Household Income Stable in March 2016

Median household income in March 2016 stood at $57,263, according to Sentier Research, which was not significantly different from the February 2016 median, after adjusting for inflation. The March 2016 median was 4.5 percent higher than the March 2015 median, however, and 10.3 percent above the $51,904 median of August 2011, which was the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"We continue to see an upward trend in income that has been evident since the low point in August 2011," reports Sentier's Gordon Green. "Relatively low energy prices have contributed significantly to increases in real median household income." Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey.

Median household income in March 2016 was 2.9 percent higher than the median of June 2009, which marked the end of the Great Recession. It was 1.0 percent higher than the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. The March 2016 median was just 0.1 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for March 2016 was 99.9 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: March 2016

First-Time Homebuyer Watch: 1st Quarter 2016

Homeownership rate of householders aged 30 to 34, first quarter 2016: 45.7%

The homeownership rate of households headed by people aged 30 to 34 fell in the first quarter of 2016 to 45.7 percent, down slightly from the 45.9 percent of the fourth quarter of 2015 and nearly identical to the 45.8 percent of one year ago. The absence of a significant trend in the homeownership rate of 30-to-34-year-olds over the past year suggests an end to the long-term decline in the homeownership rate of the age group.   

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. It's been stuck there ever since. 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. In the first quarter of 2016 the homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds was 55.3 percent, slightly above the all-time low of 55.1 percent in the second quarter of 2015. The homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds peaked in the first quarter of 2007 at 65.7 percent.

Nationally, the homeownership rate was 63.5 percent in the first quarter of 2016, down from 63.7 percent a year earlier.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey

Decline in Spending on Reading Material

Percent of households spending on books, newspapers, and magazines (including e-editions), and other reading material during the average quarter of...

2014: 26%
2010: 37%
2005: 46%
2002: 54%

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Consumer Expenditure Survey

The Generations in 2015

One in four Americans is a Millennial, a member of the nation's largest generation. According to a Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's population estimates, Millennials became the largest generation in 2011 when they outnumbered Boomers by just 332,000. In 2015, Millennials outnumbered Boomers by 4 million.

Between 2010 and 2015, the number of Millennials grew by 2.2 million thanks to immigration. The number of Baby Boomers shrank by 2.5 million as the aging generation faced higher mortality rates. The number of Older Americans fell by 9 million during those years.

Size of generations in 2015 (and % of total population)
Recession (aged 0 to 5): 23,925,439 (7%)
iGeneration (aged 6 to 20): 62,563,691 (19%)
Millennial (aged 21 to 38): 79,016,798 (25%)
Generation X (aged 39 to 50): 49,340,192 (15%)
Baby Boom (aged 51 to 69): 74,879,316 (23%)
Older Americans (aged 70-plus): 31,693,384 (10%)

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

Profile of the Top and Bottom Occupations

Physician is the highest-paying occupation in the United States. Dishwasher is the lowest. Sentier Research has created demographic profiles of full-time workers in 440 different occupations based on data from the 2014 American Community Survey. Here are some of Sentier's findings about physicians and dishwashers...

Median wage and salary income
Physicians: $180,000
Dishwashers: $18,000

Percent Hispanic
Physicians: 6.7%
Dishwashers: 58.3%

Percent not a citizen
Physicians: 8.4%
Dishwashers: 53.1%

Percent without a high school diploma
Physicians: 0.0%
Dishwashers: 49.0%

For a report on the top and bottom 25 occupations, or for a spreadsheet with profiles of all 440 occupations, visit the Sentier web site and click on Reports.

Source: Sentier Research, Highest and Lowest Paid 25 Occupations

Who Eats What and How Much

Yogurt, broccoli, orange juice, peanuts: the USDA knows how much you eat. Through diary surveys in which respondents record their daily food intake combined with commodity data measuring aggregate consumption, government researchers are able to track what we eat and how it's changing. A USDA report looks at some of the changes in per capita consumption from 1994–98 through 2007–08 (the latest data available)...

• We are eating less fruit, but mostly because we're drinking less orange juice.
• We are eating fewer vegetables, but mostly because we've cut back on potatoes.
• We are drinking less milk, but we're eating more cheese and yogurt. 

The report also examines who eats what by demographic characteristic. Take yogurt, for example. The average person ate 8.07 pounds of yogurt in 2007–08, nearly twice the 4.05 pounds in 1994–98. The biggest fans of yogurt are women (10.93 pounds per year), those with higher incomes (9.26 pounds), and college graduates (10.92 pounds). 

Much more about trends in food consumption and the demographics of who eats what are available in the USDA Economic Research Service report U.S. Food Commodity Consumption Broken Down by Demographics, 1994-2008

Women More Likely to Finish College Degree

Today's young women are more likely than young men to have a bachelor's degree, according to the latest results from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. This survey tracks a nationally representative sample of men and women born from 1980 through 1984, first interviewing them in 1997. The latest report (the 16th time the sample has been interviewed) examines their educational attainment, labor force experience, and partner status.

By their 29th birthday, 34 percent of women in the sample had a bachelor's degree. Among men, the figure was 26 percent. The reasons for the higher educational attainment of young women are twofold: women are more likely to go to college, and once in college they are more likely to finish their degree.

Women: 72 percent of women in the NLSY 1997 sample had either attended some college or earned a bachelor's degree. Among those who started college, 47 percent had earned a bachelor's degree by their 29th birthday.

Men: a smaller 63 percent of men in the NLSY 1997 sample had either attended some college or earned a bachelor's degree. Among those who started college, only 41 percent had earned a bachelor's degree by their 29th birthday.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Market Activity, Education, and Partner Status among Young Adults at 29: Results from a Longitudinal Survey

Non-Hispanic White Life Expectancy Declines

Ok, it's official. Non-Hispanic White life expectancy at birth fell between 2013 and 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The drop seems minuscule—from 78.9 to 78.8 years. But here's why the small decline is big news...

• The life expectancy of Hispanics and Blacks increased between 2013 and 2014, making non-Hispanic Whites the only segment to experience a decline.
• Life expectancy at age 65 increased for non-Hispanic White men and women, so the decline occurred among non-Hispanic Whites under age 65—a disturbing trend.

Over the past few months, several studies have documented a decline in non-Hispanic White life expectancy, attributing it to drug overdoses, suicides, and alcohol poisoning among the middle aged. Now the federal government has weighed in with the numbers, making it official.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Changes in Life Expectancy by Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States, 2013–2014

Earnings of Husbands and Wives

Among the nation's 62 million married couples, 55 percent of husbands earn substantially more than their wives. In another 20 percent of couples, wives earn substantially more than their husbands. Earnings are about equal (a difference of less than $5,000) for 25 percent...

Earnings difference between husbands and wives
Husband earns at least $50,000 more than wife: 23%
Husband earns $5,000 to $49,999 more than wife: 32%
Husband's and wife's earnings differ by less than $5,000: 25%
Wife earns $5,000 to $49,999 more than husband: 15%
Wife earns at least $50,000 more than husband: 5%

Source: Census Bureau, America's Families and Living Arrangements: 2015

Age-Related Skill Declines among White Collar Workers

Who has a harder time doing their job as they age into their sixties—blue collar or white collar workers? Not surprisingly, the answer is blue collar workers, according to a Center for Retirement Research analysis of age-related declines in job skills by occupation. But some white collar occupations are vulnerable to age-related skill declines. By determining the skills key to each occupation and identifying those known to decline with age, CRR researchers created a Susceptibility Index — a single number ranging from 0 to 100 that gauges the susceptibility of occupations to age-related skill decline. The higher the number, say the researchers, the harder it is for workers to do their job as they age.

Blue collar occupations have an average Susceptibility Index of 75. White collar occupations have an average Susceptibility Index of 32. But some white collar jobs have a much higher Susceptibility Index—those requiring fluid cognitive abilities, quick reaction times, and fine motor skills. Airline pilots and nurses, for example, have a higher Susceptibility Index than cooks or housecleaners, say the researchers.

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the researchers document a younger age at retirement for white collar workers in high Susceptibility Index occupations. "Thus, the notion that all white-collar workers can work longer or that all blue-collar workers cannot is too simplistic," the researchers conclude.

Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, How Do Job Skills that Decline with Age Affect White-Collar Workers?

Use of E-Cigarettes among Teens

Tobacco use among high school students has held steady over the past few years despite a decline in cigarettes smoking. According to a 2015 survey of high school students, only 9.3 percent had smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days, down substantially from 15.8 percent in 2011. But the percentage of high school student who had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days climbed from 1.5 percent to 16.0 percent during those years. Here is the percentage of high school students who had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days by demographic characteristic, according to the 2015 survey...

High school students who used e-cigarettes in past 30 days
Total: 16.0%
Males: 19.0%
Females: 12.8%
Blacks: 8.9%
Hispanics: 16.4%
Non-Hispanic Whites: 17.2%

Source: CDC, Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students—United States, 2011–2015

Projections of College Enrollment to 2023

The number of students in the nation's colleges, including both two-year and four-year institutions, is projected to rise from 20.4 million in the fall of 2015 to 22.6 million in the fall of 2023, according to the National Center for Education Statistics—an increase of 2.2 million. Black and Hispanic students will account for 63 percent of the increase. Here are the projections by race and Hispanic origin...

Projections of college enrollment 2015 to 2023 (and percent change)
Total students will grow by 2.2 million to 22,642,000 (10.9%)
Asian students will grow by 130,000 to 1,391,000 (10.3%)
Black students will grow by 632,000 to 3,705,000 (20.5%)
Hispanic students will grow by 777,000 to 3,981,000 (24.3%)
Non-Hispanic White students will grow by 632,000 to 12,813,000 (5.2%)

By 2023, non-Hispanic Whites will account for 57 percent of college enrollment, down from 60 percent in 2015. Hispanics will be 18 percent of enrollment, Blacks 16 percent, and Asians 6 percent. The multiracial and American Indians/Alaska natives will account for the remainder of the student population.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Projections of Education Statistics to 2023

Partner Status at Age 29

Young adults have been postponing marriage. The latest results from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 are more evidence of this trend. The NLSY 1997 is tracking a nationally representative sample of men and women born from 1980 through 1984 and first interviewed in 1997. The latest results, which examine educational attainment, labor force experience, and partner status, are from the 16th interview of the sample and took place in 2013-14. On their 29th birthday, fewer than half of young adults were married, one in five was cohabiting, and among men the plurality was single...

Marital status of men on 29th birthday
Single: 44%
Cohabiting: 20%
Married: 36%

Marital status of women on 29th birthday
Single: 35%
Cohabiting: 20%
Married: 45%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Labor Market Activity, Education, and Partner Status among Young Adults at 29: Results from a Longitudinal Survey

Place of Death Is Changing

The percentage of deaths that occur in a hospital declined between 2000 and 2014—falling from 50 to 37 percent, reports the CDC. The percentage of deaths that occur at home grew from 23 to 29 percent during those years...

Place of death in 2014 (and 2000)
37% in a hospital (50%)
29% at home (23%)
20% in a nursing home (22%)
7% in a hospice facility (no data in 2000)
6% in other/unknown place (5%)

Source: CDC, Percentage Distribution of Deaths, by Place of Death—United States, 2000-2014

Many High School Students Get Little Sleep

More than two thirds (69 percent) of high school students get less than 7 hours of sleep on an average school night, reports the CDC, which considers less than 7 hours insufficient. Here is the percentage by grade...

Percent who get less than 7 hours of sleep on average school night
9th graders: 60%
10th graders: 67%
11th graders: 73%
12th graders: 77%

Source: CDC, Sleep Duration and Injury-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students—United States, 2007-2013

Record Low Percentage without Health Insurance

The percentage of Americans without health insurance fell to a record low of 11.0 percent in the first quarter of 2016, reports Gallup. This is 6.1 percentage points lower than in the fourth quarter of 2013, just before the Affordable Care Act's individual health insurance mandate took effect. Among adults aged 18 to 64, the percentage without health insurance fell from 20.8 to 12.9 percent between 2013 and 2016...

Type of health insurance coverage among adults aged 18 to 64, 1st quarter 2016

(and percentage point change since 4th quarter 2013)

Current or former employer: 43.4% (–0.8)

Direct purchase: 21.8% (+4.2)

Medicaid: 9.4% (+2.5)

Medicare: 7.6% (+1.5)

Military/veterans: 5.2% (+0.6)

Union: 2.6% (+0.1)

Other: 4.4% (+0.9)

No insurance: 12.9% (–7.9)

Source: Gallup, U.S. Uninsured Rate at 11.0%, Lowest in Eight-Year Trend

College Graduates by Generation

Among Americans aged 25 or older, the percentage of men and women with a bachelor's degree is about equal, according to the Census Bureau: 33 percent of women and 32 percent of men have a bachelor's degree. Differences emerge by generation. Millennial and Gen X women are more likely than their male counterparts to have a bachelor's degree. Boomer men and women are about equally likely to have graduated from college. Among older Americans (aged 70 or older), men are much more likely than women to have a college degree.

Percentage of people aged 25 or older with a bachelor's degree
Millennials: 33% of men and 39% of women
Generation X: 33% of men and 37% of women
Baby Boomers: 32% of men and 31% of women
Older Americans: 30% of men and 20% of women

Note: Millennials are aged 25 to 38; Gen Xers are 39 to 50; Boomers are 51 to 69.
Source: Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2015

Younger Adults Are Streaming Video, Dropping Cable

Do you remember when cell phones were a blip on the radar screen and landline phones reigned supreme? Just 21 percent of households reported spending on cell phone service during an average quarter of 2000, and 94 percent spent on landlines. It took until 2010 before the cell phone market surpassed the landline market. In 2014, 69 percent of households spent on cell phone service during an average quarter and a smaller 47 percent spent on landline. The transformation from landline to cell occurred incrementally, with households headed by younger adults adopting cell phones first and older householders playing catchup.

It's happening again. This time, television is being transformed as streamed and downloaded video replaces cable and satellite television service. Between 2010 and 2014, average annual household spending on streamed and downloaded video grew faster than spending on any other entertainment product or service—rising from $2.11 to $17.80, after adjusting for inflation. Behind the growth in spending is the expansion of the customer base: the percentage of households purchasing streamed and downloaded video during an average quarter grew from just 1.4 percent in 2010 to 13.1 percent in 2014, according to a Demo Memo analysis of Consumer Expenditure Survey data.

Following the pattern of cell phone adoption, streaming and downloading video is most common among householders under age 45. These are also the age groups with the biggest percentage-point declines in spending on cable and satellite television service. Cable and satellite customers still far outnumber streaming and downloading customers even in the younger age groups, but that's likely to change...

Percent of households purchasing streamed and downloaded video (and cable/satellite television service) during average quarter of 2014
Under age 25: 16.5% (39.1%)
Aged 25 to 34: 19.1% (58.9%)
Aged 35 to 44: 18.3% (70.0%)
Aged 45 to 54: 15.3% (73.4%)
Aged 55 to 64: 9.5% (75.7%)
Aged 65-plus: 5.0% (78.4%)

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Consumer Expenditure Survey

Who Are the Remaining Uninsured?

Among Americans under age 65, nearly 33 million still lacked health insurance in 2015 despite the Affordable Care Act. Greater outreach efforts could cover 12 million of the uninsured, says the Urban Institute—those who are eligible for Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and those whose incomes are low enough to qualify for generous tax credits when they purchase Marketplace plans. It will be much harder to reach the remaining 21 million uninsured because they are ineligible (undocumented immigrants), live in states that did not expand Medicaid, or are unwilling to pay the cost of coverage. Here is the status of the 33 million nonelderly uninsured...

Greater outreach efforts could reach these uninsured
9,132,000 (27.7%) eligible for Medicaid or CHIP
3,224,000 ( 9.8%) eligible for tax credits; income is below 200% of poverty level

Difficult or impossible to reach these uninsured
5,233,000 (15.9%) not eligible for subsidies because they are undocumented immigrants
4,109,000 (12.5%) not eligible for subsidies because income is above threshold
3,799,000 (11.5%) not eligible for Medicaid/CHIP because state did not expand Medicaid
3,740,000 (11.4%) not eligible for tax credits because employer offers health insurance plan
3,708,000 (11.3%) eligible for tax credits; income is above 201% of poverty level

The study examines which efforts will be most effective in reaching the 12 million likely to enroll in Medicaid or Marketplace plans.

Source: Urban Institute, Who Are the Remaining Uninsured, and What Do Their Characteristics Tell Us About How to Reach Them?

Living Alone by Generation

People who live alone accounted for 28 percent of the nation's households in 2015. By generation, this is the percentage of households headed by people who live alone...

Single-person households as a percent of total households by generation
Millennials: 20%
Generation X: 19%
Baby Boomers: 30%
Older Americans: 49%

Note: Millennials are under age 39; Gen Xers are 39 to 50; Boomers are 51 to 69.
Source: Census Bureau, 2015 Current Population Survey

Household Income Stable in February 2016

Median household income in February 2016 stood at $57,129, according to Sentier Research, which was not significantly different from the January 2016 median, after adjusting for inflation. The February 2016 median was 3.7 percent higher than the February 2015 median, however, and 10.2 percent above the $51,857 median of August 2011, which was the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"We continue to see an upward trend in income that has been evident since the low point in August 2011," reports Sentier's Gordon Green. "Relatively low energy prices have contributed significantly to increases in real median household income." Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey.
  
Median household income in February 2016 was 2.8 percent higher than the median of June 2009, which marked the end of the Great Recession. It was 0.9 percent higher than the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. The February 2016 median was still 0.3 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for February 2016 was 99.7 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: February 2016

Big-City Counties Continue to Attract Migrants

The nation's most urban counties grew by a substantial 5.3 percent between 2010 and 2015, faster than any other type, according to a Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2015 county population estimates by Rural-Urban Continuum. Counties in smaller metros grew at a slower rate, and those in rural areas lost population. Every component of population change is driving the growth of the most urban counties...

Natural increase is greater in big-city counties. Between 2010 and 2015, the rate of natural increase (defined as births minus deaths) was 2.8 percent in counties ranking 1 on the Rural-Urban Continuum (in metro areas with populations of 1 million or more). This was a higher rate of natural increase than any other type of county on the continuum. Counties ranking an 8 or 9 (the most rural) had a negative rate of natural increase, with deaths outnumbering births.

International migration is greater in big-city counties. Between 2010 and 2015, the rate of net international migration was 2.3 percent in counties ranking 1 on the Rural-Urban Continuum. International migration was positive in every type of county, but the rate was lower in less urban counties and was lowest (0.2 percent) in counties ranking 8 or 9.

Domestic migration is greater in big-city counties. Between 2010 and 2015, the rate of net domestic migration was positive only for the most urban counties,  ranking 1 or 2 on the Rural-Urban Continuum. Less urban and rural counties lost more domestic migrants than they gained.

Trends in Household Spending on Streamed and Downloaded Video

Explosive growth is the only way to describe the trend in average household spending on streamed and downloaded video, according to a Demo Memo analysis of the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Average annual household spending on streamed and downloaded video grew 26-fold between 2005 and 2014, after adjusting for inflation—from $0.68 to $17.80.

In 2005—the first year in which streamed and downloaded video appeared on the Consumer Expenditure Survey—only 0.4 percent of households bought streamed and downloaded video during an average quarter. By 2010, the figure had climbed to 1.4 percent. By 2014, it had soared to 13.1 percent. Streamed and downloaded video ranked a lowly 31st in popularity among entertainment products and services in 2010, based on the percentage of households buying the item during an average quarter. In 2014, it ranked 6th.

To see where this trend is going, compare spending on streamed and downloaded video to spending on cable and satellite television service—which streaming and downloading are in the process of replacing. During an average quarter of 2014, 70 percent of households spent on cable or satellite television service, devoting an annual average of $723 to the service. Explosive growth in household spending on streamed and downloaded video is likely to continue.

Percentage of households spending on streamed and downloaded video during an average quarter (and average annual household spending, in 2014 dollars)
2014: 13.1% ($17.80)
2010:  1.4% ($2.11)
2005:  0.4% ($0.68)

Source: Demo Memo analysis of unpublished tables from the Consumer Expenditure Survey

Big-City Counties Growing the Fastest (Still)

The nation's most urban counties continue to grow faster than any other county type according to the Census Bureau's 2015 county population estimates. A Demo Memo analysis of 2010-to-2015 county population trends along the Rural-Urban Continuum documents strong metro growth (the bigger, the better) and continuing rural decline.

The Rural-Urban Continuum is the federal government's way of classifying counties by their degree of urbanity. The continuum is a scale ranging from 1 (the most urban counties, in metropolitan areas of 1 million or more) to 9 (the most rural counties, lacking any settlements of 2,500 or more people and not adjacent to a metropolitan area). If you sort the nation's 3,000-plus counties by their rank on the continuum, then measure population change between 2010 and 2015 for each rank, this is the result...

County population change 2010-2015 by Rural-Urban Continuum Rank
1. 5.3% for rank 1 counties, in metros with 1 million or more people
2. 3.9% for rank 2 counties, in metros of 250,000 to 1 million people
3. 2.6% for rank 3 counties, in metros with less than 250,000 people
4. 0.1% for rank 4 counties, nonmetro adjacent to metro with urban pop of 20,000+
5. 1.7% for rank 5 counties, nonmetro not adjacent to metro with urban pop of 20,000+
6. -0.8% for rank 6 counties, nonmetro adjacent to metro with urban pop of 2,500-19,999
7. -0.5% for rank 7 counties, nonmetro not adjacent to metro with urban pop of 2,500-19,999
8. -1.1% for rank 8 counties, nonmetro adjacent to metro with urban pop less than 2,500
9. -1.2% for rank 9 counties, nonmetro not adjacent to metro, urban pop less than 2,500

The most urban counties (a 1 on the scale) grew the fastest between 2010 and 2015. The most rural counties (8 and 9 on the scale) experienced the biggest declines. A look at annual rates of population change by Rural-Urban Continuum shows declines in every year between 2010 and 2015 for counties ranking 6, 7, 8, and 9 on the continuum. Counties with a rank of 1 on the continuum grew by more than 1 percent in every year. 

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, Rural-Urban Continuum Codes and Census Bureau, Population Estimates, County Total: Vintage 2015

The Retirement Plan Problem

Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Miami...we have a problem. The problem is the lack of employer-sponsored retirement plans for about half the nation's private-sector workers. Because so many workers do not have access to a retirement plan, reports the Center for Retirement Research, one-third of households will end up with no retirement plan coverage at all during their worklife. Many others will have inadequate savings because they moved in and out of coverage as they changed jobs over the years.

Although the Obama administration proposed "automatic IRAs" in 2009, federal legislation has yet to be enacted. Consequently, some states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, and Oregon) are taking the initiative and mandating automatic IRAs. The Center for Retirement Research report examines these state initiatives and other attempts to broaden retirement plan participation. "A national Auto-IRA plan would be a much more efficient way to close the coverage gap," the report concludes.

Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, State Initiatives to Cover Uncovered Private Sector Workers

Credit Scores by Housing Tenure

How do Americans' credit scores differ by housing tenure? The Urban Institute decided to find out by analyzing credit bureau and property records data. Researchers Wei Li and Laurie Goodman divided the adult population into six tenure types, listed below in order of size...

1. Renters without a mortgage in past 16 years (39% of adults)
2. Owners with a mortgage now (27% of adults)
3. Owners with a mortgage in past 16 years but not now (12% of adults)
4. Renters with a mortgage in past 16 years but not now (8% of adults)
5. Owners without a mortgage in past 16 years (9% of adults)
6. Renters with a mortgage now (5% of adults)

The researchers then examined the demographics, credit use, and credit scores of each tenure type. Owners with a mortgage in the past 16 years but no mortgage now (12 percent of adults) had the highest credit score, a median of 785. Renters without a mortgage in the past 16 years (39 percent of adults) had the lowest credit score—a median of 619. Notes the study: "52 percent of all renters have a credit score below 650, generally not high enough to qualify for a mortgage."

Source: Urban Institute, Comparing Credit Profiles of American Renters and Owners

Attitudes Toward Marriage and Childbearing

Cohabitation and out-of-wedlock childbearing, already commonplace in the United States, may become the norm in the years ahead if the attitudes of the nation's younger adults are any indicator. According to the 2011-13 National Survey of Family Growth, most adults under age 45 think cohabitation and out-of-wedlock childbearing are okay. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statements...

A young couple should not live together unless they are married
Men who disagreed: 75%
Women who disagreed: 71%

It's okay to have and raise children when the parents are living together but not married
Men who agreed: 76%
Women who agreed: 75%

It's okay for an unmarried female to have and raise a child
Men who agreed: 69%
Women who agreed: 78%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Survey of Family Growth, Trends in Attitudes about Marriage, Childbearing, and Sexual Behavior: United States, 2002, 2006-2010, and 2011-2013

Retirement Confidence in 2016

Nearly two out of three workers say they are somewhat (42 percent) or very (21 percent) confident about having enough money for a comfortable retirement, according to the 2016 Retirement Confidence Survey. This is up from the 51 percent who were somewhat (38 percent) or very (13 percent) confident in 2013, the year confidence hit bottom. Only 35 percent of workers in 2016 are "not too" or "not at all" confident, down from 49 percent who felt that way in 2013. 

Perhaps behind the growing confidence is a change in retirement plans. Seventeen percent of workers in 2016 said they had adjusted their expected age of retirement in the past year, with most adjusting it upwards. Over the past 25 years, the percentage of workers who expect to retire at age 66 or older has more than tripled...

Percentage of workers who expect to retire at age 66 or older

2016: 37%

2011: 36%

2006: 25%

2001: 16%

1991: 11%

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, 2016 Retirement Confidence Survey

Top 10 Occupations: iGeneration

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of the iGeneration (aged 16 to 20 in 2015)...

iGeneration share of workers (average = 5%) 
1. Lifeguards and other recreational protective service workers: 56.4%
2. Counter attendants, coffee shops and cafeterias: 54.2%
3. Hosts and hostesses, restaurants and coffee shops: 49.8%
4. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers: 34.1%
5. Dining room, cafeteria, and bartender helpers: 32.8%
6. Miscellaneous entertainment attendants: 29.1%
7. Food prep workers, including fast food: 28.6%
8. Helpers, installation, maintenance, and repair: 28.6%
9. Cashiers: 27.1%
10. Dishwashers: 26.6%

Click here for the top 10 occupations among Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Gun Ownership: Urban vs. Rural

Only 32 percent of the nation's adults live in a household with guns, according to the 2014 General Social Survey, down from 49 percent in 1973. The percentage of adults who live in a household with guns is much higher in rural areas...

Percent of adults with a firearm in their household, 2010-14
14.8% in the central cities of the 12 largest metros
19.2% in the suburbs of the 12 largest metros
19.4% in the central cities of the 13th to 100th largest metros
29.0% in the suburbs of the 13th to 100th largest metros
43.7% in other urban areas
55.9% in rural counties

Source: National Opinion Research Center, General Social Survey: Trends in Gun Ownership in the United States, 1972-2014

Attitudes toward Same-Sex Relationships

In the past decade, younger adults have become increasingly open-minded about same-sex relationships, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report. Same-sex relationships are not only okay with younger generations, but increasingly so as Millennials replace Gen Xers in the under-45 age group.

Among women under age 45, the percentage who think sexual relations between two adults of the same sex are all right climbed from 42 to 60 percent between 2002 and 2011-13. Their male counterparts (who were not surveyed in 2002) also are becoming more open minded. In 2011-13, 49 percent agreed that same-sex relations are all right, up from 40 percent in 2006-10. Even in the under-45 age group, however, there's an age gradient in the percentage who agree that same-sex relations between two adults of the same sex are all right...

Women who agree
Aged 15 to 24: 65%
Aged 25 to 34: 62%
Aged 35 to 44: 54%

Men who agree
Aged 15 to 24: 52%
Aged 25 to 34: 48%
Aged 35 to 44: 46%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Survey of Family Growth, Trends in Attitudes about Marriage, Childbearing, and Sexual Behavior: United States, 2002, 2006-2010, and 2011-2013

Top 10 Occupations: Millennials

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Millennials (aged 21 to 38 in 2015)...

Millennial share of workers (average = 38%) 
1. Food and tobacco roasting machine operators: 65.7%
2. Helpers, extraction workers: 65.0%
3. Occupational therapy assistants and aides: 64.3%
4. Dancers and choreographers: 64.2%
5. Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks: 62.3%
6. Sailors and mariner oilers: 61.8%
7. Bartenders: 61.2%
8. Wind turbine service technicians: 60.0%
9. Emergency medical technicians and paramedics: 59.9%
10. Derrick, rotary drill, and service unit operators, oil, gas, and mining: 58.8%

Click here for the top 10 occupations among Boomers and Gen Xers.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Household Income Stable in January 2016

Median household income in January 2016 stood at $57,288, according to Sentier Research, which was not significantly different from the December 2015 median, after adjusting for inflation. The January 2016 median was 4.0 percent higher than the January 2015 median, however, and 10.3 percent above the $51,945 median of August 2011, the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"There has been a general upward trend in median household income since the post-recession low point reached in August 2011," reports Sentier. "Many monthly changes were not statistically significant. By the summer of 2014 however, that uneven trend became dominated by a series of significant monthly increases." According to Sentier's Gordon Green, low energy prices have contributed significantly to the rise in real median household income.  

Median household income in January 2016 was 2.9 percent higher than the median of June 2009, which marked the end of the Great Recession. It was 1.0 percent higher than the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. The January 2016 median was still 0.2 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for January 2016 was 99.8 (January 2000 = 100.0). 

Sentier's median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey.

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: January 2016

Who Actually Votes?

Americans are even less likely to vote than it appears. That's what Pew Research Center discovered when it asked its American Trends Panel respondents whether they had voted in the 2014 midterm election and then attempted to match those who said they "definitely voted" with commercially available national voter files. Sixteen percent of respondents who said they "definitely voted" had no record of doing so. The demographic segments least likely to vote are also the ones most likely to say they voted when they did not...

• Young adults: among 18-to 29-year-olds who say they "definitely voted" in the 2014 midterm election, fully 35 percent had no record of doing so. The figure was a smaller 17 percent among 30-to-49-year-olds, 15 percent among 50-to-64-year-olds, and just 7 percent among people aged 65 or older.
• Hispanics: among Hispanics who say they "definitely voted" in the 2014 midterm election, a substantial 27 percent had no record of doing so. Among Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites, the figure was a smaller 15 percent. 

These findings suggest that voting levels measured by the Voting and Registration Supplement to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), fielded every two years, are overstated—particularly for young adults and Hispanics. The Census Bureau notes the discrepancy in its report Who Votes? Congressional Elections and the American Electorate: 1978-2014: "Voting rates from the sample surveys such as the CPS are higher than official results." But, says the bureau, "the CPS remains the most comprehensive data source available for examining the social and demographic composition of the electorate in federal elections."

In other words, the CPS is the best we've got. According to the CPS, 20 percent of 18-to-29-year-old citizens and 27 percent of Hispanic citizens reported voting in the 2014 midterm election. Pew's analysis suggests that actual voting rates for these two important segments of the electorate are in fact much lower.

Source: Pew Research Center, Many Americans Say They Voted, But Did They?

What Do College Students Carry in their Wallets?

They carry cash, according to a Sallie Mae survey of college students aged 18 to 24. Eighty-six percent of students say they have cash in their wallet. Almost as many—85 percent—carry a debit card. A smaller 56 percent have a credit card.

The Sallie Mae survey probes the financial attitudes, behavior, and knowledge of students at technical schools, two-year colleges, and four-year institutions. According to the survey, 52 percent have student loans, 23 percent have credit card debt, 13 percent have vehicle loans, 9 percent have a mortgage, and 7 percent have medical debt.

Twenty-four percent of college students say they are excellent money managers, and another 41 percent say they are good at it. Only 29 percent say they are just average, and 6 percent rate themselves as not very good or poor. Interestingly, those who consider themselves excellent at managing their money are less likely than those who rate their skills more modestly to correctly answer a three-question financial literacy test.

Source: Sallie Mae, Majoring in Money: How American College Students Manage Their Finances

Find the Recreation Hot Spots

Where are the nation's recreation hot spots and retirement destinations? Which local economies are dependent on manufacturing, mining, farming, or federal and state government employment? The USDA's Economic Research Service has new maps and stats that reveal the economic and social characteristics of the nation's 3,000-plus counties.

"The 2015 County Typology Codes classify all U.S. counties according to six mutually exclusive categories of economic dependence and six overlapping categories of policy-relevant themes," explains the ERS. The results are downloadable as an Excel spreadsheet.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, 2015 County Typology Codes

What Americans Think about "Medicare-for-All"

Half of Americans are in favor of guaranteed health insurance coverage in which all Americans would get their insurance through a single government health plan, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. But support varies greatly by age...

Percent somewhat or strongly in favor of universal coverage
Aged 18 to 29: 65%
Aged 30 to 49: 55%
Aged 50 to 64: 41%
Aged 65-plus: 36%

Interestingly, the level of public support depends on the term used to describe universal coverage. Fully 63 percent of Americans have a somewhat or very positive reaction to the term "Medicare-for-all," and 57 percent feel positive about the term "guaranteed universal health coverage." But support falls to 44 percent if the term "single-payer health insurance system" is used, and just 38 percent feel positive about "socialized medicine."

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: February 2016

Top 10 Occupations: Generation X

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Gen Xers (aged 39 to 50 in 2015) ...

Generation X share of workers (average = 26%)
1. Supervisors of police and detectives: 44.7%
2. Brokerage clerks: 40.0%
3. Financial examiners: 40.0%
4. Locomotive engineers: 39.6%
5. Computer network architects: 38.4%
6. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers: 38.1%
7. Computer and information systems managers: 38.1%
8. Supervisors of correctional officers: 38.1%
9. Training and development mangers: 38.0%
10. Human resources managers: 37.0%

Click here for the top 10 occupations among Boomers.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Top 10 Occupations: Boomers

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Boomers (aged 51 to 69 in 2015)...

Baby Boom share of workers (average = 31%)
1. Buyers and purchasing agents, farm products: 64.0%
2. Judges and magistrates: 62.4%
3. Crossing guards: 62.1%
4. Print binding and finishing workers: 61.0%
5. Farmers and ranchers: 59.7%
6. Tailors and dressmakers: 58.1%
7. Parking enforcement workers: 58.0%
8. Postmasters and mail superintendents: 57.5%
9. Furniture finishers: 56.0%
10. Tool and die makers: 55.3%

Stay tuned for the top 10 occupations among Gen Xers, Millennials, and the iGeneration.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Daily Consumption of Sugary Drinks

How many Americans aged 18 or older drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage every day? According to the CDC, a substantial 29 percent. The CDC defines sugar-sweetened beverages as regular sodas, fruit drinks, sweet tea, and sports or energy drinks. Excluded from the measure are diet sodas and fruit juice...

• By state: daily consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is highest in Mississippi (47.5 percent of adults) and lowest in Vermont (18.0 percent). 
• By age: daily consumption is greatest among 18-to-24-year-olds (43.3 percent) and lowest among people aged 55 or older (19.1 percent). 
• By race and Hispanic origin: daily consumption is highest among Blacks (39.9 percent) and Hispanics (36.3 percent) and lowest among "other, non-Hispanics" (21.2 percent), a segment dominated by Asians. 
• By education: only 15.5 percent of college graduates drink sugar-sweetened beverages every day versus 28.5 percent of those with some college, 35.8 percent of high school graduates, and 42.4 percent of adults without a high school diploma.

Source: CDC, Prevalence of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among Adults—23 States and the District of Columbia, 2013

Financial Stability, Upward Mobility, Depend on Family Help

In a pinch, families come to the rescue. In the past year, 26 percent of American households provided financial assistance to family (or friends) who needed help with day-to-day expenses, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts study. Analyzing data from its Survey of American Family Finances, Pew reports that the helping households provided a median of $1,000 in assistance.

Some families do much more, providing their adult children with what Pew call "mobility-enhancing" funds: money for higher education and homeownership. According to Pew's analysis of the 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics, 10 percent of adult children received financial help from their parents for home purchasing, and 31 percent received funds for higher education. Of course the wealthiest families are most likely to provide these funds. Among adults raised in the wealthiest one-third of families, 52 percent received money from their parents for higher education and 61 percent received money for home purchasing. Among those in the least wealthy one-third, the comparable figures are just 14 and 6 percent.

"The safety net provided to households by friends and relatives," says Pew, "is a hidden dimension of the financial system and one that may reinforce existing advantages and disadvantages in family finances."

Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Extended Family Support and Household Balance Sheets 

2016 Voters by Age, Race, and Hispanic Origin

Older non-Hispanic Whites (aged 45 or older) will account for only 47 percent of voters in the 2016 presidential election, according to a Demo Memo analysis of Census Bureau data. This is well below their 55 percent share of voters in the 2014 mid-term election and slightly below their 48 percent share of voters in the 2012 presidential election.

The 47 percent figure is based on the Census Bureau's 2016 population projections by age, race, and Hispanic origin. The citizenship and voting rates of 2012 were applied to each racial and ethnic group, and those rates were applied to non-Hispanic Whites by age. The result is the projected demographics of voters in 2016...

Projected voters in 2016 election by race and Hispanic origin
Total voters: 141 million
Non-Hispanic Whites: 101 million (72% of voters)
Blacks: 19 million (14% of voters)
Hispanics: 13 million (9% of voters)
Asians: 5 million (3% of voters)
Other races: 3 million (2% of voters)

Projected voters in 2016 election by age, race, and Hispanic origin
Total voters: 141 million
Minorities: 40 million (28% of voters)
Non-Hispanic Whites under age 45: 35 million (25% of voters)
Non-Hispanic Whites aged 45 or older: 67 million (47% of voters)

Non-Hispanic Whites under age 45 and Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and other minorities are likely to account for the 53 percent majority of voters in the 2016 presidential election.

Source: Demo Memo analysis based on the Census Bureau's Population Projections and Voting and Registration

Time Spent in Health-Related Self Care

Many Americans have health needs that require daily attention. The American Time Use Survey measures this time, calling it "health-related self care," and documents its growing importance in daily life as people age. Health-related self care includes activities such as taking medicine or vitamins; resting because of an illness or injury; giving oneself a shot; testing blood sugar levels; taking insulin; applying ointment; putting ice on an injury; changing oxygen; doing childbirth, stress management, or therapeutic exercises; and even meditating (not religious).

On an average day, 7 percent of people aged 15 or older engage in health-related self care as a primary activity. Among people aged 75 or older, the proportion is one in five...

Percent participating in health-related self care on an average day
Aged 15 to 19: 1%
Aged 20 to 24: 2%
Aged 25 to 34: 2%
Aged 35 to 44: 3%
Aged 45 to 54: 8%
Aged 55 to 64: 9%
Aged 65 to 74: 12%
Aged 75-plus: 21%

The time devoted to health-related self care is not trivial. Those who engage in health-related self care on an average day spend more than an hour attending to their health needs.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of unpublished tables from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2014 American Time Use Survey

Household Income Grows in December

Median household income in December 2015 stood at $57,153, according to Sentier Research—0.7 percent higher than the November median, after adjusting for inflation. The December 2015 median was 4.3 percent higher than the December 2014 median and 10.2 percent above the $51,859 median of August 2011, the low point in Sentier's household income series. 

"There has been a general upward trend in median household income since the post-recession low point reached in August 2011," reports Sentier. Its median household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey. 

Median household income in December 2015 was 2.7 percent higher than the median of June 2009, the end of the Great Recession. It was 0.8 percent higher than the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It is still 0.4 percent lower than the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for December 2015 was 99.6 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: December 2015

Why Working-Age Adults Go to the Emergency Room

Among Americans aged 18 to 64, a substantial 18 percent visited an emergency room one or more times in 2014, according to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics. These are the reasons people visit an emergency room rather than go to a doctor's office...

Reasons for emergency room visit
Seriousness of the problem: 77.1%
Doctor's office not open: 11.8%
Lack of access: 7.0%

Note: Lack of access includes didn't have another place to go, emergency room is the closest provider, or get most of care at the emergency room.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Reasons for Emergency Room Use among U.S. Adults Aged 18-64: National Health Interview Survey, 2013 and 2014

Top 10 Occupations: Average Diversity

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 in which the race and Hispanic origin distribution of workers is most similar to the national average (6% Asian; 11% Black; 16% Hispanic; 64% non-Hispanic White)...

Occupations with the most average diversity
1. Bank tellers
2. Hosts and hostesses, restaurants and coffee shops
3. Retail salespersons
4. Office clerks
5. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
6. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
7. Order clerks
8. Receptionists and information clerks
9. Food service managers
10. Health practitioner support technicians

Click here for the top 10 occupations by race and Hispanic origin: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Whites.
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Older Americans Are Deeper in Debt

Today's older Americans have more debt than their predecessors, according to a Liberty Street Economics analysis. Among borrowers aged 50 to 80, aggregate debt grew 60 percent between 2003 and 2015, while the debt of younger borrowers fell slightly during those years.

Tapping into the New York Fed's Consumer Credit Panel, which is based on Equifax credit data, the researchers examined five types of debt (mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, student loans, and home equity lines of credit) to see how balances have changed. Among borrowers aged 50 or older, the per capita balance of each type of debt except credit cards increased between 2003 and 2015. Among younger borrowers, the per capita balance of each type of debt except student loans fell during those years.

This is good news, say the researchers, because older borrowers are more likely to pay back their loans. So far there is no evidence of greater delinquency among older borrowers as their debt level has grown. The aging of the nation's borrowers is likely to mean "greater balance sheet stability" and less "credit-fueled consumption growth."

Source: Liberty Street Economics, The Graying of American Debt

Homeownership Rate Falls (Again) in 2015

The nation's homeownership rate fell to 63.7 percent in 2015, down from the peak of 69.0 percent in 2004—a 5.3 percentage point decline. Among householders aged 30 to 44, the rate fell by more than 10 percentage points during those years...

Homeownership rate in 2015 (and percentage point decline since peak year of 2004)
Total households: 63.7% (-5.3)
Under 25: 21.8% (-3.4)
25 to 29: 31.7% (-8.5)
30 to 34: 45.9% (-11.5)
35 to 39: 55.3% (-10.9)
40 to 44: 61.6% (-10.3)
45 to 54: 70.0% (-7.2)
55 to 64: 75.4% (-6.3)
65-plus: 78.9% (-2.2)

The long-term decline in homeownership, now in its second decade, shows no sign of stopping. Between 2014 and 2015, every age group with the sole exception of householders under age 25 (whose homeownership rate climbed by a minuscule 0.1 percentage points) experienced a decline in  homeownership. The overall homeownership rate fell by 0.8 percentage points between 2014 and 2015, greater than the 0.6 percentage point decline in the previous year. 

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership

24% of Nation's Children Have Immigrant Parent(s)

Nearly one in four children under age 18 in the United States has at least one immigrant parent, according to an Urban Institute study. The number of children with at least one immigrant parent grew by 1.9 million between 2006 and 2013. At the same time, the number of children with native-born parents fell by 1.3 million.

Nine out of 10 children of immigrants are U.S. citizens. Nearly half (48 percent) live in just 10 metropolitan areas: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Houston; Miami; Dallas; Washington, DC; Riverside, CA; San Francisco; and Atlanta.

Source: Urban Institute, Children of Immigrants: 2013 State Trends Update

Who Gets Enough Sleep?

Percentage of Americans who report getting an average of 7 or more hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, according to the CDC's Behavorial Risk Factor Surveillance System...

Age
18 to 24: 67.8%
25 to 34: 62.1%
35 to 44: 61.7%
45 to 64: 62.7%
65-plus: 73.7%

Race and Hispanic origin
Asians: 62.5%
Blacks: 54.2%
Hispanics: 65.5%
Non-Hispanic Whites: 66.8%

Education
Less than college: 62.4%
College graduate: 71.5%

Marital Status
Never married: 62.3%
Married: 67.4%
Separated, divorced, widowed: 55.7%

Source: CDC, Prevalence of Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults—United States, 2014

The Life of American Workers in 1915

Canned goods were sophisticated, overweight was a sign of good health, there was no such thing as standard time, and phonographs were the must-have tech. These are just a few of the fascinating facts revealed by a Monthly Labor Review article about the lives of workers in 1915. By examining the demographics, occupations, working conditions, and home life of workers in 1915, Bureau of Labor Statistics' economist Carol Boyd Leon reveals how much has changed...

• In 1915, nearly 1 in 3 workers was a farm laborer versus fewer than 1 in 100 today. 
• In 1915, 56% of men aged 65 or older were in the labor force versus 23% today.
• In 1915, the average man earned $687 per year ($16,063 in 2015 dollars) compared with median earnings of $40,638 for male workers today. 

This look at the life of American workers in 1915 also reveals some things that haven't changed. Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Shredded Wheat were popular breakfast foods in 1915, for example, and there was a debate about whether cereal was a healthier breakfast food than meat or eggs.

Source: Monthly Labor Review, The Life of American Workers in 1915

Top 10 Occupations: Hispanics

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Hispanics...

Hispanic share of workers (average = 16%)
1. Drywall installers: 61.5%
2. Roofers: 58.1%
3. Graders and sorters, agricultural products: 54.0%
4. Misc. agricultural workers: 49.2%
5. Cement masons, concrete finishers, and terrazzo workers: 48.7%
6. Painters, construction and maintenance: 48.2%
7. Helpers, construction trades: 45.6%
8. Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers: 44.2%
9. Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons: 43.9%
10. Maids and housekeeping cleaners: 43.8%

See also: Top 10 Occupations: Non-Hispanic Whites, Asians, and Blacks
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

College Freshmen More Liberal

One in three college freshmen identifies him or herself as "far left" or "liberal," according to The American Freshmen: National Norms Fall 2015—the highest share since 1973. The figure peaked in 1971 at 41 percent and hit a low of 21 percent in 1981.

Percent of college freshmen identifying themselves as "far left" or "liberal"
2015: 33.5%
2010: 30.2%
2005: 30.5%
2000: 27.7%
1995: 25.2%
1990: 26.5%
1985: 24.1%
1981: 21.0% (low)
1980: 22.7%
1975: 32.6%
1971: 40.9% (high)

Only 22 percent of today's college students identify themselves as "conservative" or "far right," and 45 percent describe themselves as "middle of the road."

Source: Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, Cooperative Institutional Research Program, The American Freshmen: National Norms Fall 2015

Top 10 Occupations: Blacks

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Blacks (alone)...

Black (alone) share of workers (average = 11%)
1. Barbers: 36.3%
2. Nursing, psychiatric, and home health aides: 35.9%
3. Postal service clerks: 30.8%
4. Security guards and gaming surveillance officers: 30.3%
5. Taxi drivers and chauffeurs: 28.8%
6. Licensed practical nurses: 27.9%
7. Postal service mail sorters and processors: 27.5%
8. Misc. healthcare support occupations: 26.9%
9. Parking lot attendants: 26.3%
10. Eligibility interviewers, government programs: 26.3%

See also: Top 10 Occupations: Non-Hispanic Whites and Asians
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Growing Gap in Life Expectancy

You might have seen this headline: "Disparity in Life Spans of the Rich and the Poor Is Growing" in the New York Times. Once again researchers are documenting an expanding gap in life expectancy by socioeconomic status. The latest analysis, by the Brookings Institution, looks at the widening gap and examines its potential to increase income inequality in old age.

The Brookings study measures the life expectancy of two cohorts of men and women by earnings and educational attainment—those born in 1920 and those born in 1940, using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Among men in the HRS and SIPP samples, the researchers find life expectancy rising between the 1920 and 1940 cohorts regardless of socioeconomic status, but the rise is much larger for those at the upper end. In the lowest earnings decile of the SIPP sample, for example, the life expectancy of men born in 1920 was 74.3 years and climbed to 76.0 years in the 1940 cohort—a rise of 1.7 years. In the highest earnings decile, life expectancy climbed from 79.3 to 88.0 years—a rise of 8.7 years. The gap in life expectancy between the two deciles grew from 5.0 to 12.0 years between the 1920 and 1940 cohorts.

The pattern is the same for women, except life expectancy fell for those in the lowest earnings decile of the HRS sample between the 1920 and 1940 cohorts (from 79.0 to 76.7 years—a drop of 2.3 years). Those in the top decile saw the biggest gain, their life expectancy climbing from 83.7 to 87.0 years—a gain of 3.3 years. The gap in life expectancy between the two deciles climbed from 4.7 to 10.3 years between the 1920 and 1940 cohorts. The growing gap also emerges when the data are examined by educational attainment.

Does the growing gap in life expectancy by socioeconomic status (SES) mean Social Security benefits will disproportionately accrue to the rich rather than the poor? While this is a potential problem, it is "damped by the fact that low SES individuals tend to claim Social Security at younger ages while high SES workers are more likely to postpone retirement and benefit claiming," conclude the researchers.

Source: The Brookings Institution, Later Retirement, Inequality in Old Age, and the Growing Gap in Longevity Between Rich and Poor

What Does It Take To Be Middle Class?

"Which of the following do Americans need to be considered part of the middle class?"

Secure job: 89%
Ability to save money: 86%
Time/money for vacation: 45%
Home ownership: 41%
College education: 30%

Source: Pew Research Center, Most Americans Say Government Doesn't Do Enough to Help Middle Class

How Many Americans Are "Gig" Workers?

A surprisingly large percentage of Americans engage in informal paid work, according to the Survey of Informal Work Participation—and the percentage who participate in the "gig" economy is growing. The Informal Work Participation survey was included in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Survey of Consumer Expectations in December 2013 and again in January 2015 in an attempt to measure the percentage of Americans who participate in alternative income-generating activities and how their participation is changing. These activities include babysitting, housesitting, dog walking, lawn care, elder care, personal services (such as taxi service), selling online, renting property, consignment sales, and so on.

The 2013 survey found a substantial 40 percent of respondents participating in informal paid work. Two years later, the 2015 survey found a much larger 52 percent participating. Behind the increase, theorize researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, is greater work opportunities provided by Uber and other online platforms.

With so many participating in informal paid work, "It is important to determine whether the meaning of 'employed' status according to the BLS might be changing over time," say the researchers. At this point, however, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is not able to make that determination because it has not collected data on the informal (or "contingent") workforce since 2005—long before the likes of Uber appeared on the scene. Fortunately, the BLS has been funded to update the survey in a supplement to the May 2017 Current Population Survey. Until then, the results from the Survey of Informal Work Participation are perhaps the best available estimates of the "gig" workforce.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Changing Patterns in Informal Work Participation in the United States 2013-2015

Trends in the Uninsured, 2004 to 2015

In less than 24 months, the percentage of working-age adults without health insurance has plummeted. It's not often social scientists get the opportunity to observe, in just a few months time, so big a change in such an important socioeconomic indicator.

In the decade prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014, the percentage of 18-to-64-year-olds without health insurance averaged 20.4 percent, the figure ranging from a low of 19.3 percent in 2005 to a high of 22.3 percent in 2010. Between 2013 (pre-ACA) and 2015 (post-ACA), the percentage without health insurance fell by a jaw-dropping (for social scientists, at least) 7.5 percentage points—to a record low of 12.9 percent...

People aged 18 to 64 without health insurance, 2004 to 2015
2015: 12.9%
2014: 16.3%
2013: 20.4%
2012: 20.9%
2011: 21.3%
2010: 22.3%
2009: 21.2%
2008: 19.9%
2007: 19.6%
2006: 20.0%
2005: 19.3%
2004: 19.4%

Note: 2015 figure is for the January-September time period.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, January-September 2015 and Health, United States, 2014

Top 10 Occupations: Asians

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of Asians (alone)...

Asian (alone) share of workers (average = 6%)
1. Misc. personal appearance workers: 55.3%
2. Medical scientists: 33.8%
3. Software developers, applications and systems: 31.9%
4. Statisticians: 24.5%
5. Computer hardware engineers: 22.8%
6. Electrical and electronics engineers: 21.4%
7. Sewing machine operators: 21.1%
8. Physicians and surgeons: 21.0%
9. Computer systems analysts: 20.9%
10. Computer programmers: 19.7%

See also: Top 10 Occupations: Non-Hispanic Whites
Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Sandwich Consumption: Who, What, and When?

On an average day, 47 percent of Americans aged 20 or older eat a sandwich, according to the USDA's Food Surveys Research Group—52 percent of men and 43 percent of women.

• Cold cuts are the most popular type of sandwich (27%), followed by burgers (17%), poultry (12%), and hot dogs (10%). Only 6 percent are peanut butter. 
• Lunch accounts for nearly half of sandwiches eaten (48%), followed by dinner (31%), breakfast (13%), and snacks (8%).
• Most sandwiches or their ingredients (58%) are purchased at a store. Twenty-seven percent are from fast-food restaurants. 
• Fifty-nine percent of burgers and 46 percent of poultry sandwiches are from fast-food restaurants, while 76 percent of cold cut sandwiches are from a store.

Source: USDA, Food Surveys Research Group, Sandwich Consumption by Adults in the U.S.

Football is America's Favorite Sport

Football is by far America's favorite sport, according to a survey by the Public Religion Research Institute (go figure). Fully 38 percent of adults say football is their favorite. Then comes basketball (11 percent), baseball (9 percent), soccer (8 percent), auto racing (6 percent), and ice hockey (5 percent). Only 13 percent of Americans say they don't watch sports.

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, Nearly One-Third of Americans Say They Would Not Let Their Son Play Football

Top 10 Occupations: Non-Hispanic Whites

Among the hundreds of detailed occupations examined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the 10 with the largest percentage of non-Hispanic Whites...

Non-Hispanic White share of workers (average = 64%)
1. Tool and die makers: 95.5%
2. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers: 94.9%
3. Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers: 94.1%
4. Medical transcriptionists: 91.0%
5. Veterinarians: 90.9%
6. Chiropractors: 90.1%
7. Television, video, and motion picture camera operators: 89.9%
8. Fundraisers: 89.8%
9. Construction and building inspectors: 89.1%
10. Appraisers and assessors of real estate: 88.8%

Stay tuned for the top 10 occupations among Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' employment data from the Current Population Survey

Water Not Safe to Drink

Long before Flint Michigan's water problems became a national news story, a substantial 9 million American households identified their primary source of water as unsafe to drink. We know this thanks to the American Housing Survey, which asks respondents whether their primary source of water is safe for drinking. This is the percentage of households with water not safe to drink (excluding households whose primary source is commercial bottled water)...

Primary source of water is unsafe to drink
Total households: 8%
Owners: 6%
Renters: 11%
Blacks: 10%
Hispanics: 20%
Below poverty: 12%
Northeast: 6%
Midwest: 4%
South: 8%
West: 12%
Central city: 9%
Suburb: 7%
Nonmetropolitan: 6%

Source: Census Bureau, 2013 American Housing Survey

Could Older Americans Work Longer?

Could older Americans work longer if they had to? The answer is yes, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study of the work capacity of people aged 55 or older.

The authors ask this question: "If people with a given mortality rate today worked as much as those with the same mortality rate in the past, how much could they work?" The answer: a lot. Among 55-to-59-year-olds today, 70.5 percent are in the labor force. But if they worked as much as the people of 1977 with the equivalent mortality rate, then a much larger 86.0 percent would be employed. Among 60-to-64-year-olds the employment rate would rise from 56.2 to 83.2 percent. Among 65-to-69-year-olds, the figure would rise from 32.3 to 74.1 percent.

"Employment declines rapidly as workers reach their 60s, while health declines steadily but quite gradually with age," say the researchers. "The fact that health does not plummet along with employment suggests that there are reasons other than health for the employment declines, such as the availability of Social Security," they conclude.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Health Capacity to Work at Older Ages: Evidence from the U.S., Working Paper 21940

Women Earn 97 Percent As Much As Men

Among recent college graduates, that is, and after controlling for college major.

A Liberty Street Economics analysis of the wages of men and women aged 22 to 27 with at least a bachelor's degree finds women earning 97 percent as much as men after controlling for college major. In 29 of 73 college majors examined, women earned more than men—including social services, treatment therapy, industrial engineering, and art history.

Among college graduates aged 35 to 44, however, the analysis found men earning 15 percent more than women on average. In every major in which women earned more than men among young adults, the advantage disappeared by middle age. In the majors in which men earned more than women among young adults, the earnings gap expanded. What's behind this shift?

Discrimination could be one reason for the shift, say the researchers, but women's greater family responsibilities are a likely major contributor. "Because raising a family often requires more flexible schedules, those with family responsibilities who have difficulty satisfying time sensitive work demands may face lower wages," they explain. "In fact, in jobs where such time demands are largely absent, and more flexibility is possible, the pay gap has been found to be much smaller."

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Liberty Street Economics, When Women Out-Earn Men

Who Owns a Gun?

Despite all the talk about guns, only 32 percent of Americans have a gun in their home, according to the General Social Survey—a figure that has fallen over the past few decades (it was more than 50 percent in the early 1980s). Gun ownership is much more common among non-Hispanic Whites than Blacks or Hispanics...

Percent of households with a gun
Black households: 15%
Hispanic households: 15%
Non-Hispanic White households: 42%

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the 2014 General Social Survey

First-Time Homebuyer Watch: 4th Quarter 2015

Homeownership rate of householders aged 30 to 34, fourth quarter 2015: 45.9%

The homeownership rate of households headed by people aged 30 to 34 fell in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 45.9 percent, down 0.9 percentage points from the 46.8 percent of the third quarter. This is disappointing news for the housing industry, which is anxiously waiting for first-time homebuyers to return to the marketplace. The rise in the homeownership rate of 30-to-34-year-olds in the third quarter of 2015 appears to have been a bobble at the bottom and not a turnaround. 

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. It's been stuck there ever since. 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. In the fourth quarter of 2015, the homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds climbed to 56.2 percent—up from the third quarter's record low of 54.6 percent. The homeownership rate of 35-to-39-year-olds peaked in the first quarter of 2007 at 65.7 percent.

Nationally, the homeownership rate was 63.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2015, down from 64.0 percent a year earlier.

Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancy Survey

Prescription Painkiller Abuse: The Personal Connection

Most Americans have a personal connection to prescription painkiller abuse, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey. The 56 percent majority of Americans say they 1) personally know someone who has taken a prescription painkiller not prescribed to them; and/or 2) personally know someone who has been addicted to prescription painkillers, and/or 3) personally know someone who died from a prescription painkiller overdose.

The demographic segments most likely to have a personal connection to prescription painkillers are Whites, those with a household income of $90,000 or more, adults under age 50, those with some college, college graduates, suburban residents, and men.

The demographic segments least likely to have a personal connection to prescription painkillers are Hispanics, people aged 65 or older, Blacks, those with a high school diploma or less education, urban residents, and women.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll

American Culture Since the 1950s

"Since the 1950s, do you think American culture and way of life has mostly changed for the better, or has it mostly changed for the worse?"

Percent saying America has changed for the worse
72% of White evangelical Protestants
67% of Republicans
58% of White mainline Protestants
58% of White Catholics
53% of all Americans
43% of non-Christian religion affiliation
43% of Black Protestants
41% of Hispanic Catholics
40% of Democrats
35% of religiously unaffiliated

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, Two-Thirds of Republicans Say American Culture Has Worsened Since 1950s