Demographics of the United States

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File:US Population Graph - 1790 to Present.svg
The first U.S. census, in 1790, recorded under 4 million Americans. By 2000, this number had grown to over 281 million, and is expected to reach 308 million by 2010.

The United States is an urbanized nation, with 80.6 percent of its population residing in cities and suburbs.[1] The mean population center of the United States has consistently shifted westward and southward, with California and Texas currently the most populous states. According to Californians for Population Stabilization, U.S. population growth is now the highest among developed countries and exceeds that of China.[2] Births, supplemented by immigration, help to offset the aging population. The total U.S. population crossed the 100 million mark around 1915, the 200 million mark in 1967, and the 300 million mark in 2006 (On Tuesday, October 17).[3][4] The U.S. population more than tripled during the 20th century - a growth rate of about 1.3 percent a year - from about 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000. This is unlike most European countries, especially Germany, Russia, Italy and Greece, whose population growths are slowly declining.

U.S. population clock hits the 300 million mark
United States population pyramid.

According to U.S. Census Bureau's estimation for 2005, 45% of American children under the age of 5 are minorities.[5] In 2006, the nation’s minority population reached 100.7 million. A year ago, the minority population totaled 98.3 million. Hispanics accounted for almost half (1.4 million) of the national population growth of 2.9 million between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006.[6]

The United States has dozens of major cities, including 11 of the 55 global cities of all types—with three "alpha" global cities: New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The figures expressed below are for populations within city limits. A different ranking is evident when considering U.S. metro area populations, Census Bureau's 2005 estimates, are as follows. In historic areas that were settled very early, e.g., Boston, New Haven, etc., the boundaries were set in the 1700s and therefore the populations appear small even though, in actuality, the cities are very large.

Rank City Population
within
city limits
Population
Density
per sq km
Population
Density
per sq mi
Metropolitan
Area
Region
millions rank
1 New York City, New York 8,143,197 10,194.2 26,402.9 18.7 1 Northeast
2 Los Angeles, California 4,324,526 3,041.2 7,876.8 12.9 2 West
3 Chicago, Illinois 3,158,790 4,922.9 12,750.3 9.4 3 Midwest
4 Houston, Texas 2,016,582 1,301.8 3,371.7 5.2 7 South
5 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1,463,281 4,337.3 11,233.6 5.8 4 Northeast
6 Phoenix, Arizona 1,461,575 1,074.1 2,782.0 3.7 14 West
7 San Antonio, Texas 1,256,509 1,084.4 2,808.5 1.8 29 South
8 San Diego, California 1,255,540 1,456.3 3,771.9 2.9 17 West
9 Dallas, Texas 1,213,825 1,339.7 3,469.9 5.7 5 South
10 San Jose, California 953,679 2,003.1 5,188.1 1.7* 30* West
  • All metropolitan area population figures and ranks are based on the United States Census Bureau's definition of "Metropolitan Statistical Areas." However, common practice is to combine the San Jose Metropolitan Area with that of San Francisco and Oakland (i.e., the Combined Statistical Area) whose population is 7.1 million. This would affect the populations of the other metropolitan areas as well.

Current U.S Population

The current population according to the U.S Census Bureau is 302,419,072 as of 21:21 GMT 23 July 2007. This is based on the 2000 census and national population estimates. [7]

Population density

2000 U.S. population density in persons per sq. mile (lower 48 states only): Light to dark (yellow to blue): 1-4 (y), 5-9 (lt. green), 10-24 (teal), 25-49 (dk. teal), 50-99 (blue-green), 100-249 (blue), 250-66,995 (black).
Population density for selected U.S. cities
City name Density
West New York, New Jersey 17,124/km² 44,352/mi²
Hoboken, New Jersey 11,675/km² 30,239/mi²
New York, New York 10,173/km² 26,348/mi² Manhattan (25,550/km² or 66,173/mi²)
Somerville, Massachusetts 7,194/km² 18,633/mi² [1] [2]
San Francisco, California 6,349/km² 16,443/mi²
Chelsea, Massachusetts 6,211/km² 16,086/mi²
Jersey City, New Jersey 6,120/km² 15,852/mi²
Central Falls, Rhode Island 5,973/km² 15,471/mi² [3]
Chicago, Illinois 4,866/km² 12,603/mi² Edgewater (13,800/km² or 35,743/mi²)
Santa Ana, California 4,751/km² 12,306/mi²
Boston, Massachusetts 4,697/km² 12,166/mi² Back Bay/Beacon Hill (11,463/km² or 29,690/mi²)
Hamtramck, Michigan 4,537/km² 11,750/mi²
Newark, New Jersey 4,459/km² 11,548/mi²
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 4,190/km² 10,852/mi²
Yonkers, New York 4,162/km² 10,780/mi²
Miami, Florida 4,048/km² 10,483/mi²
Washington, District of Columbia 3,502/km² 9,070/mi²
Los Angeles, California 3,078/km² 7,972/mi²
Baltimore, Maryland 2,970/km² 7,693/mi²
Buffalo, New York 2,786/km² 7,217/mi²
Oakland, California 2,724/km² 7,054/mi²
Minneapolis, Minnesota 2,691/km² 6,969/mi²
Seattle, Washington 2,563/km² 6,639/mi²
New Haven, Connecticut 2,527/km² 6,554/mi² Downtown New Haven (5,633/km² or 14,590/mi²) [4]
Detroit, Michigan 2,470/km² 6,398/mi²
Cleveland, Ohio 2,353/km² 6,095/mi² Lakewood (3,895/km² or 10,088/mi²)
St. Louis, Missouri 2,199/km² 5,696/mi² University City (2,457/km² or 6,363.1/mi²)
San Jose, California 1,953/km² 5,059/mi²
Cincinnati, Ohio 1,612/km² 4,174/mi²
Portland, Oregon 1,503/km² 3,894/mi²
Dallas, Texas 1,348/km² 3,492/mi² Vickery Meadows (22,354/km² or 57,897/mi²)[8]
Columbus, Ohio 1,307/km² 3,384/mi²
Houston, Texas 1,287/km² 3,333/mi²
Atlanta, Georgia 1,207/km² 3,126/mi²
Phoenix, Arizona 1,061/km² 2,749/mi²

The most densely populated state is New Jersey (1,121/mi² or 433/km²). See List of U.S. states by population density for maps and complete statistics.

The United States Census Bureau publishes a popular "dot" map showing population distribution at a resolution of 7,500 people,[9] as well as complete listings of population density by place name.[10]

Racial groups

According to the Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey the US population is as follows:[11]

Each of the above categories includes people who identify their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino.[12] U.S. federal law defines Hispanic to indicate any person with ancestry from a Latin American country or Spain.[13]

Religious affiliation

Self-Described Religious Identification of U.S. Adult Population: 1990 and 2001 [5]
All figures after adjusting for refusals to reply, which jumped from 2.3% in 1990 to 5.4% in 2001

U.S. Census [6]
1990 2001 Change
in %
point
Numerical
growth
in %
terms
Total Christian 88.3% 79.8% -8.5% +5.3%
Catholic 26.8% 25.9% -0.9% +10.6%
Baptist 19.8% 17.2% -2.6% -0.4%
Methodist 8.3% 7.2% -1.1% -0.2%
Christian - no denomination reported 4.7% 7.2% +2.5% +75.3%
Lutheran 5.3% 4.9% -0.4% +5.2%
Presbyterian 2.9% 2.8% -0.1% +12.3%
Protestant - no denomination reported 10.0% 2.4% -7.7% -73.0%
Pentecostal/Charismatic 1.9% 2.2% +0.4% +38.1%
Episcopalian/Anglican 1.8% 1.8% -- +13.4%
Mormon/Latter Day Saints 1.5% 1.4% -0.1% +12.1%
Churches of Christ 1.0% 1.3% +0.3% +46.6%
Congregational/United Church of Christ 0.3% 0.7% +0.4% +130.1%
Jehovah's Witnesses 0.8% 0.7% -0.1% -3.6%
Assemblies of God 0.4% 0.6% +0.2% +67.6%
Evangelical 0.1% 0.5% +0.4% +326.4%
Church of God 0.3% 0.5% +0.2% +77.8%
Seventh Day Adventist 0.4% 0.4% -- +8.4%
Eastern Orthodox 0.3% 0.3% -- +28.5%
Other Christian (less than 0.3% each) 1.6% 1.9% +0.3% +40.2%
Total other religions 3.5% 5.2% +1.7% +69.1%
Jewish 1.8% 1.4% -0.4% -9.8%
Non-denominational 0.1% 1.3% +1.2% +1,176.4%
Muslim 0.3% 0.6% +0.3% +109.5%
Buddhist 0.2% 0.5% +0.3% +169.8%
Hindu 0.1% 0.4% +0.3% +237.4%
Unitarian Universalist 0.3% 0.3% -- +25.3%
Others (less than 0.07% each) 0.6% 0.7% +0.1% +25.4%
No Religion/Atheist/Agnostic 8.4% 15.0% +6.6% +105.7%


The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2001 was based on a random digit-dialed telephone survey of 50,281 American residential households in the continental U.S.A (48 states). Respondents were asked to describe themselves in terms of religion with an open-ended question. Interviewers did not prompt or offer a suggested list of potential answers. The primary question of the interview was: What is your religion, if any? The religion of the spouse/partner was also asked. If the initial answer was 'Protestant' or 'Christian' further questions were asked to probe which particular denomination.

Key findings:[7] (Not adjusted for increase in refusals to reply)

  • the proportion of the population that can be classified as Christian has declined from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001;
  • although the number of adults who classify themselves in non-Christian religious groups has increased from about 5.8 million to about 7.7 million, the proportion of non-Christians has increased only by a very small amount - from 3.3% to about 3.7%;
  • the greatest increase in absolute as well as in percentage terms has been among those adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification; their number has more than doubled from 14.3 million in 1990 to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from just 8% of the total in 1990 to over 14% in 2001;
  • there has also been a substantial increase in the number of adults who refused to reply to the question about their religious preference, from about four million or 2% in 1990 to more than eleven million or over 5% in 2001.

Other key findings:

  • Nearly 20% of adults who describe themselves as atheist or agnostic also report that either they themselves or someone else in their household is a member of a church, temple, synagogue, mosque or some other religious institution.
  • On the other hand, nearly 40% of respondents who identified with a religion indicated that neither they themselves nor anyone else in their household belongs to a church or some other similar institution.
  • Despite the growing diversity nationally, some religious groups clearly occupy a dominant demographic position in particular states. For instance, Catholics are the majority of the population in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as are Mormons in Utah and Baptists in Mississippi. Catholics comprise over 40% of Vermont, New Mexico, New York and New Jersey, while Baptists are over 40% in a number of southern states such as South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia.
  • Historical traces of a Bible Belt in the South and a less religious West are still evident. Those with "no religion" constitute the largest "denomination" in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming. In contrast, the percentage of adults who adhere to "no religion" is below 10% in North and South Dakota, the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
  • Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and those with no religion continue to have a greater preference for the Democratic party over the Republican - much as they did in 1990. Evangelical or Born Again Christians and Mormons are the most apt to identify as Republicans. Buddhists and those with no religion are most likely to be political independents. In keeping with their theology, Jehovah's Witnesses disavow political involvement. Catholics, who at one point dominated the major eastern cities following immigration, formerly favored the Democratic Party, but after a century as the largest single religious group are now split roughly 50/50 between Democrats and Republicans.
  • In both the 1990 and 2001 studies, the Buddhist and Muslim population appears to have the highest proportion of young adults under age thirty, and the lowest percentage of females. A number of the major Christian groups have aged since 1990, most notably the Catholics, Methodists, and Lutherans. Congregationalist/United Church of Christ and Presbyterian adherents show an older age str* ARIS2001 found that of all households that contained either a married or domestic partner couple, 22% reported a mixture of religious identification amongst the couple. At the low end there are the Mormon adults who are found in mixed religion families at 12% and such other groups as Baptists, those adhering to the Churches of Christ, Assemblies of God, the Evangelicals and those adhering to the Church of God (all at about 18%). At the high end we find the Episcopalians at 42% group shows the lowest incidence of marriage (just 19%) of all twenty-two groups. In sharp contrast, those identifying with the Assemblies of God or Evangelical/Born Again Christians show the highest proportions married, 73% and 74% respectively. The percent currently divorced or separated varies considerably less, from a low of six percent (Jehovah's Witnesses) to a high of fourteen percent (Pentecostals).
  • The top three "gainers" in America's vast religious market place appear to be Evangelical Christians, those describing themselves as Non-Denominational Christians and those who profess no religion. Looking at patterns of religious change from this perspective, the evidence points as much to the rejection of faith as to the seeking of faith among American adults. Indeed, among those who previously had no religion, just 5% report current identification with one or another of the major religions.
  • Women are more likely than men to describe their outlook as "religious." Older Americans are more likely than younger to describe their outlook as "religious." Black Americans are least likely to describe themselves as secular, Asian Americans are most likely to do so.
  • 68% of those identifying themselves as Lutheran report church membership, while only 45% of those who describe themselves as Protestant (without a specific denominational identification) report church membership. Nearly 68% of those identifying with the Assemblies of God report church membership. Church membership is reported by 59% of Catholic adults. About 53% of adults who identify their religion as Jewish or Judaism report temple or synagogue membership. Among those calling themselves Muslim or Islamic, 62% report membership in a mosque.


Income

In 2006, the median household income in the United States was around $46,000. Household and personal income in the US is dependent on multiple variables such as race, number of income earners, educational attainment and maritial status.

Median household income by selected characteristics [15]
Type of household Race and Hispanic origin Region
All households Family
households
Nonfamily
households
Asian Non-Hispanic White Hispanic
(of any race)
Black Northeast Midwest South West
$70,784 $91,162 $41,797 $101,418 $77,999 $57,981 $48,297 $77,422 $71,129 $63,368 $79,430
Median household income by selected characteristics cont.
Age of Householder Nativity of Householder Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) Status Educational Attainment of Householder*
Under 65 years 65 years and older Native-born Foreign-born Inside MSA Outside MSA No high school diploma High school, no college Some college Bachelor's degree or higher
$80,734 $47,620 $71,522 $66,043 $73,823 $53,750 $30,378 $50,401 $64,378 $115,456
*Householders aged 25 and older. In 2021, the median household income for this group was $72,046.
Median earnings by work status and sex (Persons, aged 15 years and older with earnings)
Total workers Full-Time, year-round workers
Both sexes Male Female Both sexes Male Female
$45,470 $50,983 $39,201 $56,473 $61,180 $51,226
2020 Median earnings & household income by educational attainment [16] [17]
Measure Overall Less than 9th grade Some High School High school graduate Some college Associate's degree Bachelor's degree or higher Bachelor's degree Master's degree Professional degree Doctorate degree
Persons, age 25+ w/ earnings* $46,985 $25,162 $26,092 $34,540 $39,362 $42,391 $66,423 $60,705 $71,851 $102,741 $101,526
Male, age 25+ w/ earnings* $52,298 $30,089 $31,097 $40,852 $47,706 $52,450 $80,192 $71,666 $91,141 $126,584 $121,956
Female, age 25+ w/ earnings* $40,392 $18,588 $19,504 $27,320 $31,837 $36,298 $57,355 $51,154 $62,522 $92,780 $85,551
Persons, age 25+, employed full-time $59,371 $33,945 $34,897 $42,417 $50,640 $52,285 $77,105 $71,283 $82,183 $130,466 $119,552
Household $69,228 $29,609 $29,520 $47,405 $60,392 $68,769 $106,936 $100,128 $114,900 $151,560 $142,493
*Total work experience
Household income distribution
10th percentile 20th percentile 30th percentile 40th percentile 50th percentile 60th percentile 70th percentile 80th percentile 90th percentile 95th percentile
≤ $15,700 ≤ $28,000 ≤ $40,500 ≤ $55,000 $70,800 ≤ $89,700 ≤ $113,200 ≤ $149,100 ≤ $212,100 ≤ $286,300
Source: US Census Bureau, 2021; income statistics for the year 2021

Social class

While social classes in the US lack distinct boundaries and may overlap, they constitute the perhaps most important demographical groups. The following table provides a summarization of currently prominent academic theories on the societal stratification of American society:

Academic class models
Dennis Gilbert, 2002 William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, 2005 Leonard Beeghley, 2004
Class Typical characteristics Class Typical characteristics Class Typical characteristics
Capitalist class (1%) Top-level executives, high-rung politicians, heirs. Ivy League education common. Upper class (1%) Top-level executives, celebrities, heirs; income of $500,000+ common. Ivy league education common. The super-rich (0.9%) Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $3.5 million or more; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common.
Upper middle class[1] (15%) Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees), most commonly salaried, professionals and middle management with large work autonomy. Upper middle class[1] (15%) Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees) professionals & managers with household incomes varying from the high 5-figure range to commonly above $100,000. The rich (5%) Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees.
Middle class (plurality/
majority?; ca. 46%)
College-educated workers with considerably higher-than-average incomes and compensation; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical.
Lower middle class (30%) Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white-collar. Lower middle class (32%) Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education.
Working class (30%) Clerical and most blue-collar workers whose work is highly routinized. Standard of living varies depending on number of income earners, but is commonly just adequate. High school education.
Working class (32%) Clerical, pink- and blue-collar workers with often low job security; common household incomes range from $16,000 to $30,000. High school education. Working class
(ca. 40–45%)
Blue-collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education.
Working poor (13%) Service, low-rung clerical and some blue-collar workers. High economic insecurity and risk of poverty. Some high school education.
Lower class (ca. 14–20%) Those who occupy poorly-paid positions or rely on government transfers. Some high school education.
Underclass (12%) Those with limited or no participation in the labor force. Reliant on government transfers. Some high school education. The poor (ca. 12%) Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education.
References: Gilbert, D. (2002) The American Class Structure: In An Age of Growing Inequality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, ISBN 0534541100. (see also Gilbert Model);
Thompson, W. & Hickey, J. (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon; Beeghley, L. (2004). The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
1 The upper middle class may also be referred to as "Professional class" Ehrenreich, B. (1989). The Inner Life of the Middle Class. NY, NY: Harper-Collins.

Miscellaneous statistics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
17903,929,214
18005,236,63133.3%
18107,239,88138.3%
18209,638,45333.1%
183012,866,02033.5%
184017,069,45332.7%
185023,191,87635.9%
186031,443,32135.6%
187038,558,37122.6%
188049,371,34028.0%
189062,979,76627.6%
190076,212,16821.0%
191092,228,49621.0%
1920106,021,53715.0%
1930123,202,62416.2%
1940132,164,5697.3%
1950151,325,79814.5%
1960179,323,17518.5%
1970203,211,92613.3%
1980226,545,80511.5%
1990248,709,8739.8%
2000281,421,90613.2%

Age structure: (2007 est.)

  • 0–19 years: 27.4% (male 42,667,761; female 40,328,895)
  • 20–64 years: 60.1% (male 89,881,041; female 90,813,578)
  • 65 years and over: 12.6% (male 15,858,477; female 21,991,195)

Population growth rate: 0.90% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 14.20 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 8.30 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.05 migrants/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratios: (2007 est.)

  • at birth: 1.05 males/female
  • under 15 years: 1.05 males/female
  • 15–64 years: 1 male/female
  • 65 years and over: 0.72 male/female
  • total population: 0.97 male/female
  • state-by-state breakdown: United States sex ratio chart

Infant mortality rate: (2007 est.)

  • total population: 6.40 deaths/1,000 live births
  • male: 7.00 deaths/1,000 live births
  • female: 5.70 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy (source: Census Bureau, 2007):

  • total population: 78.00 years
  • male: 75.20 years
  • female: 81.00 years

Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2007 est.)

2.01 children born/women (2000)

1.91 children born/women (1990)

1.81 children born/women (1980)

2.48 children born/women (1970)

3.65 children born/women (1960)

3.01 children born/women (1950)

Literacy: (age 15 and over can read and write, 2006 est.)

  • total population: 99%
  • male: 99%
  • female: 99%

Unemployment rate (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May. 2007 est):

  • all workers: 4.5%
  • adult men: 4.0%
  • adult women: 3.8%
  • teenagers: 15.7%
  • white: 3.9%
  • African American: 8.5%
  • Hispanic or Latino ethnicity: 5.8%
  • Asians: 2.9%

(See List of U.S. states by unemployment rate)

Nationality

noun: American(s)
adjective: American

Much of the material in this section comes from the CIA World Factbook 2006.

The US population is expected to rise to 420 million in 2050 and then 571 million in 2100.

See also

References

  1. ^ "2003 Estimates of US Urban Population". United States Census Bureau.
  2. ^ Immigration & Overpopulation Issues - Californians for Population Stabilization CAPS
  3. ^ "Statistical Abstract of the United States" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  4. ^ "U.S. population hits 300 million mark". MSNBC (Associated Press). 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-10-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Population Is Now One-Third Minority
  6. ^ U.S. Census Bureau: Minority Population Tops 100 Million
  7. ^ http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html
  8. ^ Dallas Population Density Map: 57,897 (people/mi²)
  9. ^ http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/2kpopden.html
  10. ^ http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/density.html
  11. ^ 2005 American Community Survey United States Census Bureau
  12. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau Guidance on the Presentation and Comparison of Race and Hispanic Origin Data". Retrieved 2007-04-05. Race and Hispanic origin are two separate concepts in the federal statistical system. People who are Hispanic may be of any race. People in each race group may be either Hispanic or Not Hispanic. Each person has two attributes, their race (or races) and whether or not they are Hispanic. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |quote= at position 87 (help)
  13. ^ Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity Office of Management and Budget
  14. ^ HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY SPECIFIC ORIGIN United States Census Bureau
  15. ^ Semega, Jessica; Chen, Frances; Kollar, Melissa; Shrider, Emily A. "Income and Poverty in the United States: 2021" (PDF). US CENSUS BUREAU. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Personal Income: PINC-03". US CENSUS BUREAU. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Historical Income Tables: Households". US CENSUS BUREAU. Retrieved 29 June 2022.

External links