765

2015: 1,051,031

2010: 1,042,625

2005: 1,122,257

2003:   703,542 (low point of the 2000s)

2000:   841,002

Almost every country in the world sent fewer immigrants to the United States in 2020 than in 2019. The only exceptions were Yemen, Burundi, Iran, Iceland, Monaco, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Serbia, and Libya. 

The number of immigrants fell by at least 50 percent between 2019 and 2020 in 18 countries, including Cuba and Iraq.

The biggest numerical declines between 2019 and 2020 were experienced by some of the countries that send us the most immigrants: Mexico (-56,000), China (-21,000), Dominican Republic (-20,000), Philippines (-20,000), and India (-8,000). 

The immigrant decline has contributed to labor shortages in the United States. But things may be turning around, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. After falling to a quarterly low of 79,000 in mid-2020, Pew reports that the volume of green cards issued in the final quarter of fiscal year 2021 (July-September) climbed to 282,000, higher than in any quarter since April-June 2017.

Source: Department of Homeland Security, 2020 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics

Worried about Wrinkles, Gray Hair? Just Wait

As one gets older, the list of potential health and beauty complaints grows. AARP has done a yeoman's job of documenting those complaints, then surveying older Americans to find out how concerned they are about each one. There are lots of complaints. This is just a partial list...

Gray hair, wrinkles, yellowing teeth, hunched back, age spots, jowls/double chin, gastrointestinal issues, trouble sleeping, snoring, constipation, joint pain, tinnitus, hearing loss, shortness of breath, incontinence, waking from sleep to go to the bathroom, loss of teeth, loss of mobility, Alzheimer's/dementia, and perhaps worst of all—losing a sense of humor.

The good news is this: the older you get, the less you worry about these things. In fact, worries about health and beauty seem to peak in what could be called middle age. People in their fifties worry more about aging than do those in their sixties. People in their sixties worry more than those in their seventies. And so it goes. Maybe. The survey did not include respondents aged 80 or older. 

Want some examples of how worries fade away with age? Well, let's have a look at those wrinkles. Nearly one in four people in their fifties (24 percent) say they are very/extremely concerned about wrinkles. Among people in their sixties, only 14 percent are very/extremely concerned about wrinkles. The worried share drops to just 9 percent among the oldest people surveyed—those aged 70 to 79. 

The same pattern occurs on a whole range of health and beauty issues, including some of the most serious such as Alzheimer's/dementia. A substantial 27 percent of people aged 50 to 59 are very/extremely concerned about getting dementia. Among 60-to-69-year-olds, the figure is 19 percent, and it drops to just 16 percent among people in their seventies.

Concerns about losing one's sense of humor also wither with age. Among fiftysomethings, 18 percent are very/extremely concerned about losing their sense of humor, with the majority of fiftysomethings having at least some concern. In contrast, among people aged 70 to 79, only 6 percent are very/extremely concerned about losing their sense of humor. The 60 percent majority of the oldest respondents are "not at all" concerned about losing their funny bone. 

Source: AARP, Health Worries Lessen with Age?

70 Years of Work

Everyone is always fussing about the ups and downs of women's labor force participation rate. But in fact, men's labor force participation has changed just as dramatically over the years. Let's take a look at the 70-year trend detailed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its latest edition of Women in the Labor Force: A Databook.

Labor force participation rate of men and women aged 16 or older, 1950-2020

	Men	Women	PP difference
2020	67.7%	56.2%	11.5
2019	69.2%	57.4%	11.8
2010	71.2%	58.6%	12.6
2000	74.8%	59.9%	14.9
1990	76.4%	57.5%	18.9
1980	77.4%	51.5%	25.9
1970	79.7%	43.3%	36.4
1960	83.3%	37.7%	45.6
1950	86.4%	33.9%	52.5

Men's labor force participation rate has been falling steadily for the past 70 years. Women's labor force participation rate increased during most of the time period, reaching a peak of 60.0 percent in 1999 (not shown in table). Since the 1999 peak, women's labor force participation rate has fallen by 3.8 percentage points. Men's labor force participation rate fell by a larger 7.0 percentage points.  

The gap in the labor force participation rate between men and women has been shrinking for the entire 70-year period. It was just 11.5 percentage points in 2020, down from a whopping 52.5 percentage points in 1950. 

In the first year of the pandemic (2020), men's labor force participation rate fell by 1.5 percentage points. Women's labor force participation rate fell by a slightly smaller 1.2 percentage points. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Women in the Labor Force: A Databook

18% of Americans Live in a Multigenerational Home

Over the past 50 years, the share of the U.S. population that lives in a multigenerational household has more than doubled, rising from 7 percent in 1971 to 18 percent in 2021, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Pew defines a multigenerational household as one that includes at least two generations of adults (mainly aged 25 or older) or a "skipped generation"—grandparents living with grandchildren under age 25. 

Young adults (aged 25 to 29) are most likely to live in a multigenerational household, at 31 percent. In the age group, men (37 percent) are more likely than women (26 percent) to do so.  

Percent of population living in a multigenerational household, 2021

Aged 25 to 29: 31%

Aged 30 to 34: 19%

Aged 35 to 39: 15%

Aged 40 to 64: 19%

Aged 65-plus: 18%

By race and Hispanic origin, non-Hispanic whites are least likely to live in a multigenerational household (13 percent). Asians (24 percent), Blacks (26 percent), and Hispanics (26 percent) are about equally likely to have a multigenerational living arrangement. 

The number-one reason for living in a multigenerational household is financial issues, cited by 67 percent as a reason and by 40 percent as a major reason. Nearly half (45 percent) say they live in a multigenerational household to care (or receive care) for an adult family member. Twenty-four percent are doing so to receive help with child care.

Interestingly, multigenerational living gets positive reviews. Overall, 56 percent say the experience is somewhat/very positive, 26 percent say it is neutral, and 17 percent think it is somewhat/very negative. What explains these positive reviews? The 58 percent majority of those who live in a multigenerational household say it is convenient most/all of the time. Fifty-four percent say it is rewarding most/all of the time. Only 23 percent say it is stressful most/all of the time. And, if you think most of these multigenerational households are crowded, think again. Fully 72 percent of those who live in a multigenerational household say there is plenty of space. 

Source: Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, Financial Issues Top the List of Reasons U.S. Adults Live in Multigenerational Homes

Reversal: Big Metro Counties Lose Population

Population growth in the United States ground to a halt during the pandemic. Between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, the population grew by just 0.1 percent, according to Census Bureau estimates. This is the slowest rate of growth in the nation's history. 

The coronavirus pandemic explains the slow growth. Because of Covid, deaths exceeded births in a record high 73 percent of the nation's counties. Because of Covid, the number of net international migrants to the United States plunged, falling to just 247,000 in 2020–21, down from 477,000 in 2019–20. For context, net international migration was as high as 1,049,000 in 2015–16.

The pandemic also messed with domestic migration, consequently reversing the long-standing pattern of population growth by Rural-Urban Continuum. The Rural-Urban Continuum (RUC) is the federal government's system of classifying counties by their degree of urbanity. It is a useful tool for analyzing growth patterns at the county level. The RUC is a scale ranging from 1 (the most urban counties, in metropolitan areas of 1 million or more) to 9 (the most rural counties, lacking any settlements of 2,500 or more people and not adjacent to a metropolitan area).

The long-term pattern during the 2010s was one of urban growth—the more urban, the greater the growth. But this was not the case in 2020–21, according to a Demo Memo analysis. Counties with a rank of 1 on the continuum (the most urban) lost population during the year. Every other county type grew at least a bit, even the most rural. Here is how county populations changed in 2020–21 by rank on the Rural-Urban continuum...

County population change by Rural-Urban Continuum rank, July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021
1. -0.16% for counties in metros with 1 million or more people
2.  0.62% for counties in metros of 250,000 to 1 million people
3.  0.47% for counties in metros with less than 250,000 people
4.  0.36% for nonmetro counties with urban pop of 20,000-plus, adjacent to metro
5.  0.06% for nonmetro counties with urban pop of 20,000-plus, not adjacent to metro
6.  0.29% for nonmetro counties with urban pop of 2,500–19,999, adjacent to metro
7.  0.04% for nonmetro counties with urban pop of 2,500–19,999, not adjacent to metro 
8.  0.63% for nonmetro counties with urban pop less than 2,500, adjacent to metro 
9.  0.28% for nonmetro counties with urban pop less than 2,500, not adjacent to metro 

Behind the population loss in big metro counties is the one-two-three punch of the pandemic. Births fell, deaths increased, and the trickle of net international migrants could not make up for domestic migration losses in some of the largest metros such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes and Census Bureau, County Population Totals: 2020–2021

Who's Gotten a Booster?

As of the middle of March, 85 percent of Americans aged 18 or older had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and 59 percent had received a booster, according to the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey. Here are the vaccination rates by age group...

Percent of reporting adults aged 18 or older who had received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine (and percent who had received a booster), March 2-14, 2022

Total 18-plus: 85% (59%)

Aged 18 to 24: 80% (44%)

Aged 25 to 39: 78% (45%)

Aged 40 to 55: 84% (55%)

Aged 55 to 64: 89% (67%)

Aged 65-plus: 93% (79%)

Among all adults, 21 million say they "will definitely not" get a Covid-19 vaccine. A larger 32 million say they "do not plan to receive a booster."

Source: Census Bureau, Week 43 Household Pulse Survey: March 2–March 14

56% Drop in Travel Spending

The average American household spent 56 percent less on travel in 2020 than it did in 2019, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics' analysis of the Consumer Expenditure Survey. The average household spent $2,100 on travel in 2019 and just $926 in 2020. The decline in travel spending in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic is no surprise, of course. Some may wonder why the decline was not even greater. 

Average household spending on travel in 2020 (and 2019)

Total travel spending: $926 ($2,100)

Transportation: $300 ($849)

Lodging: $318 ($619)

Food on trips: $208 ($423)

Entertainment on trips: $64 ($139)

Alcohol on trips: $35 ($70)

Of the two major components of travel spending—transportation and lodging—transportation experienced the bigger decline—a 65 percent drop for the category as a whole and even bigger declines for individual modes of transportation. Average household spending on airline fares fell 69 percent, spending on intercity train fares was down 74 percent, intercity bus fares 85 percent, and local transportation on trips 66 percent. Spending on gasoline on out-of-town trips fell by a smaller 43 percent.

Average household spending on lodging fell 49 percent between 2019 and 2020—less than the 65 percent decline in transportation spending. Consequently, the average household devoted more travel dollars to lodging than it did to transportation in 2020, a break from past patterns.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures on Travel Declined Sharply from 2019 to 2020

Millions Still Smoke Cigarettes

Many millions of Americans still smoke cigarettes, despite decades of warnings, hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, and millions in health care expenses. According to the CDC, this is the percentage of Americans aged 18 or older who smoke cigarettes...

Total adults: 12.5%

Men: 14.1%

Women: 11.0%

Aged 18 to 24: 7.4%

Aged 25 to 44: 14.1%

Aged 45 to 64: 14.9%

Aged 65-plus: 9.0%

Northeast: 10.4%

Midwest: 15.2%

South: 14.1%

West: 9.0%

Metropolitan counties: 11.4%

Nonmetropolitan counties: 19.0%

High school only: 17.6%

Some college: 14.4%

Associate's degree: 12.7%

Bachelor's degree: 5.6%

Graduate degree: 3.5%

Household income <$35,000: 20.2%

Income $35,000 to $74,999: 14.1%

Income $75,000 to $99,999: 10.5%

Income $100,000 or more: 6.2%

These figures do not include those who smoke other types of tobacco such as e-cigarettes (3.7 percent of adults), cigars (3.5 percent), smokeless tobacco (2.3 percent), pipes (1.1 percent), or two or more tobacco products (3.3 percent). 

Note: Cigarette smokers are defined as those who have smoked 100 or more cigarettes in their lifetime and who currently smoke cigarettes every day or some days.

Source: CDC, Tobacco Product Use among Adults—United States, 2020

Stability in Children's Living Arrangements

The living arrangements of the nation's children have changed little over the past 12 years, according to a Census Bureau report comparing children's living arrangements in 2019 with 2007.

Distribution of children under age 18 by living arrangement, 2007 and 2019

	2019	2007	pp change
Total children	100.0%	100.0%	–
Living with two parents	70.1	70.7	-0.6
Biological mother and father	62.5	63.3	-0.8
Married parents	58.9	60.8	-1.9
At least one step/adoptive parent	7.6	7.4	0.2
Living with one parent	25.8	25.8	0.0
Living with neither parent	4.0	3.5	0.5
Living with grandparents	2.1	1.8	0.3

The 59 percent majority of children live in a traditional nuclear family—with their married, biological mother and father. This percentage was down slightly from the 61 percent of 2007. The percentage of children who live in a single-parent family (26 percent) did not change over the years. The great majority of these children (83 percent in 2019) live with their mother. 

Source: Census Bureau, Living Arrangements of Children: 2019

How Did You Sleep Last Night?

It's a toss-up, according to The State of Sleep in America 2022 Report. One-third of American adults (32 percent) reported "very good/excellent" sleep last night, another third (35 percent) reported "good" sleep, and the final third (33 percent) say their sleep was only "fair/poor." The State of Sleep in America is the product of a partnership between Gallup and Casper, the sleep products company, with the goal of measuring and better understanding sleep quality. So here's how last night went...

"Overall, how would you describe your sleep last night?"

Excellent: 7%

Very good: 25%

Good: 35%

Fair: 23%

Poor: 10%

The 54 percent majority of adults reported some kind of trouble sleeping last night, according to the survey. The largest share (28 percent) had trouble staying asleep. Another 15 percent had trouble falling asleep, and an unlucky 11 percent had trouble both falling and staying asleep. 

Perhaps it's not surprising but those who worry the most about sleep are also the ones who have the hardest time sleeping. Among the 9 percent of adults who worry "a lot" about falling asleep, just 6 percent say their sleep over the past 30 days has been very good/excellent. The 69 percent majority of worriers say their sleep has been only fair/poor. Conversely, among the 40 percent of Americans who say they do not worry at all about falling asleep, a substantial 43 percent report very good/excellent sleep over the past 30 days. Just 20 percent say their sleep has been been only fair/poor.

Source: Gallup, Casper-Gallup State of Sleep in America 2022 Report

$195 Billion in Medical Debt

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans has significant medical debt, according to an analysis of the numbers by Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. KFF researchers analyzed data from the Census Bureau's Survey of Program Participation to determine who had significant medical debt as of December 2019 and how much they owed. They defined "significant" medical debt as $250 or more in unpaid medical bills. 

Overall, 23 million people—9 percent of U.S. adults—have significant medical debt. Those most likely to have medical debt are people aged 50 to 64 (12 percent), Blacks (16 percent), people in nonmetropolitan areas (13 percent), residents of the South (12 percent), and the uninsured (13 percent). But medical debt is common in every demographic segment. Even among those with health insurance, 9 percent have significant medical debt. 

Distribution of adults with significant medical debt by how much they owe, 2019

13% owe between $250 and $500

18% owe between $501 and $1,000

20% owe between $1,001 and $2,000

22% owe between $2,001 and $5,000

13% owe between $5,001 and $10,000

13% owe more than $10,000

Aggregate medical debt for those with significant medical debt adds up to $195 billion in unpaid bills, the researchers estimate. "Medical debt remains a persistent problem even among people with insurance coverage," the researchers report. "The fact that medical debt is a struggle even among households with health insurance and middle incomes indicates that simply expanding coverage will not erase the financial burden caused by high cost-sharing amounts and high prices for medical services and prescription drugs," they conclude.

Source: Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, The Burden of Medical Debt in the United States

Record Increase in College Grads in 2010s

American educational attainment soared in the 2010s. The share of the population aged 25 or older with a bachelor's degree grew by 7.6 percentage points between 2010 and 2020—from 29.9 to 37.5 percent. This is a bigger increase than in any other decade. The share grew by another 0.4 percentage points in 2021 and now stands at 37.9 percent.  

Percent of population aged 25-plus with a bachelor's degree, 1970 to 2021

2021: 37.9%

2020: 37.5%

2010: 29.9%

2000: 25.6%

1990: 21.3%

1980: 17.0%

1970: 11.0%

Behind the big gain was the record-breaking rise in the share of women with a bachelor's degree—up 8.7 percentage-points between 2010 and 2020. Men's 6.4 percentage-point gain during the 2010s was less than their 6.8 percentage-point gain during the 1980s. 

Women are now more likely than men to have a bachelor's degree, a threshold crossed in 2014. As of 2021, fully 39.1 percent of women and 36.6 percent of men are college graduates.

Percent of men and women aged 25-plus with a bachelor's degree, 2000 to 2021

	Men	Women
2021	36.6%	39.1%
2020	36.7%	38.3%
2010	30.3%	29.6%
2000	27.8%	23.6%

Women in 2021 are 2.5 percentage points more likely than men to have a bachelor's degree. In 2000, women were 4.2 percentage points less likely than men to be college graduates.

Source: Census Bureau, CPS Historical Time Series Tables

Net Worth: Best and Worst of States

$118,200: that was the median net worth of American households in 2019, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 Survey of Income and Program Participation. Net worth is calculated by subtracting a household's debts from its assets. The remainder is net worth—or wealth. 

Housing equity accounts for most household wealth. In 2019, American homeowners had a median of $130,000 in home equity (housing value minus housing debt). Excluding home equity, the median household net worth of Americans is just $41,200. 

Net worth varies greatly by state. Here are the states with the highest median net worth...

The five states with the highest median household net worth, 2019

1. Hawaii: $373,200

2. Massachusetts: $251,000

3. New Hampshire: $243,600

4. North Dakota: $241,000

5. Minnesota: $228,500

The median net worth of households in another three states—Colorado, South Dakota, and California—also exceeds $200,000. 

Here are the states with the lowest median net worth...

The five states with the lowest median household net worth, 2019

46. Tennessee: $70,100

47. West Virginia: $65,290

48. New Mexico: $56,450

49. Arkansas: $49,990

50. Mississippi: $40,280

Another 13 states have a median household net worth of less than $100,000, including Florida and Texas. The net worth of households in the District of Columbia is just $24,000. 

Source: Census Bureau, State-Level Wealth, Asset Ownership, & Debt of Households Detailed Tables: 2019

Be Careful Where You Go

There is great geographic variation in Covid-19 vaccination rates by urban-rural classification, according to an analysis by the CDC. Through January 2022, Americans aged 5 or older who live in the nation's largest metropolitan counties were most likely to have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. Those who live in rural counties were least likely to be vaxxed...

Percent of residents aged 5-plus with at least one dose of a Covid vaccine by urban-rural classification

80.4%: Large central metropolitan county

76.1%: Large fringe metropolitan county

72.2%: Medium metropolitan county

64.4%: Small metropolitan county

60.4%: Micropolitan county

55.8%: Rural county

In 11 states, fewer than half of rural county residents have been vaccinated: Indiana (49.1 percent), Louisiana (49.1 percent), Tennessee (49.1 percent), Florida (48.4 percent), Idaho (47.8 percent), Wyoming (47.6 percent), Georgia (47.6 percent), Missouri (46.6 percent), Ohio (44.7 percent), Nebraska (43.9 percent), and at the very bottom—Texas (41.4 percent). 

Be careful out there.

Source: CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Report, Disparities in Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage between Urban and Rural Counties—United States, December 14, 2020—January 31, 2022

Not Wrong at All: 61%

This is something to behold. Rarely do attitudes change so dramatically in just a few decades. Between 1990 and 2021, the share of Americans who regard same-sex sexual relationships as "always wrong" plunged from 59 to just 27 percent, according to NORC's General Social Survey (GSS). The share who regard same-sex sexual relationships as "not wrong at all" climbed from just 13 percent to the 61 percent majority. 

Attitudes toward same-sex relationships, 1973 to 2021

	Not wrong at all	Always wrong
2021	61%	27%
2010	43	46
2000	29	59
1990	13	76
1980	14	74
1973	11	73

The "always wrong" response to the GSS question, "What is your opinion about sexual relations between two adults of the same sex?" fell below 50 percent for the first time in 2010. The "not wrong at all" response to the question climbed over 50 percent for the first time in 2016. Today, the "not wrong at all" crowd outnumbers the "always wrong" crowd by more than two to one. The majority of Americans in all but the oldest generation now say there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships. Take a look...

Attitudes toward same-sex relationships by generation, 2021

	Not wrong at all	Always wrong
Gen Z (18-26)	74%	15%
Millennials (27-44)	67	22
Gen Xers (45-56)	61	30
Boomers (57-75)	55	34
Older Americans (76+)	38	37

Note: Percentages do not sum to 100 because the responses "almost always wrong" and "wrong only sometimes" are not shown.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the General Social Survey, NORC at the University of Chicago