50-Year Trend in Overweight and Obesity

A stunning 70 percent of Americans are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Fifty years ago, only 45 percent were overweight. These figures come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which deploys mobile examination units around the country to measure the height and weight of a nationally representative sample of the population....

Percent overweight (among adults aged 20 to 74)
2013-14: 70.1%
1960-62: 44.9%

Interestingly, the overweight but not obese share of the population barely changed over the decades, rising from 31.5 to 31.9 percent between 1960-62 and 2013-14. But the obese share skyrocketed, climbing from just 13.4 percent in 1960-62 to fully 38.2 percent in 2013-14. Among men, 35.5 percent were obese in 2013-14—more than three times the 10.7 percent of 1960-62. Among women, obesity climbed from 15.8 to 41.0 percent during those years. 

Note: Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m^2 or higher and obesity is defined as a body mass index of 30kg/m^2 or higher. 
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Extreme Obesity among Adults Aged 20 and Over: United States, 1960-1962 through 2013-14

Trends in Online Attention: 2008 to 2013

How much has online time and attention shifted as web sites have proliferated, video streaming has become commonplace, and connected devices have multiplied? A National Bureau of Economic Research study uses big data to examine that question, comparing more than 1 million machine-week observations of household online activity in 2008 and 2013. Some of the findings are unexpected...

• The total amount of time households spent on their primary home computer fell only slightly despite the introduction of smartphones and tablets. Households using their primary home computer in a given week spent 15 hours online in 2008 and 14 hours online in 2013.
• The breadth of web sites visited and the time spent at any one site did not change between 2008 and 2013, despite the proliferation of web sites and the rise in video content. 
• The web sites most often visited did change. The top two sites in 2008 were MySpace and Yahoo, for example, and the top two sites in 2013 were Facebook and YouTube.

The authors readily acknowledge the overall increase in time spent online between 2008 and 2013, but their results show the increase occurred on smartphones and tablets and was in addition to the "relatively stable use of the home device." Also of note: "The vast change in the menu of supply from 2008 to 2013 did not change the breadth or depth of household browsing. The vast change in supply altered only where households allocated their online time."

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, The Empirical Economics of Online Attention, NBER Working Paper 22427 ($5)

$7 Trillion in Accessible Housing Wealth

How much housing wealth is accessible to Americans? The answer is $7 trillion, according to an Urban Institute study—or an average of $133,810 per owned home in 2015. This calculation is based on total housing wealth ($11 trillion) and today's lending standards, which allow homeowners to extract 75 to 85 percent of their current home value minus outstanding housing debt. At the 75 percent lending standard, this is the average wealth accessible to homeowners by age, and the percentage of owners who have accessible housing wealth...

Average accessible net housing wealth for owners (and % with accessible wealth)
Aged 18 to 29: $72,000 (44%)
Aged 30 to 39: $81,000 (45%)
Aged 40 to 49: $108,000 (60%)
Aged 50 to 59: $130,000 (73%)
Aged 60 to 64: $145,000 (80%)
Aged 65 to 69: $155,000 (84%)
Aged 70-plus: $161,000 (92%)

The study finds housing wealth concentrated in the hands of older Americans and by state and local area. Average net housing wealth by local area ranges from a high of $1,487,000 in the Menlo Park and East Palo Alto areas of San Mateo County, California, to a low of $27,000 in the city of Detroit.

Source: Urban Institute, How Much House Do Americans Really Own?

Who Carries Cash?

How many people are carrying cash in their pockets, wallets, or purses when away from home? According to a Gallup survey, only 54 percent of adults are carrying cash. Among 18-to-29-year-olds, just 42 percent have cash on them when away from home...

Percent who carry cash
Aged 18 to 29: 42%
Aged 30 to 49: 54%
Aged 50 to 64: 55%
Aged 65-plus: 62%

Young adults are also the ones who feel most comfortable without cash—56 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds are comfortable going cashless versus only 32 percent of people aged 65 or older.

Source: Gallup, Most Americans Foresee Death of Cash in Their Lifetime

Median Age by Religious Affiliation

Median age of U.S. adults by religious affiliation...

Presbyterian: 59
Methodist: 57
Lutheran: 56
Southern Baptist: 54
Jewish: 50
Catholic: 49
Total adults: 46
Mormon: 43
None: 38
Muslim: 33

Source: Pew Research Center, Which U.S. Religious Groups Are Oldest and Youngest?

Immigrants by State and Metro, 2014

Over 1 million immigrants were granted permanent legal residence in the United States in 2014. Fully 59 percent of those immigrants settled in just five states: California, New York, Florida, Texas, and New Jersey. The 53 percent majority settled in only 10 metropolitan areas...

Legal Immigration in 2014: Top 10 Metros
Total immigrants: 1,016,518 (100.0%)
Top 10 metros: 539,044 (53.0%)

1. New York: 174,714 (17.2%)
2. Los Angeles: 80,527 (7.9%)
3. Miami: 72,038 (7.1%)
4. Washington, DC: 39,531 (3.9%)
5. Houston: 33,858 (3.3%)
6. Chicago: 33,042 (3.3%)
7. San Francisco: 32,904 (3.2%)
8. Dallas: 28,780 (2.8%)
9. Boston: 24,026 (2.4%)
10. Atlanta: 19,628 (1.9)

Source: Department of Homeland Security, 2014 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics

1 Million Legal Immigrants in 2014

Just over 1 million immigrants were granted legal permanent residence in the United States in 2014, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The 2014 number was slightly greater than the 990,553 of 2013 but fewer than in any other year since 2004. The peak year for legal immigration was 1991, when 1.8 million immigrants were admitted to the United States.

Legal Immigrants in 2014: Top 10 Countries of Birth
Total immigrants: 1,016,518 (100.0%)
Top 10 countries: 518,433 (51.0%)

1. Mexico: 134,052 (13.2%)
2. India: 77,908 (7.7%)
3. China: 76,089 (7.5%)
4. Philippines: 49,996 (4.9%)
5. Cuba: 46,679 (4.6%)
6. Dominican Republic: 44,577 (4.4%)
7. Vietnam: 30,283 (3.0%)
8. South Korea: 20,423 (2.0%)
9. El Salvador: 19,273 (1.9%)
10. Iraq: 19,153 (1.9%)

Source: Department of Homeland Security, 2014 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics

The Demographics of Early Technology Adopters

Young adults are stereotypically seen as early adopters of technology, older adults as Luddites. But older Americans are not the Luddites they are sometimes made out to be, according to the results of a Pew Research Center survey. To determine who is an early technology adopter, Pew asked a representative sample of Americans six questions about their preferences for new versus familiar technology, then created an "early adopter index." These are the early adopters by age...

Early technology adopters
Aged 18 to 29: 29%
Aged 30 to 49: 31%
Aged  50 to 64: 29%
Aged 65-plus: 21%

One in five Americans aged 65 or older is an early adopter of technology, a surprisingly robust figure. By age and sex, men aged 18 to 49 are most likely to be early adopters (34 percent), but other groups are not all that far behind. Among women aged 18 to 49 and both men and women aged 50 or older, a substantial 25 to 26 percent are early technology adopters.

Early technology adoption is not just an age thing. "Personality also matters," says Pew.

Source: Pew Research Center, 28% of Americans Are 'Strong' Early Adopters of Technology

Deaths Due to Legal Intervention

How many Americans die as a result of law enforcement action each year? More than 500, reports the National Center for Health Statistics. Here is the recent trend in deaths due to what the government calls legal intervention...

Deaths due to legal intervention
2014: 515
2013: 516
2012: 550
2011: 492
2010: 412

Males accounted for all but 28 of the 515 deaths due to legal intervention in 2014—or 95 percent of the total. By race and Hispanic origin, 261 of the decedents were non-Hispanic White (51 percent of the total), 133 were Black (26 percent), and 101 were Hispanic (20 percent).

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Mortality Data, Deaths: Final Data for 2014

Sources of News for Young and Old

Percentage of young adults and older Americans who often get their news from (ranked by source)...

Aged 18 to 29
34% from websites/apps
32% from social networking sites
22% from local TV
14% from radio
12% from cable TV
10% from network TV
  5% from print newspapers

Aged 65 or older
67% from local TV
58% from cable TV
53% from network TV
48% from print newspapers
24% from radio
16% from websites/apps
  6% from social networking sites

Source: Pew Research Center, The Modern News Consumer

Daily Calories from Fast Food

Eating out accounts for more than one-third (34 percent) of the daily calories consumed by Americans aged 2 or older, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. That share was just 18 percent in the mid-1970s. Behind the rise of eating out (or what the USDA calls "food away from home") is the growing importance of fast food to the American diet. The fast-food share of daily caloric intake has nearly tripled in the past three decades...

Fast-food share of daily caloric intake
2011-12: 15.8%
1977-78:   5.7%

Fast food has become essential for busy workers and parents. Among lower income households in 2011-12, fast food provided 16.4 percent of daily calories. For higher-income households the fast-food share was 15.3 percent. Fast food accounts for a much larger share of children's daily caloric intake than school food. Children obtained 14.3 percent of their daily calories from fast food in 2011-12 (up from less than 4 percent in 1977-78) and about 7 percent from school food.

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Linking Federal Food Intake Surveys Provides a More Accurate Look at Eating Out Trends

Upper Middle Class More than Doubles in Size

The percentage of Americans whose incomes place them in the "upper middle class" more than doubled between 1979 and 2014, according to Stephen J. Rose of the Urban Institute. In the study, Rose defines the upper middle class as people in households with incomes ranging from $100,000 to $349,999 after adjusting for household size—or what he calls "family-of-three" equivalents. The upper middle class includes single-person households with an income of $57,735 or more, for example, and two-person households with an income of $81,650 or more.

Since 1979, the upper middle class has grown from just 12.9 to fully 29.4 percent of Americans. At the same time, the upper class expanded from 0.1 to 1.8 percent of the population. All other income classes shrank during those years...

Income Class as a Share of U.S. Population in 2014 (and 1979)
Upper class: 1.8% (0.1%)
Upper middle class: 29.4% (12.9%)
Middle middle class: 32.0% (38.8%)
Lower middle class: 17.1% (23.9%)
Lower class: 19.8% (24.3%)

"The striking finding is the change in the center of gravity in the economy," says Rose. "In 1979, 70 percent of the incomes were controlled by the three bottom groups. In contrast, in 2014, 63 percent of incomes were held by the upper middle class and the rich and just 37 percent by the bottom three groups." In the future, Rose plans to examine the changing demographics of the upper middle class—such as educational attainment and marital status—to determine the cause of its enormous growth. One causal factor that should be examined is the aging of baby boomers from young adulthood in 1979 to their peak-earning years in the 2000s. Will the size of the upper middle class shrink as boomers retire?

Source: Urban Institute, The Growing Size and Incomes of the Upper Middle Class

Over the Hill

In a recent survey, AARP asked Americans at what age they think they will be over the hill. Here are the answers by generation...

Age at which you will be over the hill
Millennials: 56
Gen Xers: 62
Boomers: 75

Boomers in their fifties think they will be over the hill at age 74. Those in their sixties say it will be at age 76. People in their seventies say not until age 80.

Source: AARP, AARP Research: A Conversation Starter about Age

30-Year-Olds: Then and Now

Percent of 30-year-olds who were married, had a child, not in school, and lived on their own...

2015: 32%
1975: 71%

Source: Census Bureau, Measuring America: 30-Year-Olds: Then and Now

Pride in Being American Plunges among Young Adults

The 52 percent majority of the public is "extremely proud" to be American, according to a Gallup survey. This figure is much lower than the inflated 70 percent of 2003 (a surge that followed the  9/11 attacks) but not far below the 55 percent of January 2001 (pre 9/11).

Despite the overall stability in patriotic pride between 2001 and 2016, patriotism among 18-to-29-year-olds plunged during those years, falling 17 percentage points...

Percentage who say they are "extremely proud" to be American in 2016 (and 2001)
Aged 18 to 29: 34% (51%)
Aged 30 to 49: 51% (56%)
Aged 50 to 64: 64% (57%)
Aged 65-plus: 55% (57%)

Source: Gallup, New Low of 52% "Extremely Proud" to Be Americans

What We Think about Young and Old

Percent of Boomers who find themselves "saying or thinking the following types of things in regards to someone younger" than they are...

Boomer attitudes toward younger people
52% say/think "they are too dependent on modern technology"
48% say/think "they want everything immediately or are not willing to earn it"
38% say/think "they are self-centered"
22% say/think "their views are extremely liberal"

Percent of Millennials who find themselves "saying or thinking the following types of things in regards to someone of more advanced years"...

Millennial attitudes toward older people
44% say/think "they are just stuck in their ways"
35% say/think "older people are terrible drivers"
34% say/think "I wish they would move faster or move out of the way"
27% say/think "their views are extremely conservative"

Source: AARP, AARP Research: A Conversation Starter about Age

How Many Shop on an Average Day?

Percentage of Americans aged 15 or older who participated in selected primary activities on an average day in 2015...

79.9% watched television
56.9% prepared food
42.1% worked
40.4% shopped for consumer goods
36.3% did housework
20.7% cared for household children
20.4% participated in sports, exercise, or recreation
17.0% took care of pets or animals
13.6% talked on the telephone
  9.9% participated in religious activities
  9.8% cared for lawn or garden
  6.5% volunteered
  5.9% managed household and personal email
  5.7% managed household and personal mail
  5.0% attended a class
  3.6% visited a medical provider
  1.3% searched for a job

Note: A primary activity is an individual's main activity.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey—2015 Results

Measuring the Internet-of-Things

The Internet of Things is a growing category of technology that allows consumers to control household appliances and devices through the internet. The federal government's National Telecommunications and Information Administration is studying the Internet of Things and has solicited advice on how best to go about measuring and tracking the growing industry.

"Consumer uses of connected devices are still nascent," says the NTIA after examining the July 2015 Computer and Internet Supplement to the Current Population Survey. But it won't be long before the use of internet-connected devices is commonplace. Among the nation's internet users aged 15 or older in 2015, only 7 percent controlled household equipment—such as thermostats, light bulbs, or security systems—via the internet, says the NTIA. But among the 1 percent of Americans who used wearable devices (such as fitness bands or watches), a much larger 27 percent used the internet to control household equipment. This "highlights how wearable device users tend to be early adopters of new technology," says NTIA.

A link to more than 130 (fascinating) comments received by the NTIA is attached to the article.

Source: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, New Insights into the Emerging Internet of Things

Decline of White, Married Christians

Percentage of American adults who are white, married, and Christian...

2015: 28%
2010: 31%
2000: 35%
1990: 46%
1980: 56%

Source: Public Religion Research Institute, White, Married Christians Decline in U.S.

Household Income Falls in May 2016

We're backtracking. Median household income in May 2016 fell below the median of December 2007 (the start of the Great Recession) after having surpassed it since November 2015, according to Sentier Research. The May 2016 median of $56,853 was slightly below the $57,024 median of December 2007, after adjusting for inflation. We've fallen behind again. 

There is some good news in Sentier's latest monthly update, however. The May 2016 median was 1.8 percent higher than the May 2015 median, and 8.9 percent above the $52,229 median of August 2011—the low point in Sentier's household income series. Sentier's household income estimates are derived from the Census Bureau's monthly Current Population Survey.

Median household income in May 2016 was 1.6 percent higher than the median of June 2009, which marked the end of the Great Recession. But it was 0.3 percent below the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. It was 1.5 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for May 2016 was 98.5 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: May 2016

Population by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2015

The U.S. population grew by 12.1 million between 2010 and 2015, 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 2015, the minority share of the population climbed to 38.4 percent, up from 36.2 percent in 2010. Here are the 2015 estimates by race and Hispanic origin...

Total population: 321,418,820
The U.S. population grew by 3.9 percent between 2010 and 2015, a gain of 12.1 million.

Non-Hispanic Whites: 197,970,812 (61.6%)
The non-Hispanic White population grew by a minuscule 0.3 percent between 2010 and 2015, a gain of only 583,195. The non-Hispanic White share of the population fell from 63.8 to 61.6 percent during those years.

Hispanics: 56,592,793 (17.6%)
The Hispanic population grew by 11.5 percent between 2010 and 2015, a gain of 5.8 million. Hispanics accounted for 48 percent of the nation's population growth between 2010 and 2015.

Blacks (alone or in combination): 46,282,080 (14.4%)
The Black population grew by 7.1 percent between 2010 and 2015, a gain of 3.1 million.

Asians (alone or in combination): 20,994,374 (6.5%)
The Asian population grew by 18.8 percent between 2010 and 2015, a gain of 3.3 million.

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates 2015

The Big Business of Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is big business. Americans spend $30 billion annually out-of-pocket on what the federal government calls "complementary health" practitioners and products, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. Complementary health practitioners are those who provide acupuncture, homeopathy, chiropractic services, massage, energy healing therapy, yoga, and tai chi, among other services. Complementary health products include fish oil, co-enzyme Q10, ginseng, melatonin, probiotics, and many other herbs or nonvitamin supplements.

How much is $30 billion? It's 1.1 percent of total health care expenditures in the United States. It's 9.2 percent of total out-of-pocket health care expenditures. The $12 billion portion devoted to natural products is 24 percent of the amount Americans spend out-of-pocket on prescription drugs. The $15 billion portion devoted to complementary health practitioners is 30 percent of the amount Americans spend out-of-pocket on physician visits.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, Expenditures on Complementary Health Approaches: United States, 2012

Vehicle Purchases in Past 12 Months

How much do Americans love cars? They love them so much that one in four adults (or their spouse or partner) bought a car or truck in the past 12 months, according to a Federal Reserve Board survey. Among car/truck buyers...

• 38% bought a new vehicle. Nearly half of high-income buyers, with household incomes above $100,000, bought a new vehicle (47 percent). Among low-income buyers, with household incomes below $40,000, only 27 percent bought new. 
• 35% bought a used vehicle from a car dealer, with little variation by household income.
• 17% bought a used vehicle from a private seller. Only 6 percent of high-income buyers bought a used car from a private seller versus a substantial 31 percent of low-income buyers.
• 9% leased a vehicle, with little variation by household income.

Source: Federal Reserve Board, Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2015

Even The Best Surveys Have Problems

Just how accurate are even the best surveys—the federal government's Current Population Survey, for example. The CPS is the source of vital economic indicators such as labor force participation and unemployment. Do the rates it measures reflect reality?

A National Bureau of Economic Research analysis examines this question, analyzing some of the basic indicators measured by the CPS, the Consumer Expenditure Survey, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The goal of the analysis was to determine how much certain indicators vary depending on the number of times survey interviewers attempt to contact respondents. Disturbingly, the indicators vary quite a bit. The labor force participation rate is lower, for example, among participants who respond on the first attempt and higher for those who require three or four attempts before participating in the survey—even after controlling for demographic characteristics. The labor force participation rate was just 63.0 percent among respondents reached on the first attempt and climbed to 72.3 percent among respondents who could be reached only after three or four attempts. The unemployment rate was higher among those reached on the first attempt (8.1 percent) than among harder-to-reach respondents (6.7 percent). The researchers found similar troubling variations in measures produced by the other two surveys: household spending (Consumer Expenditure Survey), and obesity (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).

How much do our important socioeconomic indicators reflect reality and how much are they a function of who is easiest to reach? What about those who can't be reached after multiple attempts? The authors of the study are concerned.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Difficulty to Reach Respondents and Nonresponse Bias: Evidence from Large Government Surveys, Working Paper 22333 ($5)

ACA Boosts Financial Security

Better physical health is not the only potential benefit of the Affordable Care Act, according to a Liberty Street Economics analysis. Financial health also appears to improve when more Americans have health insurance. Using data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Consumer Credit Panel, fed researchers analyzed credit card balances and credit scores by county in states that did and did not expand Medicaid. Their conclusion: the expansion of Medicaid has a led to "average per capita credit card balances declining in the counties most affected by the Medicaid expansion." Credit scores increased the most in those areas as well.

"We offer suggestive early evidence that the Medicaid expansion is fulfilling the goal of health insurance: providing 'peace of mind' by protecting against financial hardship," conclude the researchers, who will continue to investigate these dynamics as more data become available.

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Liberty Street Economics, Is Health Insurance Good for Your Financial Health?

Decline in Daily Newspaper Readers: Thanks Internet!

Newspaper employment has plummeted over the past two decades, according to a Demo Memo analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics' data, with most of the decline occurring since 2007—when the smartphone transformed the internet into something personal and portable. Behind the decline in newspaper employment is the shrinking newspaper audience, a trend starkly documented in Pew Research Center's State of the News Media 2016. The percentage of Americans who read a daily newspaper (print or digital) has plummeted since 2007...

Percent reading a daily newspaper in 2015 (and in 2007)
Aged 18 to 24: 16% (33%)
Aged 25 to 34: 17% (34%)
Aged 35 to 44: 21% (43%)
Aged 45 to 54: 28% (53%)
Aged 55 to 64: 38% (59%)
Aged 65-plus: 50% (66%)

Source: Pew Research Center, State of the News Media 2016

Finances Getting Better or Worse?

Every year for the past three, the Federal Reserve Board has surveyed the nation's households to determine their economic well-being. Among many other questions, the survey asks respondents how they're doing financially. In 2015, this is what they said:

Economic well-being in 2015
28% living comfortably
41% doing okay
22% just getting by
9% finding it difficult to get by

The 69 percent of Americans who were doing okay or living comfortably in 2015 was 4 percentage points greater than in 2014—a statistically significant increase, according to the report. But some are doing better than others. The 2015 survey included a panel of 2014 respondents, which was asked whether their finances had gotten better or worse over the past year. Among those living comfortably in 2014, a substantial 35 percent were doing even better in 2015 and 7 percent were worse. Among those finding it difficult to get by in 2014, only 18 percent were doing better in 2015 and fully 49 percent said their finances were even worse.

Source: Federal Reserve Board, Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2015

How Many Teenagers Take Risks?

Risky behavior ranked by percentage of 9th to 12th graders engaging in the activity...

41.5% texted or emailed while driving in past 30 days
32.8% drank alcohol in past 30 days
30.1% sexually active in past 3 months
24.1% currently use vaping products
22.6% were in a physical fight in past 12 months
21.7% currently use marijuana
20.0% rode with a driver who had been drinking in past 30 days
16.2% carried a weapon in past 30 days
10.8% currently smoke cigarettes
7.8% drove after drinking in past 30 days
5.3% carried a gun in past 30 days

Source: CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2015

What Would Help Low-Income Households the Most?

What is the most effective way to improve the economic wellbeing of the nation's low-income households? A study by the Brookings Institution answers the question by simulating different labor market interventions and determining which one would boost income the most.

The study focused on the poorest one-third of households headed by able-bodied 25-to-54-year-olds. These households are struggling to get by on average annual earnings of just $12,415. By simulating the effect of different labor market interventions on these households—such as raising the minimum wage, helping single mothers, boosting high school graduation rates, and so on—the researchers identify the one intervention that would make the biggest difference: full-time work.

Only 46 percent of low-income householders have a full-time job versus 87 percent of their higher-income counterparts. If all low-income household heads worked full-time at the wage expected for their education, race, and gender, their earnings would rise substantially. No other labor market intervention comes close to making this big a difference. Boosting the high school graduation rate to 90 percent, for example, adds only $370 to the $12,415 annual earnings of low-income households. Raising the minimum wage to $12/hour increases earnings to $14,722. But finding every low-income household head a full-time job makes the biggest difference, lifting earnings to $19,163, a 54 percent increase.

Source: The Brookings Institution, Isabel Sawhill, Edward Rodrigue, and Nathan Joo, One Third of a Nation: Strategies For Helping Working Families

Disability Free Life Expectancy is Rising

The life expectancy of Americans at age 65 has been rising. Between 1992 and 2008, life expectancy at age 65 climbed from 17.5 to 18.8 years—a gain of 1.3 years. Even better, all of the gain was in disability-free years, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research analysis of data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.

In 1991-94, the 17.5 years of life remaining to a 65-year-old was about equally split between disability-free years (8.9) and years of disability (8.6). By 2006-2009, disability-free years of life remaining had expanded to 10.7, and disabled years had fallen to 8.1.

What accounts for this longer, healthier life? Fully 63 percent of the increase is due to fewer deaths and less disability from two health conditions, say the researchers: cardiovascular disease and vision problems. The improvement in these conditions is due in part to changing social factors, such as rising educational attainment, and due in part to better medical treatment. The researchers calculate that 15 percent of the overall increase in disability-free life expectancy is due to better medical treatment of cardiovascular disease. Five percent of the overall increase is due to cataract surgery.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research, Understanding the Improvement in Disability Free Life Expectancy in the U.S. Elderly Population, NBER Working Paper 22306

Births by Race and Hispanic Origin, 2015

The ongoing baby bust is delaying the inevitable—the day when Hispanics, Blacks, and Asians will account for the majority of Americans, projected to occur in 2043. The racial and ethnic composition of the population is not changing as fast as foreseen by the Census Bureau because minorities are having fewer babies than was assumed in the projections and non-Hispanic Whites are having more.

Among the 3,977,745 babies born in 2015, fully 53.5 percent were non-Hispanic White. The Census Bureau's projections had the share at 50.4 percent. Only 23.2 percent of babies born in 2015 were Hispanic, while the Census Bureau projected the share at 24.9 percent. Black and Asian births are also below projections.

Percent distribution of births by race and Hispanic origin in 2015
Asian: 7.1%
Black: 14.8%
Hispanic: 23.2%
Non-Hispanic White: 53.5%

Overall, the Census Bureau was almost on target regarding the total number of births in 2015. The  projected total was only 21,000 more than the actual number. But the Census Bureau underestimated non-Hispanic White births by 5.3 percent (113,000 too low) and overestimated Hispanic births by 7.8 percent (72,000 too high).

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Census Bureau's 2014 National Population Projections and National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2015

Median New House Price at Record High

The wait is over: the median sales price of new single-family houses sold hit an all-time high in 2015, finally surpassing the 2005 peak after adjusting for inflation. Between 2005 and the 2011 post-Great Recession low, the median price of new houses sold fell 18 percent. Since then, the price of new houses has climbed 24 percent. The 2015 price exceeds the 2005 price by 1 percent (or $4,043).

Median price of new single-family houses sold (in 2015 dollars)
2015: $296,400 (new record high)
2014: $283,136
2013: $273,586
2012: $253,128
2011: $239,399 (post-Great Recession low)
2010: $241,087
2009: $239,407
2008: $255,508
2007: $283,380
2006: $289,805
2005: $292,357 (previous record high)

Source: Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing

Fewer Media Jobs: Thanks Internet!

Until the introduction of the smartphone in 2007, the effect of the internet on employment in traditional media—newspapers, magazines, and books—had been minimal. Between 1993 (when Mosaic was introduced—the first graphical interface for the Worldwide Web) and 2007, newspaper employment had fallen some, but the worst was yet to come. Employment in the magazine and book industries was almost unchanged during those years. Not so after the smartphone transformed the internet into something personal and portable...

Employment change in newspaper industry
1993 to 2007: –79,000
2007 to 2016: –168,200
68% of job loss occurred since 2007

Employment change in magazine industry
1993 to 2007: –300
2007 to 2016: –48,400
99% of job loss occurred since 2007

Employment change in book industry
1993 to 2007: 700
2007 to 2016: –20,700
100% of job loss occurred since 2007

Traditional media jobs are disappearing, and new jobs are emerging in internet publishing and broadcasting—but not enough to fill the gap. Internet media employment grew by 125,300 between 2007 and 2016, or a little less than half the 237,300 jobs lost in the newspaper, magazine, and book industries. Even including job growth in television and film, there has been a net loss of 159,200 media jobs since 2007.

Source: Demo Memo analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Trends in Newspaper Publishing and Other Media, 1990-2016

Change in Life Expectancy, 2000 to 2014

The life expectancy at birth of non-Hispanic Whites increased by 1.4 years between 2000 and 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics—well below the increase for Hispanics or non-Hispanic Blacks.

Life expectancy at birth in 2014 (and change since 2000)
Blacks, non-Hispanic: 75.2 years (+3.6)
Hispanics: 81.8 years (+2.6)
Whites, non-Hispanic: 78.8 years (+1.4)

What explains the smaller increase in the life expectancy of non-Hispanic Whites? Rising death rates from unintentional poisoning, suicide, and chronic liver disease, reports NCHS. Between 2000 and 2014, the overall death rate rose among non-Hispanic Whites in three age groups: 25 to 34, 35 to 44, and 45 to 54. "Increases in death rates due to unintentional poisonings (mostly drug and alcohol poisoning) for these three age groups had the single greatest negative effect on the change in life expectancy," concludes the report.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Mortality Data, The Effect of Changes in Selected Age-Specific Causes of Death on Non-Hispanic White Life Expectancy between 2000 and 2014

New Houses Still Getting Bigger

Americans are buying bigger and bigger homes. The size of new single-family houses sold in 2015 hit another record high. The median square feet of floor area in new houses sold has increased in every year since 2009. Houses sold in 2015 were 21 percent larger than those sold in 2000.

Median square feet of floor area in new single-family houses sold
2015: 2,520
2014: 2,506
2013: 2,478
2012: 2,390
2011: 2,295
2010: 2,255
2009: 2,202
2005: 2,235
2000: 2,077

Source: Census Bureau, Characteristics of New Housing

Fewer Births in 2015

The baby bust continues. The number of births in the United States fell to 3,977,745 in 2015, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That's about 10,000 fewer births than in 2014. Except for a small increase in 2014, the number of births has declined in every year since 2007, which was when births hit a record high of 4.3 million.

Number of births (in 000s)
2015: 3,978 
2014: 3,988
2013: 3,932
2012: 3,953
2011: 3,954
2010: 3,999 (start of baby bust)
2009: 4,131
2008: 4,248
2007: 4,316 (record high)

Record low birth rates are behind the decline in the number of births. In 2015, the birth rate of women in every age group under age 30 fell to new historic lows. The overall fertility rate—the number of births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44—was 62.5 in 2015, matching the record low. Among women aged 30 to 44, birth rates increased as older women played catchup. 

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Births: Preliminary Data for 2015

Does the Empty Nest Boost Savings?

To save enough for retirement, empty nesters are supposed to put the money they once spent on children into retirement savings. Do they? The results of a Center for Retirement Research analysis show empty nesters do save more, but the increase is miniscule.

Analyzing data from the Health and Retirement Study and the Survey of Income and Program Participation, CRR researchers determined how much a household's 401(k) savings increased after their children left home. Theoretically, 401(k) savings should climb by 12 percent once the nest is empty. But the analysis of the HRS data found an increase of only 0.3 to 0.6 percent, and the analysis of the SIPP data found an increase of just 0.7 percent.

The researchers conclude: "Although this finding is not the last word on the subject—perhaps parents assist children financially even after they have left home—it does suggest that we should be concerned about households' preparedness for retirement."

Source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Do Households Save More When the Kids Leave Home?

Who Is Urban?

How many Americans live in an urban, suburban, or rural area? There are two ways to answer that question—analyze Census Bureau data using government definitions, or simply ask people to describe where they live. Zillow asked, with these results...

How Americans describe where they live
Urban: 26%
Suburban: 53%
Rural: 21%

Even in the most urban areas—the principal cities of metropolitan areas—only 47 percent of respondents describe their area as urban, 46 percent say suburban, and 7 percent say rural. "That means close to half of people who live within city limits describe where they live as suburban," says Zillow's chief economist Jed Kolko.

By matching its survey results to the zip code demographics of respondents, Zillow shows how population density determines the feel of an area. Those who live in zip codes with more than 2,213 households per square mile tend to describe their area as urban. With 102 to 2,213 households per square mile, residents tend to describe their area as suburban. If there are fewer than 102 households per square mile, residents tend to describe their area as rural.

Kolko measures the size of "urban" and "suburban" populations in the nation's large cities based on Zillow's density definitions. Many of the cities now growing the fastest, he finds, are more "suburban" than "urban."

Source: FiveThirtyEight, How Suburban Are Big American Cities?

Family Income of American Children

Distribution of the nation's 74 million children by family income
21.2% are in a family with an income below $25,000
20.9% are in a family with an income between $25,000 and $49,999
28.3% are in a family with an income between $50,000 and $99,999
29.6% are in a family with an income of $100,000 or more

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

Household Income Stable in April 2016

Median household income in April 2016 stood at $57,243, according to Sentier Research, which was not significantly different from the March 2016 median, after adjusting for inflation. The April 2016 median was 3.2 percent higher than the April 2015 median, however, and 9.8 percent above the $52,115 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 April 2016 was 2.5 percent higher than the median of June 2009, which marked the end of the Great Recession. It was 0.6 percent higher than the median of December 2007, the start of the Great Recession. The April 2016 median was still 0.6 percent below the median of January 2000. The Household Income Index for April 2016 was 99.4 (January 2000 = 100.0).

Source: Sentier Research, Household Income Trends: April 2016

Prison Population Is Aging

The number of prisoners sentenced to at least one year in a state correctional institution climbed 55 percent between 1993 and 2013—from 858,000 to 1.3 million, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. That sounds like a big increase, but it pales in comparison to the 400 percent increase in the number of state prisoners aged 55 or older during those years. Prisoners aged 55-plus now account for 10 percent of the state prison population, up from 3 percent two decades ago.

"The changing age structure in the U.S. state prison population has implications for the future management and care of inmates," notes the Bureau of Justice Statistics report. The BJS analysis examines the reasons for the increase, such as longer prison sentences resulting in more prisoners aging into the 55-plus demographic.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Aging of the State Prison Population, 1993–2013

What's Behind the Rise in Living with Parents?

Young adults are more likely to live with their parents than with a spouse or partner, according to a Pew Research Center study—the first time in 130 years that living with Mom and Dad has been more popular than living with a partner. In 2014, 32.1 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds were living in a parent's household, while a smaller 31.6 percent were living with a partner (married or cohabiting).

What's behind this trend? The author of the report, Pew's Richard Fry, disputes the assumption that the rise is due to the growing share of Blacks and Hispanics in the young adult population because the trend is also pronounced among non-Hispanic Whites. Instead, Fry finds the postponement of marriage a more likely factor. "The shift away from marriage can account for the entire increase in living with parents since 1960," he notes.

Fry adds this important caveat: "This does not imply, however, that the shift away from marriage has 'caused' the increase in living with parents, because other social and economic factors may have reduced the attractiveness of marriage for young adults and, at the same time, made living independently of parents more difficult."

Source: Pew Research Center, For First Time in Modern Era, Living with Parents Edges Out Other Living Arrangements for 18-to-34-Year Olds

Startup Firms Account for Most Job Gains

New research data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals the importance of startup firms to employment growth. Startup firms (less than 1 year old) accounted for fully 60 percent of the 2.7 million net gain in employment between March 2014 and March 2015, according to the data. "More than half of these jobs were from firms with fewer than 10 employees," reports the BLS. Older firms (10 years or older) accounted for 29 percent of the gain.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Entrepreneurship facts: Announcing New Research Data on Job Creation and Destruction by Firm Age and Size

Most Americans Do Not Have A Will

Only 44 percent of Americans have a will, according to a Gallup survey, down from 51 percent in 2005. The percentage with a will has declined in every age group since 2005. Here is the percentage with a will by age in 2016...

Percent with a will
Aged 18 to 29: 14%
Aged 30 to 49: 35%
Aged 50 to 64: 56%
Aged 65-plus: 68%

Source: Gallup, Majority in U.S. Do Not Have A Will

Eating Habits in 2014

64 minutes: that's how much time Americans aged 15 or older spend eating and drinking as a primary activity on an average day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2014 American Time Use Survey. We spend another 16 minutes eating and drinking as a secondary activity—meaning eating and drinking while doing something else such as watching TV. These are the ways we eat...

• Top three places for primary eating and drinking: own home or yard (71%), workplace (11%), restaurant or bar (9%).
• Top three places for secondary eating and drinking: own home or yard (54%), workplace (22%), driving a vehicle (7%).
• Top five activities while secondary eating and drinking: watching television (24%), paid work (23%), food and drink preparation (6%), socializing with others (5%), reading for personal interest (3%). 

Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Eating and Health Module from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey

City Growth, 2010 to 2015

Between 2010 and 2015, the population of the nation's 754 largest cities (incorporated places with populations of 50,000 or more in 2015) grew by an average of 5.4 percent. The remainder of the United States grew by a smaller 3.0 percent. City growth varies little by city size, with large cities of all sizes growing faster than elsewhere...

City population growth 2010-2015 by city size
1 million or more: 5.2%
500,000 to 999,999: 6.4%
250,000 to 499,999: 5.6%
200,000 to 249,999: 4.8%
150,000 to 199,999: 5.3%
100,000 to 149,999: 5.2%
50,000 to 99,999: 5.1%

Among the 10 cities with 1 million or more residents, none lost population between 2010 and 2015. Among the 24 cities with 500,000 to 999,999 residents, only Detroit lost population.  

Source: Census Bureau, City and Town Totals: Vintage 2015

Boomers: 35% of Voters in 2016

The Baby-Boom generation will account for more than one-third of voters in the 2016 presidential election, outnumbering voters in the other generations. Millennials will account for 26 percent of the total. Gen Xers will rank third, casting 20 percent of votes—more than the Silent and World War II generations combined. The oldest members of the iGeneration (aged 18 to 21) will cast their first vote for president in 2016, and they will account for just 4 percent of the total. Demo Memo calculated these figures by applying single-year-of-age citizenship and voting rates from the 2012 presidential election to the Census Bureau's 2016 population projections.

Boomers will outnumber Millennials at the polls because they will be much more likely to vote. Expect 71 percent of citizens in the Baby Boom generation to vote in 2016, equal to the voting rate of Americans in the Silent and World War II generations. A smaller 63 percent of Gen X citizens can be expected to vote. Among Millennial citizens, the voting rate should be about 54 percent. Only 38 percent of citizens in the iGeneration are expected to vote.

Percent distribution of voters in 2016 by generation
iGeneration (18 to 21): 4.3%
Millennials (22 to 39): 26.0%
Generation Xers (40 to 51): 19.8%
Baby Boomers (52 to 70): 35.3%
Older Americans (71-plus): 14.6%

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

Are You In the Top 10 Percent?

How much do you earn relative to your peers? For you to be among the highest-paid 10 percent of your peer group (defined by sex and educational attainment), then your usual weekly earnings must be at least this high...

Usual weekly earnings of men in top 10%
$1,031 for those who did not graduate from high school
$1,544 for high school graduates, no college
$1,858 for those with some college or an associate's degree
$2,896 for those with a bachelor's degree only
$3,871 for those with an advanced degree

Usual weekly earnings of women in top 10%
$696 for those who did not graduate from high school
$1,111 for high school graduates, no college
$1,327 for those with some college or an associate's degree
$2,016 for those with a bachelor's degree only
$2,409 for those with an advanced degree

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Weekly Earnings by Educational Attainment in First Quarter 2016

Trends in Economic Status by Metropolitan Area

Are you in the upper, middle, or lower class in your metropolitan area? You can find out with this nifty calculator created by Pew Research Center. Choose your metropolitan area, input your household income and size, and determine your economic status—in your city.

If you find yourself in the middle class, you're part of a shrinking majority. Nationally, the percentage of Americans living in middle-income households fell from 55 to 51 percent between 2000 and 2014, according to Pew. Middle income is defined as having a household income ranging from two-thirds to twice the overall median after adjusting for household size. In its analysis of 229 individual metropolitan areas, Pew documents a decline in the middle-income share of households in 203 metro areas (89 percent). As the middle class shrinks, the upper or lower classes (or both) have to grow. In 160 metro areas, the lower class increased as a share of the total. In 172 metro areas, the upper class share grew.

Nationally, the percentage of adults in the upper class climbed from 17 to 20 percent between 2000 and 2014, and the percentage in the lower class climbed from 28 to 29 percent.

Source: Pew Research Center, America's Shrinking Middle Class: A Closer Look at Changes within Metropolitan Areas

What Are Young Men Doing?

Among the nation's 19 million men aged 16 to 24, more than 1 million were not doing much of anything when the Bureau of Labor Statistics took a look at their activities in October 2015...

Status of men aged 16 to 24 in October 2015
4.9 million (25 percent) were in high school
5.8 million (30 percent) were in college
7.3 million (38 percent) were not in school, but had a job or were looking for work
1.4 million (7 percent) were not in school, did not have a job, and were not looking for work

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, College Enrollment and Work Activity of 2015 High School Graduates

Telephone Status of Americans, 2015

The latest update on the telephone status of Americans shows a growing plurality of adults living in households with cell phones (wireless-only) and no landline phone...

Telephone status of Americans aged 18 or older in 2015 (and in 2012)
47.7% are in a wireless-only household (36.5%)
43.7% are in a landline and wireless household (54.4%)
5.8% are in a landline-only household (7.0%)
2.7% are in a household with no telephone (1.9%)

These are the demographic segments most likely to live in wireless-only households: Hispanics (60.5%); in poverty (64.3%); aged 25 to 29 (72.6%); living with nonrelatives (78.8%); and renters (68.8%).

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Wireless Substitution: Early Release of Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, July-December 2015

Attitudes Toward the Federal Government

Only 44 percent of Americans have a positive image of the federal government, according to a Gallup survey. The percentage varies by political party: 30 percent of Republicans have a positive image of the federal government versus 59 percent of Democrats. Here are the positive percentages by age...

Positive image of the federal government
Aged 18 to 29: 58%
Aged 30 to 49: 43%
Aged 50 to 64: 38%
Aged 65-plus: 40%

Source: Gallup, Americans' Views of Socialism, Capitalism Are Little Changed

Homeownership by Generation, 2015

The Baby-Boom generation is no longer the largest, having been surpassed by Millennials in 2011. But Boomers still dominate homeownership. According to a Demo Memo analysis of Census Bureau data, here are the homeownership rates (and share of homeowners) by generation in 2015...

Homeownership rate by generation (and share of total)
Total households: 63.7 percent are homeowners (100%)
Millennial: 39.8 percent are homeowners (18%)
Generation X: 64.8 percent are homeowners (22%)
Baby Boom: 75.5 percent are homeowners (41%)
Older Americans: 78.7 percent are homeowners (20%)

Note: In 2015 Millennials were under age 39; Gen Xers were 39 to 50; Boomers were 51 to 69.
Source: Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership

Fertility of Baby Boom Women

The baby-boom generation was the first to make working mothers the norm. They succeeded, according to an analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite juggling work and family, fully 83 percent of boomer women had children. The BLS analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, which has been tracking a nationally representative sample of people born between 1957 and 1964 (younger boomers) since they were aged 14 to 22. To analyze the completed fertility of boomer women, the BLS examined data from the 2010 interview, when respondents were aged 46 to 53. These are some of the findings...

• Educated boomers had fewer children: Boomer women had an average of 1.97 children, but the number varied by educational attainment. Women without a high school diploma had the most children—an average of 2.47. Fertility declined with increasing educational attainment. Women with a bachelor's degree had an average of only 1.68 children.
• Hispanic boomers had more children: The average Hispanic boomer had 2.29 children, Blacks had 2.15, and non-Hispanic Whites had 1.92. But the ranking changed after controlling for educational attainment. Among women with a bachelor's degree, non-Hispanic Whites had the most children (1.71), and Blacks had the least (1.47). Hispanic women with a bachelor's degree had 1.52 children.
• Boomer women with full-time jobs had fewer children: Women who spent less than a quarter of the years since they were aged 25 in full-time jobs had the most children, an average of 2.54. The number of children declined with increasing full-time work. Women who worked full-time in more than three-quarters of the years since they were 25 had an average of only 1.36 children. 

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fertility of Women in the NLSY79

Falls Are Common among Elderly

Percentage of people aged 65-plus who fell down at least once in the past 12 months: 29.8%.

Source: CDC, Falls among Persons Aged 65 or Older With and Without Severe Vision Impairment—United States, 2014

In Three States More than 25% of 18-to-64-Year-Olds Do Not Have A Usual Place of Medical Care

Among Americans aged 18 to 64, a substantial 17 percent do not have a usual place of medical care. The figure ranges from a low of just 2.8 percent in Vermont to a high of 26.7 percent in Nevada. These are the states with the largest and smallest percentages of 18-to-64-year-olds without a usual place of medical care...

States with the largest percentage of 18-to-64-year-olds without a usual place of medical care
Nevada: 26.7%
Idaho: 26.6%
Texas: 25.4%
Oregon: 23.7%
Wyoming: 23.6%

States with the smallest percentage of 18-to-64-year-olds without a usual place of medical care
Vermont: 2.8%
Delaware: 6.8%
Massachusetts: 7.5%
Wisconsin: 9.5%
Hawaii: 10.0%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, State Variation in Health Care Service Utilization: United States, 2014

401(k) Balances Have Grown Since Great Recession

Among workers who participate in 401(k) retirement plans, these are the median and average 401(k) balances held in plans sponsored by their current employer...

Median balance
2014: $18,127
2010: $17,686
2008: $12,655

Average balance
2014: $76,293
2010: $60,329
2008: $45,519

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, 401(k) Plan Allocation, Account Balances, and Loan Activity in 2014

Decline in Retirement Satisfaction

The percentage of retirees who say their retirement is "very satisfying" fell from 60.5 percent in 1998 to 48.6 percent in 2012, reports the Employee Benefit Research Institute in an analysis of data from the Health and Retirement Study. The decline in retirement satisfaction has occurred across the board: men and women, wealthy and poor, healthy and sick—all were less likely to report their retirement as "very satisfying" in 2012 than in 1998.

Could the decline in satisfaction simply be due to disgruntled Boomers entering the retiree segment and skewing the results? Not according to EBRI's analysis. When EBRI examined the retirement satisfaction of retirees who had been in the HRS sample since 1998, they found a similar decline in satisfaction as they aged over the years.

Percent of retirees who say their retirement is "very satisfying"
2012: 48.6%
2010: 50.6%
2008: 53.2%
2006: 53.1%
2004: 54.5%
2002: 60.8%
2000: 60.8%
1998: 60.5%

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute, Trends in Retirement Satisfaction in the United States: Fewer Having a Great Time

Percent Who Need Help Doing Errands

Percentage of adults who say they have difficulty doing errands by themselves, by age...

Men
Aged 18 to 64: 3.1%
Aged 65 to 74: 6.4%
Aged 75 to 84: 12.9%
Aged 85-plus: 26.2%

Women
Aged 18 to 64: 3.9%
Aged 65 to 74: 9.4%
Aged 75 to 84: 20.7%
Aged 85-plus: 45.0%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2015

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