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

Just 51% of Births Are to Non-Hispanic Whites

Non-Hispanic whites still account for the majority of births in the United States, but just barely. Fifty-one percent of the women who gave birth in 2020 were non-Hispanic white. Given that some of these non-Hispanic white mothers are intermarried—meaning their partner is of another race or Hispanic origin—the minority share of the nation's newborns is likely above 50 percent. 

The non-Hispanic white share of births has fallen by 8 percentage points over the past two decades. The Black share has fallen slightly, while the Asian and Hispanic shares have grown...

Percent distribution of births by race/Hispanic origin of mother, 2000, 2010, and 2020

	2020	2010	2000
Total	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%
Asian	6.1	6.2	4.9
Black	14.7	14.7	14.9
Hispanic	24.0	23.6	20.1
Non-Hispanic white	51.0	54.1	58.2

Note: Percentages will not sum to 100 because not all races are shown. 

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the National Center for Health Statistics' Birth Data

College Enrollment Rate Dropped in 2020

The college enrollment rate dropped in 2020. Only 62.7 percent of young adults who graduated from high school in 2020 had enrolled in college by October of that year, down from 66.2 percent in 2019. The decline "reflects the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic," the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Black high school graduates were the only ones whose college enrollment rate increased in 2020. 

College enrollment rate, 2020 (and percentage point change 2019—20)

Total: 62.7% (-3.5)

Asians: 83.2% (-6.7)

Blacks: 56.6% (+5.9)

Hispanics: 56.2% (-7.2)

Whites: 62.9% (-4.0)

Note: The college enrollment rate is defined as the percentage of 2020 high school graduates aged 16 to 24 who had enrolled in college by October of that year. The white race category includes Hispanics who identify themselves as white, which most do. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 62.7 Percent of 2020 High School Graduates Enrolled in College, down from 66.2 Percent in 2019

Huge Voter Turnout in 2020

We knew voter turnout was big in 2020. What we didn't know until now was which demographic segments were responsible for the big turnout. And the answer is—all of them. 

The answer comes from the Voting and Registration Supplement to the Current Population Survey which, according to the Census Bureau, "is the most comprehensive data source available on the social and demographic composition of the electorate in federal elections." The bureau fields the supplement after each mid-term and presidential election to track the demographics of voters. The 2020 supplement was fielded November 15-24, shortly after the presidential election. The supplement asked respondents if they had registered to vote in the November 3 election, whether they had voted, and if not why not.

Overall, 155 million American citizens aged 18 or older reported voting in the November 2020 election—66.8 percent of the electorate. This is the highest voting rate since 1992 (Bill Clinton versus George H.W. Bush), when 67.7 percent voted. 

Voter participation increased in every race and Hispanic origin group in 2020, with record levels of voting by Asians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites. Although Black voter participation was higher in 2020 than in most other election years, it did not set a record. The 62.6 percent Black voter participation rate in 2020 ranked third behind 2008 and 2012 when Barack Obama was running for president.

Percent of citizens aged 18-plus who voted in November 2020 by race and Hispanic origin

Total citizens 18-plus: 66.8%

Asians: 59.7% (record high)

Blacks: 62.6%

Hispanics: 53.7% (record high)

Non-Hispanic whites: 70.9% (record high)

Voter participation also climbed to a record high in every age group in 2020. Among adults aged 18 to 24, voter participation exceeded 50 percent for the first time. 

Percent of citizens aged 18-plus who voted in November 2020 by age group

Total citizens 18-plus: 66.8%

Aged 18 to 24: 51.4% (record high)

Aged 25 to 44: 62.6% (record high)

Aged 45 to 64: 71.0% (record high)

Aged 65-plus: 74.5% (record high)

Overall, 71 percent of voters in the 2020 election were non-Hispanic whites. Sixty percent were aged 45 or older. But the share of all voters who were non-Hispanic whites aged 45 or older fell to 45 percent in 2020, down from 48 percent in 2016.

Source: Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2020

Family Unemployment Doubled between 2019 and 2020

Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics issues a report on the employment characteristics of families. The most recent report, with annual averages for 2020, compares family employment during the coronavirus pandemic with the 2019 numbers. The data come from the Current Population Survey, which defines families as two or more people who live together and are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. 

The share of families with at least one unemployed member doubled between 2019 and 2020—rising from 4.9 to 9.8 percent—as the pandemic upended the job market. Hispanic families were most likely to have a family member unemployed in 2020 (14.3 percent), while white families were least likely (9.0 percent)...

Families with at least one family member unemployed in 2020 (and 2019)

Total families: 9.8% (4.9%)

Asian families: 10.9% (4.0%)

Black families: 13.4% (8.0%)

Hispanic families: 14.3% (6.6%)

White families: 9.0% (4.5%)

Note: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has long refused to distinguish non-Hispanic whites from the total white population in its data releases. Consequently, the white statistics shown here also include Hispanics who identify their race as white, which most do. It is likely that unemployment in families headed by non-Hispanic whites is even lower than the white data presented above. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families—2020

Black Homeownership in 2020 Is below 2000 Level

The overall homeownership rate was lower in 2020 than in 2000, according to the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey. But a look at homeownership rates by race and Hispanic origin reveals that Blacks lost ground between 2000 and 2020 while Asians, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites made gains... 

Homeownership rate by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2000 and 2020

	2020	2000	change
Total households	66.6%	67.4%	-0.8
Asians	60.3	52.8	7.5
Blacks	45.3	47.2	-1.9
Hispanics	50.1	46.3	3.8
Non-Hispanic whites	75.0	73.8	1.2

Black homeownership peaked during the housing bubble at 49.1 percent in 2004. The rate fell to a post-Great Recession low of 41.6 percent in 2016—a 7.5 percentage point loss in the aftermath of the Great Recession and much greater than the Great Recession losses experienced by Asians (-4.4), Hispanics (-2.1), or non-Hispanic whites (-4.1). 

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's Housing Vacancy Survey

Teleworking During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Nearly one-third of the nation's employed workers told the Bureau of Labor Statistics in June that they had teleworked or worked at home for pay at any time during the past four weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic. This hefty figure does not include those who usually work from home or those who teleworked for a reason unrelated to the pandemic.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has added five questions to the monthly Current Population Survey, which collects the government's official employment data. The BLS first added the questions in May and plans to continue asking them each month for the foreseeable future. Besides teleworking, respondents are also being asked whether they are unable to work because their employer has closed or lost business, whether they are being paid if they are missing work, and whether the pandemic has prevented them from looking for a job.

The 31 percent who reported teleworking in June was little different from the 35 percent who said they had done so in May. The characteristics of those who are teleworking because of the pandemic are not surprising, but nevertheless striking. Teleworking rises steeply as education increases...

Percent of the employed who teleworked for pay in the past 4 weeks due to the coronavirus, by education, June 2020
  4.8% of those without a high school diploma
12.6% of high school graduates only
22.3% of those with some college
48.0% of those with a bachelor's degree
63.3% of those with a graduate degree

By race and Hispanic origin, Asians are far more likely to telework than other race and Hispanic origin groups. This is because Asians are the most educated workers and also the ones most likely to work in management and professional occupations. Hispanics are least likely to telework because they are the least-educated workers and also least likely to be managers or professionals...

Percent of the employed who teleworked for pay in the past 4 weeks due to the coronavirus, by race and Hispanic origin, June 2020
48.5% of Asians
30.8% of non-Hispanic whites
25.7% of Blacks
21.1% of Hispanics

By age, there are few differences in teleworking with one exception. Workers under age 25 are far less likely to telework (15 percent) than those aged 25 to 54 (35 percent) or  aged 55 or older (30 percent).

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Supplemental Data Measuring the Effects of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic on the Labor Market

1.1 Million Fewer Children in the United States

The number of children in the United States fell by 1.5 percent between 2010 and 2019, according to the Census Bureau's population estimates, a decline of 1.1 million. Non-Hispanic whites were the only race and Hispanic origin group to experience a decline, however, with 7.8 percent fewer non-Hispanic white children in 2019 than in 2010. Among Blacks, the population under age 18 grew by just 0.9 percent during those years.

Percent change in population under age 18 by race and Hispanic origin, 2010–19

	percent change
Asians	15.7%
Blacks	0.9%
Hispanics	8.8%
Non-Hispanic whites	-7.8%

The non-Hispanic white share of the nation's children fell from 54 to 50 percent between 2010 and 2019.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2019 Population Estimates

The Generations by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019

The non-Hispanic white share of the population ranges from a low of just under 50 percent in the Recession generation (defined as children under age 10) to a high of 78 percent among the oldest Americans—those aged 74 or older, born before 1946.

Generation X most closely mirrors the race and Hispanic origin composition of the population as a whole. Generations younger than Gen X are more diverse than the national average, while those older than Gen X are less diverse.

Although Hispanics outnumber Blacks in the population as a whole, Blacks outnumber Hispanics among Boomers and Older Americans. The Asian share of the population is highest in the Millennial generation at 8.4 percent.

Percent Distribution of the Population by Generation, Race, and Hispanic Origin, 2019

	total	Asian	Black	Hispanic	non-Hispanic white
Total population	100.0%	7.0%	14.7%	18.5%	60.1%
Recession generation (0-9)	100.0	7.4	18.3	26.0	49.6
Generation Z (10-24)	100.0	7.3	17.4	24.0	52.1
Millennials (25-42)	100.0	8.4	15.7	20.7	55.5
Generation X (43-54)	100.0	7.3	13.9	18.0	60.8
Boomers (55-73)	100.0	5.4	11.7	10.8	71.6
Older Americans (74-plus)	100.0	4.8	8.9	8.1	77.7

Note: Numbers may not add to 100 percent because Asians and Blacks are those who identify themselves as being of the race alone or in combination with other races, Hispanics may be of any race, and not all races are shown.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's National Population by Characteristics: 2010–2019

Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2019

The non-Hispanic white population declined for the third year in a row in 2019, according to the Census Bureau's population estimates. The number of non-Hispanic whites peaked in 2016, fell by 96,000 in 2017, 213,000 in 2018, and 225,000 in 2019. Non-Hispanic whites accounted for 60 percent of the total U.S. population in 2019, down from 64 percent in 2010.

The number of non-Hispanic whites under age 30 declined by 1.7 million between 2016 and 2019, in part because of the ongoing baby bust. The number aged 65 or older climbed by 3.1 million during those years as Boomers filled the age group.

Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2019 (numbers in 000s)
Total: 328,240 (100.0%)
Asian: 22,862 (7.0%)
Black: 48,221 (14.7%)
Hispanic: 60,572 (18.5%)
Non-Hispanic white: 197,310 (60.1%)

Note: Asians and Blacks are those who identify themselves as being of the race alone or in combination with other races. Hispanics may be of any race. Not all races are shown.

Source: Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics, 2010–2019

6% of Adults Have Attended a Protest in the Past Month

It may seem as though just about everyone has been protesting in the streets in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. Not so, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Only 6 percent of adults say they have attended a protest or rally focused on race or racial equality in the past month. The figure is highest among 18-to-29-year-olds at 13 percent. Among people aged 65 or older, 2 percent say they have participated. 

Blacks, Asians and Hispanics are about equally likely to have participated in a protest. Whites are about half as likely as Blacks to have done so.

Attended a protest or rally focused on race or race relations in past month

Blacks: 10%

Asians: 10%

Hispanics: 9%

Whites: 5%

Among Democrats, 10 percent have taken part in a racial equality protest or rally in the past month. Among Republicans, the figure is 2 percent.

Pew Research Center, Amid Protests, Majorities across Racial and Ethnic Groups Express Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement

Covid-19 Wreaks Economic Havoc

The enormous economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic is laid bare by the Census Bureau's new Household Pulse Survey, which is tracking the impact of the pandemic on the American public week by week. Among adults in households with children under age 18, the 55 percent majority say they or someone else in the household have experienced a loss of employment income since March 13, according to the May 14-19 wave of the survey. Among adults in households without children, 44 percent have experienced such a loss.

The percentage of Americans who report a loss of employment income since March 13 exceeds 50 percent in every age group under age 55...

Percent experiencing a loss of employment income for self or other household member
Total 18-plus: 48%
Aged 18 to 24: 58%
Aged 25 to 39: 54%
Aged 40 to 54: 56%
Aged 55 to 64: 49%
Aged 65-plus: 27%

By race and Hispanic origin, 60 percent of Hispanics have experienced a loss of employment income. The figure is 55 percent for Blacks, 47 percent for Asians, and 44 percent for non-Hispanic Whites.

Most adults with household incomes below $50,000 have experienced a loss of employment income since March 13. The figure falls as household income rises. But even among those in the most affluent households—with incomes of $200,000 or more—a substantial 31 percent have lost employment income during the pandemic.

Source: Census Bureau, Household Pulse Survey: May 14—May 19

Black Homeownership Lower in 2019 than in 1999

The 2019 homeownership rate in the United States was 2.2 percentage points below the rate in 1999, according to the Census Bureau. The Black homeownership rate was 4.2 percentage points lower than it was two decades ago. Asians and Hispanics had higher rates in 2019 than in 1999, and the non-Hispanic White rate was about the same.

Homeownership Rate by Race and Hispanic Origin, 1999 to 2019

	total	Asian	Black	Hispanic	NH White
2019	64.6%	57.7%	42.1%	47.5%	73.3%
2010	66.9	58.9	45.4	47.5	74.4
2004	69.0	59.8	49.1	48.1	76.0
1999	66.8	53.1	46.3	45.5	73.2
1999 to 2019	-2.2	4.6	-4.2	2.0	0.1

The U.S. homeownership rate peaked in 2004 at 69.0 percent. Between 2004 and 2019, the Black rate fell 7.0 percentage points, much greater than the decline in the homeownership rate of Asians (-2.1), Hispanics (-0.6), or non-Hispanic Whites (-2.7).

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership, 2019 Annual Statistics

High School Dropout Rate: 5.4%

Among the nation's 16-to-24-year-olds, 5.4 percent are high school dropouts, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The NCES defines dropouts as those who are not enrolled in school and do not have a high school credential.

The high school dropout rate varies by race, Hispanic origin, and ethnicity. Here are the rates for selected groups in 2017, from highest to lowest...

Percent of 16-to-24-year-olds not enrolled in school and without a high school credential, 2017
Alaskan Native: 15.1%
American Indian: 9.6%
Hispanic: 8.2%
  Puerto Rican: 9.3%
  Mexican: 7.9%
  Dominican: 7.0%
  Cuban: 6.6%
Black: 6.5%
Non-Hispanic White: 4.3%
Asian: 2.1%
  Filipino: 2.0%
  Vietnamese: 1.9%
  Korean: 1.6%
  Chinese: 1.1%

Among Hispanics, the dropout rate differs depending on whether the young adult is native- or foreign-born. The dropout rate is just 6.3 percent for those born in the United States. Among the foreign-born, the dropout rate is a much higher 15.2 percent.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates  in the United States: 2019

The Suburbs Are Home to Most American Households

Fifty-three percent of American households live in the suburbs, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey. Only one in three lives in a central (or principal) city...

Percent distribution of U.S. households by metropolitan status, 2018
33.4% are in the principal city of a metropolitan area
52.6% are in the suburb of a metropolitan area
14.0% are outside a metropolitan area

But there is great variation in metropolitan status by race and Hispanic origin. Among Asians and Blacks, the 51 percent majority of householders live in the principal city of a metropolitan area. The figure is 46 percent among Hispanics. In contrast, only 26 percent of non-Hispanic White householders live in a city. Consequently, non-Hispanic Whites head a much smaller share of city than suburban or nonmetropolitan households.

Non-Hispanic White share of U.S. households by metropolitan status, 2018
52% of principal city households
71% of suburban households
83% of nonmetropolitan households

Source: Census Bureau, 2019 Current Population Survey

40% of Hispanic Households Include Children

Households headed by Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics are more likely to include children under age 18 than are households headed by non-Hispanic Whites, according to the Census Bureau's 2019 Current Population Survey. Behind the difference is the fact that non-Hispanic Whites, on average, are considerably older than Asians, Blacks, or Hispanics and less likely to be in their childrearing years.

Households with children under age 18 by race and Hispanic origin of householder, 2019
Asian: 35%
Black: 26%
Hispanic: 40%
Non-Hispanic White: 23%

Among the nation's 34 million households with children under age 18, non-Hispanic Whites head the 57 percent majority. Hispanics head 21 percent of households with children, Blacks (alone) head 13 percent, and Asians (alone) 7 percent.

Source: Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2019

Public School Students in 2019

Non-Hispanic Whites will account for 47 percent of the nation's public school students this fall, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The 53 percent majority of students in grades K through 12 will be Hispanic, Black, Asian, or another minority. This is a big shift since 2000, when 61 percent of public school students were non-Hispanic White. The share fell below 50 percent in 2014.

Public school students in grades K–12 by race and Hispanic origin, 2019
47.1% are non-Hispanic White alone
27.8% are Hispanic
15.3% are non-Hispanic Black alone
  5.7% are non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander alone
  3.1% are non-Hispanic two or more races
  1.0% are non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native alone

The non-Hispanic White share of public school students will fall a bit more in the next few years. In 2027, non-Hispanic Whites will account for 45 percent of students, according to NCES projections.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2027

32% Can Speak a Language other than English

Nearly one-third of Americans aged 18 or older (32 percent) say they can speak a language other than English, according to the 2018 General Social Survey. This figure has been growing slowly over the years and is up from 28 percent a decade ago.

Not surprisingly, Asians and Hispanics are most likely to say they can speak a language other than English—83 and 69 percent, respectively. In contrast, only 22 percent of Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites are multilingual. By generation, the youngest Americans are most likely to be able to speak a language other than English...

Can speak a language other than English
iGeneration: 43%
Millennials: 39%
Gen Xers: 33%
Boomers: 26%
Older: 13%

Note: In 2018 the iGeneration was aged 18 to 23; Millennials were aged 24 to 41; Gen Xers were aged 42 to 53; Boomers were aged 54 to 72; and older Americans were aged 73 or older.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2018 General Social Survey

Non-Hispanic Whites: 60% of Total Population in 2018

For the second year in a row, the non-Hispanic White population fell slightly, according to the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2018. The number of non-Hispanic Whites peaked in 2016, fell by 95,000 between 2016 and 2017 and by another 152,000 between 2017 and 2018.

Among non-Hispanic Whites, every age group under age 25 lost population between 2016 and 2018, with the biggest decline (3.3 percent) occurring among 20-to-24-year-olds. Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for the 60 percent majority of the total U.S. population in 2018. The share will fall below 50 percent in 2045, according to Census Bureau projections.

Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2018 (numbers in millions)
Total: 327.2 (100.0%)
Asian: 22.6 (6.9%)
Black: 47.8 (14.6%)
Hispanic: 59.9 (18.3%)
Non-Hispanic White: 197.5 (60.4%)

Note: Asians and Blacks are those who identify themselves as being of the race alone or in combination with other races. Hispanics may be of any race. Not all races are shown.

Source: Census Bureau, National Population by Characteristics, 2010–2018

Births by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2018

Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for the 52 percent majority of women who gave birth in 2018, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Another 23 percent were Hispanic, 15 percent were non-Hispanic Black, and 6 percent were non-Hispanic Asian.

In 12 states, minorities accounted for the majority of births: Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Maryland, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. Minorities also accounted for the majority of births in the District of Columbia.

At the other extreme, non-Hispanic Whites accounted for more than 80 percent of births in six states: Montana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and West Virginia. In Vermont and West Virginia, more than 90 percent of births in 2018 were to non-Hispanic Whites.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Provisional Data for 2018 (PDF)