The IRA Tax Shelter

Is the IRA more of a tax shelter for the affluent rather than a vehicle for retirement savings? It looks that way. According to an Employee Benefit Research Institute analysis, few IRA owners aged 60 or older take money out of their account until they reach the age (70.5) when withdrawals become mandatory...

Percentage of traditional IRA owners who took a withdrawal in 2013
Aged 60 to 64: 18.9%
Aged 65 to 70: 27.2%
Aged 71 to 79: 83.6%
Aged 80-plus: 85.8%

Once they reach the mandatory age, according to EBRI, most IRA owners withdraw only the minimum required. Just one in four traditional IRA owners aged 71 or older withdrew more than the minimum amount from his or her account in 2013.

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, IRA Withdrawals in 2013 and Longitudinal Results 2010-2013

Workers with Paid Sick Leave

Only 61 percent of the nation's private-sector workers get paid sick leave. Here is the percentage with paid sick leave by occupation...

88% of managers
78% of professionals
73% of office workers
67% of installation/maintenance/repair workers
57% of production workers
55% of transportation workers
53% of sales workers
39% of service workers
36% of construction/extraction/farming workers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in the United States—March 2015

Growing Wealth Gap Between Old and Young

The old are wealthier than the young, a pattern that has long been true. But the gap is growing, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, researchers compared median wealth in 1989 and 2013 for households in three broad age groups. Here are the trends (in 2013 dollars)...

Old (aged 62+): +40%
Median wealth in 2013: $209,590
Median wealth in 1989: $149,728

Middle-aged (aged 40-61): –31%
Median wealth in 2013: $106,094
Median wealth in 1989: $153,759

Young (under age 40): –28%
Median wealth in 2013: $14,220
Median wealth in 1989: $19,830

The old are doing better, and the middle-aged and young are falling behind. There's more bad news: "Baby boomers, who are now retiring in droves, are likely to be less well-off than their 'old' counterparts in the two previous generations," the Fed researchers conclude. "And it looks as if members of the next two generations—Generation X and Generation Y (the millennials)—might also end up less wealthy than the generation before them."

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, The Demographics of Wealth—How Age, Education and Race Separate Thrivers from Strugglers in Today's Economy, Essay No. 3: Age, Birth Year and Wealth

First-Time Homebuyer Watch: 2nd Quarter 2015

Homeownership rate of householders aged 30 to 34, second quarter 2015: 45.2%

The homeownership rate of households headed by people aged 30 to 34 fell in the second quarter of 2015 to an all-time low of 45.2 percent. Historically, homeownership became the norm in the 30-to-34 age group—rising above 50 percent. But beginning in 2007, the homeownership rate of 30-to-34-year-olds went into a tailspin. In the second quarter of 2011, the rate fell below 50 percent for the first time. In the past year, the homeownership rate of the age group fell 1.3 percentage points. Is this the bottom for the age group? Only time will tell. 

The new age of first-time home buying is 35 to 39, but even this age group has been slipping toward the 50-percent threshold. The homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds stood at 55.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015—the same as in the first quarter and the age group's record low. Since peaking in the first quarter of 2007, the homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds has fallen by more than 10 percentage points. 

Nationally, the homeownership rate fell to 63.4 percent in the second quarter of 2015, down from 64.7 percent a year earlier.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey

Household Income Stable in June

Household income fell slightly in June 2015, but the decline was not statistically significant. June's median household income stood at $55,132, according to Sentier Research, about the same as the previous month after adjusting for inflation. The June 2015 median was 2.1 percent higher than the June 2014 median and 6.4 percent above the $51,804 median of August 2011, which was the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"Although median annual household income did not change significantly in June, we continue to see a general upward trend in income since the low-point reached in August 2011," says Sentier's Gordon Green. Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey. 

Median household income in June 2015 was 0.8 percent below the median of June 2009, the end of the Great Recession. It was 2.7 percent below the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 3.8 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for June 2015 stood at 96.2 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: June 2015

Number of Unauthorized Immigrants Has Declined

Despite all the talk about "illegals" in the United States, their number has declined slightly since the peak year of 2007, according to Pew Research Center. There were an estimated 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2014, down from the peak of 12.2 million in 2007. During the Great Recession and its aftermath, fewer unauthorized immigrants have been crossing our borders.

The 62 percent majority of unauthorized immigrant adults have been in the United States for at least 10 years, according to a 2012 analysis by Pew. More than one in three (38 percent) live with their children born in the United States.

Source: Pew Research Center, Unauthorized Immigrant Population Stable for Half a Decade

Decline in Teen Sexual Activity

Today's teenagers are not as sexually active as teens were a decade or two ago. That explains, in part, why the birth rate of 15-to-19-year-olds fell 57 percent between 1991 (the peak year) and 2013. Among never-married females aged 15 to 19, the percentage who have ever had sexual intercourse fell from 51 percent in 1988 to 44 percent in 2011-13. Among their male counterparts, the figure fell from 60 to 47 percent.

Another reason for the decline in the teen birth rate is the increased use of emergency contraception. Twenty-two percent of sexually active 15-to-19-year-old females in 2011-13 had ever used emergency contraception, up from only 8 percent who had ever used it in 2002.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing of Teenagers Aged 15-19 in the United States

Private Sector Health Insurance Costs in 2014

Among workers in the private sector, this is how much health insurance cost in 2014...

Average total premium
Employee only: $5,832
Employee-plus-one: $11,503
Employee and family: $16,655

Average employee contribution
Employee only: $1,234
Employee-plus-one: $3,097
Employee and family: $4,518

Average deductible
Individual deductible: $1,353
Family deductible: $2,640

Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Statistical Brief #477, Results from the 2014 MEPS-IC Private-Sector National Tables

Why Mid-Term Elections Are Different

The demographics of mid-term elections are strikingly different from the demographics of presidential elections. In mid-terms, older non-Hispanic Whites overwhelm the polls. In presidential elections, younger and more diverse voters are in control. Take a look...

Non-Hispanic Whites aged 45+ as a share of voters
2014 mid-term election: 55%
2012 presidential election: 48%
2010 mid-term election: 54%
2008 presidential election: 47%

Older non-Hispanic Whites dominate mid-term elections because they are much more likely to vote. In the 2014 mid-term, fully 56 percent of non-Hispanic Whites aged 45 or older cast a vote. In contrast, only 31 percent of younger non-Hispanic Whites and 33 percent of minorities went to the polls. (Note: calculations of voting rates are based on citizen populations.)

Source: Census Bureau, Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2014

The Geography of Cuban Americans

United States
Total U.S. population: 316,128,839
Hispanic population: 53,986,412 (17% of the total population)
Cuban-origin Hispanics: 2,013,155 (4% of the Hispanic population)

Florida
Number of Cuban-origin Hispanics who live in Florida: 1,349,136
Percent of Cuban-origin Hispanics who live in Florida: 67%
Cuban-origin Hispanics as a percentage of Florida's population: 6.9%

Miami
Number of Cuban-origin Hispanics who live in the Miami metropolitan area: 1,073,372
Percent of Cuban-origin Hispanics who live in the Miami metropolitan area: 53%
Cuban-origin Hispanics as a percentage of Miami's population: 18%

Source: Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey

Health Status: Education Matters (Even More)

Higher education leads to better health. Social scientists have known this for a long time. But a National Bureau of Economic Research analysis shows that the relationship is even stronger than we thought.

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, NBER researchers compared self-reported health with the results of actual medical tests to determine whether educated respondents more accurately self-report their health. They do. The study found accurate self-reporting of health status rising with education, with less-educated respondents underreporting their health problems. The problems examined were smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

To date, many of the studies examining the effect of educational attainment on health have been based on self-reports. This is a problem, say the researchers. They conclude: "Our results imply that the educational gradient in health, when measured using self-reported health, tends to understate the true gradient." Measuring the true size of the educational gradient in health may require objective tests rather than self-reports.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Health Disparities Across Education: The Role of Differential Reporting Error, NBER Working Paper 21317 ($5)

Who Is a "Typical" American?

The 69 percent majority of Americans think of themselves as a "typical" American, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute. Older Americans are far more likely to see themselves as typical (78%) than young adults (55%). By race and Hispanic origin, here's who thinks they're typical...

Whites: 77%

Blacks: 61%

Hispanics: 48%

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, Most Americans Believe Protests Make the Country Better; Support Decreases Dramatically among Whites if Protesters are Identified as Black 

Interest in Space Exploration

Americans are "meh" about space exploration. The 45 percent plurality of the public is only moderately interested in outer space. Another 33 percent are not at all interested. The smallest share—22 percent—are enthusiasts very interested in space exploration. Men are twice as likely as women to be enthusiasts...

Very interested in space exploration
Men: 31%
Women: 15%

Moderately interested in space exploration
Men: 46%
Women: 44%

Not at all interested in space exploration
Men: 23%
Women: 41%

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

Changes in Living Arrangements, 1967 to 2014

The living arrangements of adults have changed dramatically in nearly every age group over the past half century. A new set of tables available from the Census Bureau allows you to see at a glance the changes since 1967...

Living with Mom and Dad (18 to 24): Surprisingly, men in this age group are no more likely to live with their parents today than their counterparts were in 1967—57 percent in 2014 and 58 percent in 1967. Women, however, are more likely to live with Mom and Dad as they postpone marriage—51 percent were living in their parents' home in 2014, up from 42 percent in 1967.

Staying single (25 to 34): Men and women in this age group are much less likely to be married and living with a spouse today than in 1967. For women, the married share fell from 83 to 47 percent between 1967 and 2014. For men the figure plummeted from 83 to 38 percent.

Stability, sort of (35 to 64): This is the age group with the most stability in living arrangements. Nevertheless, between 1967 and 2014 the married share fell substantially among both men (from 86 to 65 percent) and women (from 77 to 62 percent).

More couples (65 to 74): The married share of women in this age group climbed from 45 to 57 percent between 1967 and 2014, while men's married share barely changed (falling from 79 to 75 percent). Behind the change for women is increasing life expectancy, delaying widowhood.

Living alone (75-plus): Men and women who have been widowed are now more likely to live alone than with other relatives (mostly adult children). In 1967, the reverse was true.

Source: Census Bureau, Table AD-3, Living Arrangements of Adults, 1967 to Present

The Impact of Behavioral Change on Life Expectancy

American life expectancy is rising. The increase is due in part to better medications and improved medical interventions. It's also due to changes in behavior. How much has good behavior by the American public contributed to the rise in life expectancy over the past half century? How much has bad behavior limited the rise? Those questions have now been answered by researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Between 1960 and 2010, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. grew 6.9 years. To determine how much of that rise was due to behavioral change, the researchers examined the impact on life expectancy of six factors: smoking, drinking, motor vehicle fatalities, obesity, poisonings, and firearms. Here's how changes in each of those behaviors affected life expectancy over the past half century...

Impact on life expectancy (in years)
+1.26 years from less smoking
+0.43 years from safer motor vehicles
+0.06 years from less heavy drinking
-1.00 years from more obesity
-0.26 years from more drug overdoses
-0.03 years from more firearm deaths

The gains from good behavior were nearly offset by declines due to bad behavior. Nevertheless, the researchers conclude, "our study demonstrates the enormous benefits of public health and behavior change in improving population health."

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, How Behavioral Changes Have Affected U.S. Population Health Since 1960, NBER Working Paper #20631

Attitudes Toward Undocumented Immigrants

The 59 percent majority of Americans agrees that the United States should take stronger measures to keep undocumented immigrants out of the country. Here are the percentages by generation...

U.S. should take stronger measures to exclude undocumented immigrants (% agreeing)
Millennials: 48%
Generation X: 62%
Baby Boomers: 63%
Older Americans: 75%

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

Household Income Rises in May 2015

Household income is on an upward trend. Median household income climbed to $55,192 in May 2015, according to Sentier Research. This was 0.7 percent higher than the April median, a statistically significant increase. The May 2015 median was 3.2 percent higher than the May 2014 median and 6.9 percent above the $51,639 median of August 2011—the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"We are now at a point where we have recovered almost all of the losses in median income that followed the end of the recession in June 2009," says Sentier's Gordon Green. He notes, however, that the median is still lower than in December 2007, the beginning of the recession. Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey. 

Median household income in May 2015 was just 0.4 percent below the median of June 2009, the end of the Great Recession. It was 2.2 percent below the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 3.4 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for May 2015 stood at 96.6 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: May 2015

Smartphones Still Play Second Fiddle to Computers

When smartphone users browse products and pricing online, 21 percent do so mainly on their smartphone and a much larger 62 percent mainly use their computer. The numbers are even more lopsided when buying online: 11 percent rely mainly on their smartphone and 74 percent on their computer (the remainder use both equally or do not browse/shop online). Here are the percentages who rely mainly on their phone for browsing/shopping online, by age...

Browsing products and pricing online
Aged 18 to 29: 24%
Aged 30 to 49: 27%
Aged 50 to 64: 14%
Aged 65-plus: 8%

Making online purchases
Aged 18 to 29: 11%
Aged 30 to 49: 16%
Aged 50 to 64: 6%
Aged 65-plus: 4%

Source: Gallup, Most Smartphone Users Still Rely on Computer for Web Purchases

Are Children Under Age 5 Minority-Majority?

The minority share of children under age 5 crossed an important threshold in 2014, according to the Census Bureau. For the first time, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and other minorities outnumbered non-Hispanic Whites in the age group—50.2 percent to 49.8 percent. But there's a problem with these figures. The Census Bureau's race-and-Hispanic-origin estimates of the population under age 5 do not match vital statistics data.

The Census Bureau has estimated that there were 19.9 million children under age 5 in the United States in 2014, a number nearly matching the 19.8 million births recorded in the 2010-to-2014 time period (the population under age 5 in 2014). The Census Bureau's under-5 total population estimate aligns with vital statistics data. The mismatch occurs in the race-and-Hispanic-origin distribution of that population. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the minority share of births from 2010 to 2014 was 45.9 percent. The non-Hispanic White share of births was 54.1 percent. Is the nation's under-5 population minority-majority? Perhaps not yet.

Who Works at Home?

Overall, 23 percent of employed Americans work at home on an average work day. The figure is about the same for men and women and for full- and part-time workers. By educational attainment, however, there are big differences in who works at home...

Percent of employed who work at home on an average work day
11.5% of those with less than a high school diploma
13.8% of those with a high school diploma only
17.5% of those with some college or an associate's degree
39.1% of those with a bachelor's degree or more

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey—2014 Results

What Does It Take To Be Truly American?

Percentage of Americans who think that to be truly American it is "very important" to be a Christian, by generation...

Total people: 33%
Millennials: 19%
Generation X: 28%
Baby Boomers: 40%
Older Americans: 57%

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

Attitudes toward Science: The Age Effect

Another amazing feat by Pew Research Center, the nonpartisan, data-driven, social science research powerhouse. Pew researchers have analyzed their own data on the public's attitudes toward science and correlated those attitudes with six characteristics: political ideology, age, educational attainment, gender, race and ethnicity, and religious affiliation. In doing so they have revealed how each of those characteristics—independent of the others—influences attitudes. It turns out, age is one of the biggies, influencing views on a number of scientific issues after controlling for the other characteristics. Here are some examples...

Prioritize alternative energy development over oil, coal, and gas
Younger adults: favor
Older adults: oppose

Childhood vaccines should be required
Younger adults: Parents should decide
Older adults: yes

Earth is warming due to human activity
Younger adults: yes
Older adults: no

Humans have evolved due to natural processes
Younger adults: yes
Older adults: no

This report should be required reading for politicians and government policymakers. It's social science at its best, revealing the underlying forces at work in American society.

Source: Pew Research Center, American, Politics, and Science Issues

Marital Status of Men Aged 30-to-34 Depends on Earnings

For men, the 30-to-34 age group is the age of marrying. That's when the percentage of men who are currently married rises above 50 percent. But that's an average. In fact, the marital status of men in the age group depends on how much they earn, with the married share rising in lock-step with earnings. (The relationship between earnings and marital status is not found for their female counterparts.) Here are the 2014 statistics...

Men aged 30 to 34 who are currently married, by earnings
Total men 30 to 34:   50.4%
Less than $5,000:     26.3%
$5,000 to $14,999:    31.1%
$15,000 to $24,999:  37.8%
$25,000 to $39,999:  53.0%
$40,000 to $74,999:  61.2%
$75,000 to $99,999:  66.4%
$100,000 or more:     72.7%

Source: Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements

Most Nonmetro Counties Are Losing Population

Two-thirds of the nation's nonmetropolitan counties lost population between 2010 and 2014, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. The number of nonmetro counties with declining populations reached an historic high of 1,310 in the 2010-14 time period.

Population decline is caused by two factors: more people moving out than in, and more deaths than births. The number of nonmetro counties experiencing the "double jeopardy" of net-outmigration and natural decrease climbed from 387 in 2003-07 to 622 in 2010-14.

According to a Demo Memo analysis of population growth by metropolitan status, the nation's largest metropolitan areas, with a population of 1 million or more, grew 4.2 percent between 2010 and 2014. Smaller metropolitan areas grew 2.7 percent. Nonmetropolitan counties as a whole lost 0.2 percent of their population during those years.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Two-Thirds of U.S. Nonmetro Counties Lost Population over 2010-14

Internet Use by Age, 2015

Percentage of Americans who use the Internet in 2015 (and in 2000), by age...

Total adults: 84% (52%)
Aged 18-29: 96% (70%)
Aged 30-49: 93% (61%)
Aged 50-64: 81% (46%)
Aged 65-plus: 58% (14%)

Source: Pew Research Center, Americans Internet Access: 2000-2015

Baby Boom in North Dakota

From 2009 to 2014, percent change in number of births in...

United States:  -3.5%
North Dakota: 26.2%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Birth Data

Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2014

The U.S. population grew by 9.5 million between 2010 and 2014, according to the Census Bureau. Non-Hispanic Whites accounted for just 5 percent of the gain, and the nation's minorities accounted for the other 95 percent. In 2014, the minority share of the population climbed to 37.9 percent, up from 36.2 percent in 2010. Here are the 2014 estimates by race and Hispanic origin...

Total population: 318,857,056
The U.S. population grew by 3.1 percent between 2010 and 2014, a gain of 9.5 million.

Non-Hispanic Whites: 197,870,516 (62.1%)
The non-Hispanic White population grew by a minuscule 0.2 percent between 2010 and 2014, a gain of less than 500,000. The non-Hispanic White share of the population fell from 63.8 to 62.1 percent during those years.

Hispanics: 55,387,539 (17.4%)
The Hispanic population grew by 9.1 percent between 2010 and 2014, a gain of 4.6 million. Hispanics accounted for 49 percent of the nation's population growth between 2010 and 2014.

Blacks (alone or in combination): 45,672,250 (14.3%)
The Black population grew by 5.4 percent between 2010 and 2014, a gain of 2.3 million.

Asians (alone or in combination): 20,250,250 (6.4%)
The Asian population grew by 13.7 percent between 2010 and 2014, a gain of 2.4 million.

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates 2014

Largest Share of Households Is Wireless-Only

In the last half of 2014, Americans crossed a threshold. The plurality of households now has only cell phones, surpassing for the first time the percentage with both cell and landline phones. In July-December 2014, fully 45.4 percent of households were wireless-only and 42.7 percent had both landline and cell phones. Only 8.4 percent of households are landline only and another 3.2 percent have no telephone. By age of householder, these are the wireless-only households...

Wireless-only households, July-December 2014
Total households: 45.4%
Aged 18 to 24: 58.0%
Aged 25 to 29: 69.2%
Aged 30 to 34: 67.4%
Aged 35 to 44: 53.7%
Aged 45 to 64: 36.8%
Aged 65-plus: 17.1%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2014

ACA Putting a Dent in the Uninsured

The Affordable Care Act is making a difference, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. The percentage of Americans without health insurance fell from 14.4 percent in 2013 to 11.5 percent in 2014. That 2.9 percentage point decline shows the ACA is moving the needle. Among people aged 18 to 64, the decline was a larger 4.1 percentage points—from 20.4 percent uninsured in 2013 to 16.3 percent in 2014. Among 19-to-25-year-olds, the percentage without health insurance fell 6.5 percentage points—from 26.5 percent in 2013 to 20.0 percent in 2014. Here is the percentage without health insurance by age in 2014...

Percent without health insurance
Total people:     11.5%
Under age 18:     5.5%
Aged 18 to 24:  18.3%
Aged 25 to 34:  22.6%
Aged 35 to 44:  17.6%
Aged 45 to 64:  11.7%
Aged 65-plus:     0.8%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2014

Money For Children and Grandchildren

Older Americans give a lot of money to their children and grandchildren—enough to "be considered a major expenditure category," according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute study. In the study, EBRI researcher Sudipto Banerjee examines cash transfers made by older householders to children and grandchildren during their lifetime rather than after death.

The data come from the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study, which tracks a representative sample of householders aged 50 or older. Cash transfers are defined as "giving money, helping pay bills, or covering specific types of costs such as those for medical care or insurance, schooling, down payment for a home, rent, etc. The financial help can be considered support, a gift or a loan." The results...

• Many provide financial help. The 51 percent majority of householders aged 50 to 64 in 2010 had transferred cash to children or grandchildren during the past two years. Although the share of older householders who did so declined with advancing age, even among those aged 85 or older a substantial 28 percent had transferred cash.  
• Thousands of dollars are provided. The average cash transfer ranged from a low of $4,787 for householders aged 85-plus to a high of $8,350 for 50-to-64-year-olds.
• The affluent give more. Among 50-to-64-year-olds, the percentage who gave ranged from a low of 31 percent for those in the lowest income quartile (average amount provided = $7,419) to a high of 70 percent for those in the highest income quartile (average amount provided = $27,378).

"Transfers are actually a significant expense when compared with other items in a household budget," concludes Banerjee, "though they are not traditionally thought of as a budget item." The report examines trends in cash transfers from 1998 to 2010 and also looks at the much less common transfer of cash from younger to older family members.

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, Intra-Family Cash Transfers in Older American Households

How Many Women Are Uninsured when Giving Birth?

Not many, thanks to Medicaid. That's because low-income women become eligible for Medicaid when they become pregnant. With the average hospital delivery costing roughly $10,000, Medicaid is a financial life saver—not to mention the medical benefits. Among women who gave birth in 2009, take a look at how their health insurance status changed from the month before they became pregnant to the day of delivery...

• The percentage of women with no health insurance fell from 23.4% in the month before they became pregnant to just 1.5% on the day of delivery. 
• The percentage of women with Medicaid coverage climbed from 16.6% in the month before they became pregnant to 43.9% on the day of delivery.
• The percentage of women with private health insurance fell slightly, from 59.9% in the month before they became pregnant to 54.6% on the day of delivery.

Source: CDC, Patterns of Health Insurance Coverage Around the Time of Pregnancy among Women with Live-Born Infants—Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 29 States, 2009

Births by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2014

The number of births ticked up in 2014, rising by 1 percent in the past year. This was the first increase since 2007, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Births to Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites all increased by 1 percent. For Asians, the gain was 6 percent. Here are the numbers in 2014 (and percent distribution) by race and Hispanic origin...

Total:      3,985,924 (100.0%)
Asian:        282,724 (   7.1%)
Black:        589,016 ( 14.8%)
Hispanic:   914,116 ( 22.9%)
White:     2,146,482 ( 53.9%)

Note: Blacks and Whites are non-Hispanic.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2014

Uptick in Births in 2014

The annual number of births in the United States increased in 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The 3,985,924 babies born in 2014 exceeded 2013 births by 53,743—a statistically significant 1 percent increase. The increase was the first since 2007, when births reached an all time high of 4,316,233. 

Drilling down into the numbers reveals a dramatically changed pattern of childbearing in the United States. The fertility rate in 2014 inched up to 62.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, a bit higher than last year's record low of 62.5. This was the first increase in the fertility rate since 2007. But for teenagers, the birth rate fell to a new historic low. For women aged 20 to 24, the birth rate fell to a new historic low. For women aged 25 to 29, the birth rate was essentially unchanged from the record low reached in 2013. 

The action is occurring among women aged 30 or older. Among women in their thirties and forties, birth rates are rising and so are births. Many of these women are having their first child after years of delay. The first-birth rate increased for women aged 30 to 39, the government reports. But the overall first-birth rate hit a new record low in 2014 because younger women are reluctant to have children. Births increased in 2014 only because older women are playing catch up. The baby bust may have hit bottom, but at the bottom is where it remains.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2014

Fewer Jobs Near Average Metro Resident

Residents of the nation's major metropolitan areas live near fewer jobs than they did in 2000, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. Using census tract data for the 96 largest metro areas, the Brookings researchers compared the number of jobs within the typical commute for each metro in 2000 and 2012. Of the 96 metro areas analyzed, only 29 gained jobs during those years within the metro's typical commuting distance. The typical commuting distance ranged from a low of 4.7 miles in Stockton, California, to a high of 12.8 miles in Atlanta.

The average city resident was within typical commuting distance of 605,367 jobs in 2012, according to the analysis. This was 3.5 percent fewer jobs than in 2000. The average suburban resident was within typical commuting distance of 207,158 jobs—7.3 percent fewer than in 2000. The Brookings report includes details for each of the 96 metro areas.

The loss in job proximity was worse for some than for others. Hispanics saw the number of jobs within their metro's typical commute decline by 17 percent. The loss was 14 percent for Blacks and 6 percent for Whites.

Source: Brookings Institution, The Growing Distance Between People and Jobs in Metropolitan America

The Cost of Day Care

Among the nation's 20 million preschoolers, 60 percent participate in at least one weekly nonparental care arrangement—that's 13 million children being cared for by day care centers, grandparents, other relatives, or someone not related to them. Among families with out-of-pocket costs for this service, most pay dearly for the care...

Average hourly out-of-pocket cost for primary child care arrangement
Care by a relative: $4.18
Care by a nonrelative: $5.28
Day care center: $6.70

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Program Participation, from the National Household Education Surveys Program of 2012

Occupations with a Median Age of 50-Plus

The median age of the nation's employed was 42.3 in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some occupations have much older workers than others. In a handful of occupations, the median age of the employed exceeds 50...

• Chief executives
• Farmers and ranchers
• Architectural/engineering managers
• Tax preparers
• Clergy
• Judges
• Crossing guards
• Travel agents
• Real estate brokers
• Postal service clerks and mail carriers
• Construction and building inspectors
• Sewing machine operators
• Tailors
• Water treatment plant operators
• Bus drivers
• Train engineers

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation and Age

Homeownership Projected to Decline

The nation's homeownership rate will fall from 65.1 percent in 2010 to to 61.3 percent in 2030, according to a study by the Urban Institute. Behind the decline are the financial struggles of young adults and the growing minority share of the population. The homeownership rate is projected to decline in all but the oldest age group, with the biggest losses occurring among householders ranging in age from 35 to 64.

Homeownership rate by age of householder in 2030 (and percentage point change, 2010-30)
Aged 15 to 24: 13.4% (-2.7)
Aged 25 to 34: 37.8% (-4.2)
Aged 35 to 44: 55.2% (-7.1)
Aged 45 to 54: 64.6% (-6.9)
Aged 55 to 64: 69.6% (-7.7)
Aged 65 to 74: 73.9% (-6.3)
Aged 75 to 84: 74.4% (-3.5)
Aged 85-plus: 68.5% (2.3)

Source: Urban Institute, A Lower Homeownership Rate is the New Normal

Only 12 Percent Do Not Know Any Gays or Lesbians

Eighty-eight percent of Americans know people who are gay or lesbian, according to a Pew Research Center survey, with about the same percentage of Millennials, Gen Xers, and Boomers saying they know gays and lesbians. Among Americans aged 70 or older, a smaller 79 percent say they know people who are gay or lesbian.

When asked whether any close friends or family members are gay or lesbian, the 52 percent majority of the public says yes. Here are the percentages by generation...

Percent with close friends or family members who are gay or lesbian
Millennials: 58%
Gen Xers: 57%
Boomers: 50%
Older: 35%

Source: Pew Research Center, Support for Same-Sex Marriage at Record High, but Key Segments Remain Opposed

Why Some People Return to Small Towns

"How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm after they've seen Paree?" That question, posed in song lyrics nearly a century ago as migration from rural to urban areas picked up steam, is the same one asked by the USDA's Economic Research Service in a study of what brings people back to rural communities they had fled as young adults.

To answer the question, USDA researchers interviewed 300 attendees at high school reunions in remote rural communities. The communities studied were a distinct type: geographically disadvantaged nonmetropolitan counties that are losing population because of net out-migration. Far from urban centers, these counties also lack scenic amenities, and more people are moving out than moving in. You've seen these places when you drive from point A to point B— the ones where you ask yourself, why would anyone in their right mind want to live here?

That's what the researchers wanted to know. To find out, they traveled to high school reunions in 21 remote rural communities and interviewed attendees, identifying those at the reunion who had left their community as young adults and then returned. Why did they come back? Family turned out to be the primary motivation. Most returnees had parents living in the community, and they wanted to raise their children in a small town surrounded by family. Being able to find a job facilitated the return move. For high school reunion attendees who had not moved back, low wages and the lack of jobs were big factors. Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic between those who had returned and those who would never return was the value they placed on small-town life. Returnees valued knowing everyone. Those who had no desire to return valued urban amenities and the anonymity of city life.

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Factors Affecting Former Residents' Returning to Rural Communities

Most U.S. Population Growth is in Drought-Stricken Counties

More than half the nation's population growth since 2000 has occurred in drought-stricken areas of the United States, according to a study by the Brookings Institution. From 2000 to 2014, fully 57 percent of the nation's population increase occurred in counties experiencing drought. Among the 10 counties with the biggest population gain over the time period, 7 are experiencing drought.

Source: Brookings Institution, Population Surging in Drought-Stricken Areas

Fewer Nonmarital First Births for Men

The 72 percent majority of Americans believe moral values in the U.S. are getting worse, according to Gallup. But it's not hard to find statistics that suggest otherwise. Case in point: the percentage of fathers age 15 to 44 whose first birth was nonmarital is lower today than it was in the 1980s or 1990s...

Fathers aged 15 to 44 whose first birth was nonmarital
2000-2009: 36%
1990-1999: 40%
1980-1989: 42%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Three Decades of Nonmarital First Births among Fathers Aged 15-44 in the United States

Most Homeowners Are Aged 55 or Older

The 51 percent majority of the nation's homeowners are aged 55 or older, according to the Census Bureau, up from 43 percent in 2006... 

Homeowners by age in 2014 (and percent change since 2006)
Total owners: 74,427,000 (-2.2%)
Under age 35:  8,943,000 (-16.8%)
Aged 35 to 44: 11,808,000 (-22.9%)
Aged 45 to 54: 15,683,000 (-11.0%)
Aged 55 to 64: 16,383,000 (14.4%)
Aged 65-plus: 21,609,000 (19.2%)

Behind the increase in the number of homeowners aged 55 or older is the aging of the baby-boom generation. Behind the decline in the number of homeowners under age 35 is the plunging homeownership rate among young adults.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership

New Data Reveals Missing Income of Older Americans

Older Americans are the only segment of the population that did not lose ground during the Great Recession. The median income of households headed by people aged 65 or older climbed 12 percent between 2007 and 2013, after adjusting for inflation. Every other age group saw its median household income decline, according to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey.

Now we find out that the 65-plus population has been faring even better than those numbers suggest—9.1 percent better, in fact. That's because the Current Population Survey income statistics do not include withdrawals from IRAs or 401(k)s unless they are taken as annuities. According to an analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), when all withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k)s are counted, the aggregate income of the 65-plus population rises by 9.1 percent. The IRA and 401(k) income received by the elderly rises by 250 percent.

The Census Bureau is well aware of this shortcoming in its income statistics and is doing something about it. For this analysis, EBRI used the results of a Census Bureau test of revised income questions included in the 2014 Current Population Survey. In years to come, we may see a rise in the incomes of the elderly because of this methodological change.

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, Examining the New Income Measure in the Current Population Survey

New Houses Are Getting Bigger

Median square feet of floor area in new single-family houses sold, 1980 to 2014...

1980: 1,570
1990: 1,890
2000: 2,077
2010: 2,255
2014: 2,506

Source: Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing

Household Income Rises in April 2015

Median household income stood at $54,578 in April 2015, according to Sentier Research. This was 0.6 percent higher than the March median, a statistically significant increase. The April 2015 median was 3.0 percent higher than the April 2014 median and 6.2 percent above the $51,411 median of August 2011—the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"Although the economic recovery officially began in June 2009," says Sentier's Gordon Green, "the recovery in household income did not begin to emerge until after August 2011." Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey. 

Median household income in April 2015 was 1.1 percent below the median of June 2009, the end of the Great Recession. It was 2.9 percent below the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 4.0 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for April 2015 stood at 96.0 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: April 2015

Americans Overestimate Gay and Lesbian Population

The public is wildly wrong when it comes to estimating the size of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender population in the U.S., according to a Gallup survey. When asked to estimate the percentage of Americans who are gay or lesbian, 23 percent is the average guess. In fact, a much smaller 3.8 percent of adults identify themselves as LGBT.

Source: Gallup, Americans Greatly Overestimate Percent Gay, Lesbian in U.S.

Decline in Earnings of Men Aged 25 to 34

Median annual earnings of men aged 25 to 34 who work full-time by educational attainment, 2000 and 2013 (in 2013 dollars), and change in earnings...

Master's degree or more
2013: $66,770
2000: $74,260
Change: -$7,490

Bachelor's degree
2013: $51,940
2000: $60,570
Change: -$8,810

Associate's degree
2013: $41,750
2000: $47,320
Change: -$5,570

Some college, no degree
2013: $38,340
2000: $43,030
Change: -$4,690

High school graduate only
2013: $31,710
2000: $38,980
Change: -$7,270

Not a high school graduate
2013: $24,390
2000: $26,950
Change: -$2,560

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistic 2014

Uninsured Low-Income Americans by State

State of residence is becoming a matter of life and death for many. Low-income Americans who live in states that refused to expand Medicaid are far less likely to have health insurance than their counterparts in states that expanded Medicaid—and the gap is growing.

Among Americans aged 18 to 64 with incomes below 138% of poverty level, this is the percentage without health insurance as of April-September, 2014, by age and state Medicaid expansion status (and percentage-point change in uninsured from 2013 to September 2014)...

Aged 18 to 34
Medicaid expansion states: 26.1% (-9.1)
Non-expansion states: 44.9% (-0.7%)

Aged 35 to 44
Medicaid expansion states: 30.3% (-8.8)
Non-expansion states: 47.1% (-4.6)

Aged 45 to 64
Medicaid expansion states: 18.8% (-12.1)
Non-expansion states: 35.3% (-6.2)

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Insurance Status by State Medicaid Expansion Status: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 2013-September 2014

City Growth Still Outpaces Rest of Nation

Between 2010 and 2014, the population of the nation's 749 largest cities (incorporated places with populations of 50,000 or more in 2014) climbed 4.3 percent while the remainder of the United States grew by a smaller 2.4 percent. City growth varies little by city size, with large cities of all sizes growing faster than elsewhere.

City population growth 2010-2014 by city size
1 million or more: 4.2%
500,000 to 999,999: 5.0%
250,000 to 499,999: 4.3%
200,000 to 249,999: 4.2%
150,000 to 199,999: 3.9%
100,000 to 149,999: 4.2%
50,000 to 99,999: 4.0%

A year-over-year analysis of population trends shows a repeating pattern. Between 2010 and 2014, large cities have grown 1.0 to 1.1 percent per year. The remainder of the United States has grown by a smaller 0.6 percent per year in every year since 2010.

Source: Census Bureau, City and Town Totals: Vintage 2014

Homeownership Rate of Married Couples

Married couples are far more likely than other household types to own their home. In 2014, fully 80.3 percent of couples were homeowners versus 64.5 percent of all households. Married couples are more likely to be homeowners because two incomes are often needed to afford a downpayment and other costs of home buying and homeownership.

Even married couples are less likely to be homeowners than they once were. Over the past 10 years, the homeownership rate of married couples fell 3.7 percentage points. In some age groups, the decline was much larger...

Married-couple homeownership rate in 2014 (and percentage-point decline since 2004)
Total couples: 80.3% (-3.7)
Under age 35: 55.6% (-7.5)
Aged 35 to 44: 73.9% (-9.1)
Aged 45 to 54: 84.1% (-5.5)
Aged 55 to 64: 89.6% (-2.4)
Aged 65-plus: 91.5% (-1.2)

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership

States with Minority Majority Public School Students

Among the nation's public school students in 2012, nearly half (49 percent) were Asian, Black, Hispanic, or another minority. Only 51 percent were non-Hispanic White. Minorities are the majority of public school students in 14 states and the District of Columbia...

Minority share of public school students
District of Columbia: 91.6%
Hawaii: 86.1%
California: 74.5%
New Mexico: 74.5%
Texas: 70.0%
Nevada: 63.2%
Arizona: 58.4%
Florida: 58.4%
Maryland: 58.2%
Georgia: 56.5%
Mississippi: 54.3%
Louisiana: 53.0%
New York: 52.8%
Delaware: 51.4%
New Jersey: 50.2%

In three states—Maine, West Virginia, and Vermont—minorities account for fewer than 10 percent of public school students.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics: 2014

Population of Frontier and Remote Areas

How many Americans live in frontier and remote areas of the country? That depends on what the words "frontier" and "remote" mean. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service, there's more than one meaning. The ERS defines four levels of frontier and remote based on travel time to "high order" goods and services (advanced medical procedures, major household appliances, regional airport hubs—all typically found in urban areas of 50,000 or more people) and travel time to "low order" goods and services (the grocery stores, gas stations, and basic health care found in smaller urban areas).

To be defined as living in a Level 1 Frontier and Remote Area (the least remote), residents must have to travel at least 60 minutes to reach an urban area of 50,000 or more people. Levels  2, 3, and 4 (each increasingly remote) must meet that criteria and be a certain travel time away from ever smaller urban areas...

Level 1: At least 60 minutes of travel to reach an urban area of 50,000-plus
Level 2: At least 45 minutes of travel to reach an urban area of 25,000 to 49,999
Level 3: At least 30 minutes of travel to reach an urban area of 10,000 to 24,999
Level 4: At least 15 minutes of travel to reach an urban area of 2,500 to 9,999

Overall, 12.2 million Americans live in Frontier and Remote Areas. Although 52 percent of the land area of the United States is in these areas, only 4 percent of Americans live there. In Wyoming and Montana, the majority of the population lives in remote areas. In five states and the District of Columbia, no one lives in a remote area. At the link below you can access maps and Frontier and Remote Area data by state and zip code.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Frontier and Remote (FAR) Codes Pinpoint Nation's Most Remote Regions

Big Drop in Uninsured 50-to-64-Year-Olds

What has the Affordable Care Act done for the nation's most vulnerable—50-to-64-year-olds? This is the age when illness often strikes, and when it does those without health insurance can face catastrophic costs and medical bankruptcy. Until the Affordable Care Act, millions of 50-to-64-year-olds could not get coverage because of pre-existing conditions and prohibitive costs.

That was then. This is now: the percentage of 50-to-64-year-olds without health insurance fell from 11.6 to 8.0 percent between December 2013 and December 2014, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute, a decline of nearly one-third. But some 50-to-64-year-olds are luckier than others. The lucky ones live in states that expanded Medicaid. The unlucky ones live in states that did not...

Uninsured rate for 50-to-64-year-olds by state of residence, December 2014
States expanding Medicaid: 5.5%
States not expanding Medicaid: 11.0%

Source: AARP Public Policy Institute, Monitoring the Impact of Health Reform on Americans Ages 50-64

Still Not Over the Great Recession

The Great Recession still lingers for many Americans, according to a survey by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. When the nation's workers were asked how they would describe their recovery from the Great Recession, this is what they said...

16% have fully recovered
40% have somewhat recovered
21% were not affected by the Great Recession
15% have not yet begun to recover
8% may never recover

Of course these figures vary by age, with workers in their forties and fifties most likely to say they have not yet begun or may never recover (27 percent). Workers in their sixties are most likely to say they have fully recovered (20 percent). The biggest difference is in the percentage of workers who say they were not affected by the Great Recession. The figure is highest among workers in their twenties (30 percent) and lowest among workers in their sixties (11 percent).

More about workers and retirement can be found in the 16th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey of Workers: Retirement Throughout the Ages: Expectations and Preparations of American Workers

Most Hispanics Speak English Proficiently

Although most of the nation's Hispanics speak Spanish at home, a growing share speak English proficiently. Fully 68 percent of Hispanics aged 5 or older speak English very well, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2013 Census Bureau data. This figure is up from the 59 percent who spoke English proficiently in 2000. Here is the language status of Hispanics in 2013...

Language status of Hispanics aged 5 or older
26% speak only English at home
41% speak Spanish or another language at home and speak English very well
26% speak Spanish or another language at home and speak English less than very well
7% speak Spanish or another language at home and do not speak English

Source: Pew Research Center, English Proficiency on the Rise Among Latinos

Bad Teeth

What would dentists find if they traveled around the country and examined the dental health of a representative sample of Americans? They would find a lot of cavities.

That's what happened when, at the behest of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a team of dentists in mobile examination centers took a look inside the mouths of Americans aged 20 or older. The finding: 27 percent of adults have untreated tooth decay.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Dental Caries and Tooth Loss in Adults in the United States, 2011-2012

Boomers Waiting to Claim Social Security Benefits

Boomers are less likely to claim Social Security benefits at age 62 (the earliest possible age) than their counterparts were in 1985, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Here are the percentages of men and women who claimed Social Security at age 62 for those who turned 62 in 2010 (born in 1948) and those who turned 62 in 1985 (born in 1923)...

Born in 1948 and claimed Social Security benefits at age 62 in 2010
Men: 36%
Women: 40%

Born in 1923 and claimed Social Security benefits at age 62 in 1985
Men: 52%
Women: 64%

Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Trends in Social Security Claiming

Earning Enough to Support a Family

Overall, 47 percent of the nation's workers say the income from their job alone is enough to meet their family's usual monthly expenses and bills. Here are the percentages by demographic characteristic...

Men: 58%
Women: 36%

Millennials: 44%
Gen Xers: 43%
Boomers: 52%

Not a college graduate: 43%
Bachelor's degree or more: 55%

Note: Millennials are 20-37; Gen Xers are 38-49, Boomers are 50-68.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

The Demographics Behind the Decline in Homeownership

Remember the boom in the housing market—those heady days when even young adults were eager to embrace home buying? Between 1995 and 2005, the homeownership rate of households headed by people aged 25 to 34 climbed from 45 to 50 percent. It seemed like the good times would never end. Then they did. Between 2005 and 2014, the homeownership rate of 25-to-34-year-olds plunged by 10 percentage points to just 40 percent.

An investigative report by Rachel Bogardus Drew of the Joint Center for Housing Studies explores the reasons for the decline, and her results show the Great Recession is not entirely to blame. Another factor is the changing demographics of the 25-to-34 age group, with two changes most important...

Marriage: The married-couple share of households headed by 25-to-34-year-olds fell from 53 percent in 1995 to just 42 percent in 2014. Because two incomes are often necessary for homeownership, fewer married couples means fewer homeowners among young adults.

Minorities: The minority share of households headed by 25-to-34-year-olds climbed from 28 to 40 percent between 1995 and 2014. With their lower homeownership rate and later age of first-time home buying, more Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics means fewer homeowners among young adults.

Those demographic factors were also at work during the boom times, but their impact was muted by favorable economic conditions. As the economics went south, so too did the homeownership rate of young adults. "The effect of favorable mortgage terms, affordable housing costs, and increases in income can be stronger drivers of tenure outcomes than socio-demographic characteristics, as evidenced during the housing boom," concludes the report. But when both the demographics and the economics put the kibosh on home buying, the report notes, "young adult homeownership rates can fall precipitously, as happened after the collapse of the housing market in 2005."

The demographic-economic double whammy may stifle the housing market for years to come.

Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University, Effect of Changing Demographics on Young Adult Homeownership Rates

Who Takes Prescription Drugs?

Nearly half of Americans are currently taking a prescription drug, according to Health, United States, 2014. In the past 30 days, 47 percent of the public has taken at least one prescription drug, 21 percent three or more, and 10 percent five or more. By age, here is the percentage who have taken at least one prescription drug in the past month...

Percent taking at least one prescription drug in past 30 days
Under age 18: 23.5%
Aged 18 to 44: 38.1%
Aged 45 to 64: 67.2%
Aged 65-plus: 89.8%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2014

When Are Babies Born?

The 53 percent majority of American babies are born between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., thanks to induced deliveries, Cesareans, and other miracles of modern medicine. Here are the most and least likely hours of birth for babies born in 2013...

Most likely: 6.3% of babies were born at 8 a.m.
Least likely: 2.7% of babies were born at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, When Are Babies Born: Morning, Noon, or Night? Birth Certificate Data for 2013

Hispanics Without Health Insurance

Hispanics are less likely to have health insurance than any other segment of the population. The problem is particularly acute among those of working age—18 to 64. According to a CDC study, fully 41.5 percent of Hispanics aged 18 to 64 did not have health insurance in 2011-13. Among non-Hispanic Whites in the age group, a much smaller 15.1 percent were uninsured.

It gets worse. The likelihood that working-age Hispanics have health insurance depends on where they were born. Among those born in the United States, a smaller 25.9 percent are uninsured. Among foreign-born Hispanics, the 54.7 percent majority does not have health insurance. There are also big differences in insurance coverage by Hispanic ethnicity. The percentage of Hispanics aged 18 to 64 who are without health insurance ranges from a low of 15.1 percent among Cuban Hispanics born in the United States to a high of 59.7 percent among foreign-born Mexican Hispanics. 

Source: CDC, Vital Signs: Leading Causes of Death, Prevalence of Diseases and Risk Factors, and Use of Health Services among Hispanics in the United States—2009-2013

Interest in Politics by Generation

Older Americans are more interested in politics than younger adults. When asked the question, "How interested would you say you personally are in politics?" fewer than half of Millennials and barely half of Gen Xers say they are "very" or "fairly" interested. According to a Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey, here are the numbers...

Percent "very" or "fairly" interested in politics
Millennials: 46%
Generation X: 51%
Baby Boomers: 66%
Older Americans: 73%

Voting rates by age closely matches those percentages. Here are the voting rates in the 2012 presidential election, according to the Census Bureau...

Percent voting in 2012 presidential election
Aged 18 to 24: 41%
Aged 25 to 44: 57%
Aged 45 to 64: 68%
Aged 65-plus: 72%

Note: In 2014, Millennials were 20 to 37, Gen Xers were 38 to 49, Boomers were 50 to 68.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

12% Run Out of Money

How many of the oldest Americans run out of money before they die? One in eight, according to a study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Using data from the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study, EBRI researchers examined the assets of households in which a household member aged 50 or older had died between the 2010 and 2012 surveys. By age of the household member who died, here is the percentage of households with zero non-housing assets in 2010—before the death of the household member...

Percentage of households with non-housing assets = zero before death
Aged 50 to 64: 37.2%
Aged 65 to 74: 25.3%
Aged 75 to 84: 18.5%
Aged 85-plus: 20.6%

The researchers also looked at total assets to determine the percentage of households with no assets at all before the death of the household member. Here are those numbers by age of the deceased...

Percentage of households with total assets = zero before death
Aged 50 to 64: 29.8%
Aged 65 to 74: 15.8%
Aged 75 to 84: 10.5%
Aged 85-plus: 12.2%

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, A Look at the End-of-Life Financial Situation in America

Working Parents in 2014

For most families with children under age 18, all parents in the household are employed. Here are the percentages in 2014 by type of family and age of children...

Married couple families, both mother and father employed
Total with children under age 18: 60.2%
With children aged 6 to 17 only: 70.4%
With children under age 6: 55.3%

Female-headed single-parent families, mother employed
Total with children under age 18: 69.4%
With children aged 6 to 17 only: 74.3%
With children under age 6: 62.1%

Male-headed single-parent families, father employed
Total with children under age 18: 81.9%
With children aged 6 to 17 only: 81.3%
With children under age 6: 82.7%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Characteristics of Families—2014

Fewer Expect to Buy a Home

Among the millions of Americans who do not own a home, 41 percent say it is unlikely they will buy a home in the foreseeable future. Two years ago, in 2013, only 31 percent felt that way.

Source: Gallup, In U.S., Fewer Non-Homeowners Expect to Buy a Home

Print Still Dominates Newspaper Readership

One of the many topics examined in Pew's State of the News Media 2015 report is media consumption by platform. Interestingly, print remains the dominant platform for newspaper readers—a potentially worrisome finding. Here is the distribution of newspaper readership by platform...

Distribution of newspaper readership by platform
Print only: 55%
Print/desktop: 15%
Print/desktop/mobile: 10%
Desktop only: 7%
Desktop/mobile: 5%
Print/mobile: 4%
Mobile only: 3%

Why is the continued dominance of print so worrisome? Because newspaper readership is declining. Only 24 percent of Americans aged 18 or older read a newspaper every day, according to the 2014 General Social Survey, down from 53 percent in pre-Internet 1990. Among Millennials, the figure is just 14 percent. The fact that print still dominates today's (shrinking) newspaper audience means younger generations are looking elsewhere for news.

Source: Pew Research Center, State of the News Media 2015 and 2014 General Social Survey

American Generations in 2014

The Millennial generation outnumbered Baby Boomers by more than 3 million in 2014, making it the largest generation by a considerable margin. One in four Americans is a Millennial. Here are the results of a Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's population estimates, showing the size of each generation in 2014 (and its share of the total population)...

Recession (aged 0 to 4): 19,876,883 (6%)
iGeneration (aged 5 to 19): 62,258,719 (20%)
Millennial (aged 20 to 37): 78,511,320 (25%)
Generation X (aged 38 to 49): 49,318,533 (15%)
Baby Boom (aged 50 to 68): 75,438,644 (24%)
Older Americans (aged 69-plus): 33,452,957 (10%)

The generations are changing as they age. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of Older Americans fell by 7 million—a substantial 17 percent decline. The Baby-Boom generation is shrinking too, falling by 2 million during those years. In contrast, Generation X's numbers have been stable. Thanks to immigration, the Millennial generation grew by nearly 2 million between 2010 and 2014. The iGeneration is also expanding because of immigration. The Recession generation, the youngest, is growing the most as each annual crop of newborns joins its ranks.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2014 Population Estimates

First-Time Homebuyer Watch: 1st Quarter 2015

Homeownership rate of householders aged 30 to 34, first quarter 2015: 45.8%

The homeownership rate of households headed by people aged 30 to 34 fell to an all-time low in the first quarter of 2015. Historically, homeownership became the norm in the 30-to-34 age group—rising above 50 percent. But beginning in 2007, the homeownership rate of 30-to-34-year-olds went into a tailspin. In the second quarter of 2011, the rate fell below 50 percent for the first time. In the past year, the homeownership rate of the age group fell by a steep 1.7 percentage points, suggesting we haven't seen bottom yet. 

The new age of first-time home buying is 35 to 39, but even this age group is slipping. The homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds fell to 55.1 percent in the first quarter of 2015—also a record low. Since peaking in the first quarter of 2007, the homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds has fallen by more than 10 percentage points. 

Nationally, the homeownership rate slipped to 63.7 percent in the first quarter of 2015, down from 64.8 percent a year earlier.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey

Debt of Retirees

Nine percent of the nation's retirees say debt is a major problem for them, and another 22 percent say it's a minor problem. Here is the percentage of retirees with debt by type...

Credit card: 27%
Mortgage: 23%
Car loan: 17%
Home equity loan: 17%
Medical debt: 14%
Student loan: 3%

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2015 Retirement Confidence Survey

Household Income Falls in March 2015

Median household income stood at $54,203 in March 2015, according to Sentier Research. This was 0.8 percent ($436) lower than the February median, a statistically significant decline. Despite the decline, the March 2015 median was 2.1 percent higher than the March 2014 median and 5.5 percent above the $51,358 median of August 2011—the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"Even though there was an income decline between February and March," says Sentier's Gordon Green, "there has been a general upward trend in median income since the low point reached in August 2011." Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey. 

Median household income in March 2015 was 1.7 percent below the median of June 2009, the end of the Great Recession. It was 3.5 percent below the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 4.6 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for March 2015 stood at 95.4 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: March 2015

Worker Confidence in Retirement on the Rise

Twenty-two percent of workers are very confident they will have enough money for a comfortable retirement, according to the 2015 Retirement Confidence Survey. This figure is up from a record low of 13 percent following the Great Recession. Another 36 percent of workers are somewhat confident they will have enough.

But will the retirement plans of today's workers pan out? The experiences of today's retirees suggest they may not. Half of retirees in the 2015 survey say they retired earlier than planned, while a smaller 40 percent retired as planned. That's why the median age at which retirees say they retired (62) has not changed over the decades despite the fact that a growing share of workers plan to stay on the job until age 66-plus or never retire—the figure rising from 15 to 46 percent between 1995 and 2015.

Why do retirees leave the work force sooner than expected? Among 2015 retirees who retired earlier than planned, the single biggest reason was a worrisome one—health problems, cited by 60 percent. The second biggest reason (more than one could be cited) was positive: 31 percent were able to afford an earlier retirement. This was followed by downsizing or closure of their company (27 percent), having to care for a family member (22 percent), the desire to do something else (17 percent), and changes in the skills required for their job (10 percent).

With half of retirees leaving the workforce sooner than expected, today's workers need more than a retirement plan. They need a Retirement Plan B.

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2015 Retirement Confidence Survey

American Driving Survey

American drivers add 29.2 miles a day to their odometer—an average of 10,658 miles a year. They make two trips a day, on average, and spend 46 minutes behind the wheel. These numbers vary by demographic characteristic, according to the American Driving Survey. Sponsored by AAA and developed in partnership with the Urban Institute, the survey examines the demographics of driving.

• Women make more daily trips than men (2.2 versus 1.9), but men spend more time behind the wheel (51 minutes for men versus 41 minutes for women) and travel greater distances (34 versus 25 miles).
• Those who spend the most time driving are 30-to-49-year-olds. This age group makes 2.3 trips a day, drives 36 miles, and spends 54 minutes on the road.
• Americans who live in cities or medium-sized towns average 2.0 trips per day, not much different than the 2.1 trips per day for those who live in the countryside or small towns. But rural and small town residents drive longer distances (34 miles per day) than those who live in cities and medium-sized towns (27 miles). Those miles add up over a year, with rural folks putting an average of 12,264 miles on their odometer each year versus 9,709 for their urban counterparts. 
• On an average day, most drivers drive. Only 32 percent of American drivers did not drive on the survey's reporting day. 

The American Driving Survey examines in more detail the driving habits of teenagers aged 16 to 19 and people aged 75 or older. Not surprisingly, the percentage of teens who drive almost every day rises with age, from 25.7 percent among 16-year-olds to 50.5 percent among 19-year-olds. Among people aged 75 or older, 46 percent drive almost every day and 30 percent say they never drive.

Source: The Urban Institute and AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, American Driving Survey: Methodology and Year 1 Results, May 2013-May 2014

2002 High School Sophomores, 10 Years Later

The 57 percent majority of 2002 high school sophomores had earned a postsecondary credential by 2012-13, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Educational attainment of 2002 high school sophomores in 2012-13
Master's degree or more: 8%
Bachelor's degree: 33%
Associate's degree: 10%
Undergraduate certificate: 7%
30+ postsecondary credits, no credential: 20%
0 to 30 postsecondary credits, no credential: 22%

In a longitudinal survey of high school sophomores, the federal government asked 10th graders in 2002 about their educational expectations. Ten years later, researchers compared expectations with reality and found they don't always align. Among 10th graders who expected to earn a bachelor's degree, a substantial 43 percent had no postsecondary credentials 10 years later and only 40 percent had earned a bachelor's degree.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002): A First Look at the Postsecondary Transcripts of 2002 High School Sophomores

Health Insurance by Region, 2014

Overall, 16.7 percent of adults aged 18 to 64 were without health insurance when interviewed by the National Health Interview Survey in January-September 2014. Health insurance coverage of working-age adults varies greatly by region...

Percent of 18-to-64-year-olds without health insurance
  7.8% in New England states
12.7% in Middle Atlantic states
13.6% in East North Central states
13.7% in West North Central states
16.1% in Pacific states
16.7% in East South Central states
18.0% in Mountain states
20.4% in South Atlantic states
25.2% in West South Central states

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January-September 2014

Navigating by Smartphone

Two out of three (67 percent) smartphone owners use their phones for turn-by-turn navigation while driving, according to a Pew Research Center report. Here is the percentage of smartphone owners who do so by age...

Aged 18 to 29: 80%
Aged 30 to 49: 72%
Aged 50 to 64: 52%
Aged 65-plus: 37%

Source: Pew Research Center, The Smartphone: An Essential Travel Guide

How Many $1 Bills?

Economists study many things and one of them is cash, tracing its flow into and out of your wallet. They collect information about how we use cash through the Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, in which a representative sample of the public records its purchases for three days. The survey collects information on how much cash people have at the beginning of each day (including cash denominations) and how they pay for purchases throughout the day. Here are a few of the findings from the 2012 survey...

Percentage of consumers...
With cash at the beginning of the day: 81%
With a $1 bill at the beginning of the day: 64%
Who made a cash transaction during the day: 50%

At the start of the day, consumers had a median of two $1 bills. That's not some random number. The Fed analysis finds that we actively manage our $1 bills. We don't want too many, but we also don't want to be without. The sweet spot—the target number of $1 bills we want in our wallet—is between two and three.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, U.S. Consumer Holdings and Use of $1 Bills

Unemployed in the Past 10 Years

More than one-third of Americans (37 percent) have been unemployed for as long as a month at some point in the past 10 years, according to results from the 2014 General Social Survey. These are the percentages by generation...

Unemployed for as long as a month in past 10 years
Millennials: 55%
Gen Xers: 38%
Boomers: 30%

Note: In 2014, Millennials were 20 to 37, Gen Xers were 38 to 49, Boomers were 50 to 68.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

How Many Children?

Percent distribution of women aged 45 to 50 (the age at which women have completed their childbearing) by number of children ever born...

17% have had no children
19% have had one child
34% have had two children
19% have had three children
  8% have had four children
  4% have had five or more children

Source: Census Bureau, Fertility of Women in the United States: 2014

Teens and Smartphones

Nearly three out of four teenagers has a smartphone, according to a Pew Research Center report. Overall, 73 percent of 13-to-17-year-olds has a smartphone, and this figure does not vary much by demographic characteristic...

Teen smartphone ownership by age
Aged 13 to 14: 68%
Aged 15 to 17: 76%

Teen smartphone ownership by race and Hispanic origin
Black: 85%
Hispanic: 71%
Non-Hispanic White: 71%

Eighty-seven percent of teenagers have access to a desktop or laptop computer, 81 percent to a gaming console, and 58 percent to a tablet computer.

Source: Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015

Where Americans Shop for Food

When Americans shop for food, they don't head to the nearest grocery store, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. On average, the nearest grocery store is 2.14 miles from their home, but they travel 3.79 miles to get to the grocery store they use most often.

Nearly 9 out of 10 households (88 percent) travel to their primary grocery store in their own vehicle, and 7 percent use someone else's car. Six percent of grocery shoppers get to their primary store by walking or using public transportation.

Food shoppers are split between super centers (such as Walmart) and supermarkets as their primary grocery store. Forty-four percent use super centers, 45 percent use supermarkets, and the remainder use other types of stores.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Where Do Americans Usually Shop for Food and How Do They Travel to Get There? Initial Findings from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey

Financial Satisfaction Is No Guarantee

If you feel like your finances are in good shape, you might be in danger. That's because, more often than not, feelings don't reflect reality. According to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, "financial satisfaction is a poor indicator of financial well-being and can actually impede the achievement of financial well-being."

In the study, the researchers compared survey respondents' self-reported financial satisfaction with their actual long-term financial well-being (defined as having adequate medical and life insurance, saving for college and retirement, and paying off student loans and mortgages). They found a disconnect between feelings and reality. The feeling of financial satisfaction comes from day-to-day money matters (such as being employed, able to pay bills, not feeling burdened by debt, and having access to emergency cash) rather than long-term financial health. "Given this intensely present-minded focus of subjective assessments, satisfaction is a poor measure of financial well-being," the researchers concluded.

What can be done to eliminate this blind spot and improve the average American's financial security? The researchers suggest "greater use of defaults or mandates, or the transfer of responsibility from households to governments or employers, to reduce the nation's significantly increased reliance on individual household decision-making for basic financial well-being."

Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, What Do Subjective Assessments of Financial Well-Being Reflect?

Americans Are Traveling Less

Americans are traveling less than they did before the Great Recession, according to data collected by the Consumer Expenditure Survey. The number of domestic trips taken by American households fell 14 percent between 2006 and 2013, from 230 million to 198 million. The number of international trips fell 25 percent during those years, from 17 million to 13 million. Neither domestic nor international travel show recovery from the Great Recession.

In an analysis of the CES travel data, BLS economist Geoffrey D. Paulin finds a surprise. Although the number of trips has declined, the length of trips has increased a bit. On domestic trips in 2013, households spent an average of 4.1 nights away from home—up from 3.8 nights in 2006. On international trips in 2013, households spent 12.6 nights away, up from 10.5 in 2006.

Households spent an average of $583 on each domestic trip in 2013—about 4 percent more than the $568 spent in 2006, after adjusting for inflation. Not surprisingly, households spent more on international travel—an average of $3,273 per trip in 2013. This is 16 percent more than the $2,830 spent in 2006.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, Travel Expenditures, 2005-2013: Domestic and International Patterns in Recession and Recovery

Differences in Attitudes by Region

On many hot-button issues, the attitudes of non-Hispanic Whites in the South differ from the attitudes of non-Hispanic Whites in the Northeast, Midwest, and West...

Gay Marriage: Only 47% of non-Hispanic Whites in the South think same-sex couples should have the right to marry (56% Midwest, 70% West, 74% Northeast).

Legalizing Marijuana: Only 49% of non-Hispanic Whites in the South favor the legalization of marijuana (58% Midwest, 63% Northeast, 67% West).

Belief in Evolution: Only 40% of non-Hispanic Whites in the South believe in evolution (57% Midwest, 59% West, 74% Northeast).

Religious Fervor: 54% of non-Hispanic Whites in the South say they have been "born again" (32% Midwest, 31% West, 14% Northeast).

Republican Party: 51% of non-Hispanic Whites in the South identify themselves as Republican (44% Midwest, 37% West, 33% Northeast).

Source: 2014 General Social Survey analysis by Demo Memo

Who Looks Forward to Getting the Mail?

Only 41 percent of Americans look forward to getting their (snail) mail each day, according to a Gallup poll. Older people enjoy it more than younger ones...

Percent who look forward to getting the mail
Under age 50: 36%
Aged 50 to 64: 41%
Aged 65-plus: 56%

Source: Gallup, Four in 10 Americans Look Forward to Checking Mail

Smartphone Ownership in 2015

With 64 percent of Americans owning a smartphone in 2015 (up from 35 percent in 2011), this tool of the Internet age is owned by the majority of adults in all but the oldest age group and by more Blacks and Hispanics than non-Hispanic Whites...

Smartphone ownership by age
Aged 18 to 29: 85%
Aged 30 to 49: 79%
Aged 50 to 64: 54%
Aged 65-plus: 27%

Smartphone ownership by race and Hispanic origin
Hispanics: 71%
Non-Hispanic Blacks: 70%
Non-Hispanic Whites: 61%

Source: Pew Research Center, U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015

Average Number of Jobs

The average middle-aged American has held 11.7 different jobs by age 48, according to the latest data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.

The NLSY79 has been interviewing a nationally representative panel of respondents every few years for decades, since they were aged 14 to 22 (born between 1957 and 1964). The survey collects data on the panel's labor market experiences. In the latest iteration, respondents were aged 47 to 56, and they had held this many jobs between the ages of...

Number of jobs held
Ages 18 to 24: 5.5
Ages 25 to 29: 3.0
Ages 35 to 39: 2.1
Ages 40 to 48: 2.4

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Number of Jobs Held, Labor Market Activity, and Earnings Growth among the Youngest Baby Boomers: Results from a Longitudinal Survey Summary

Households with Pets in Austin, Baltimore, Boston...

The 2013 American Housing Survey includes a set of questions about household emergency preparedness. Some of the questions are about pets—whether households have pets and whether they would need help evacuating or sheltering pets during an emergency. Overall, 48 percent of households have pets, and a substantial 27 percent of pet-owning households say they would need help evacuating or sheltering their pets in case of an emergency.

The pet questions and hundreds of others—ranging from housing tenure to type of structure and year built, property taxes and insurance costs, underwater homeowners, sidewalks or bike lanes in neighborhood, and relationship with neighbors—are available for the nation as a whole and for 25 metropolitan areas. The metros included in the 2013 survey are: Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, New York City, Northern New Jersey, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Richmond, Rochester, San Antonio, Seattle, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Tucson, and Washington, DC.

Source: Census Bureau, Metropolitan Summary Tables - AHS 2013