Demographics of the United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The demographics of the United States depict a largely urban nation, with 57 percent of its population living in places more than 100 miles away from the ocean (2003).[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 (CAPS), U.S. population growth is now the highest among developed countries and exceeds that of China. The majority of population growth in the United States is now attributable to immigrants and births to immigrants. 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). [2][3] 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.
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 mi |
Metropolitan Area |
Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| millions | rank | |||||
| 1 | New York City, New York | 8,143,197 | 26,402.9 | 18.7 | 1 | Northeast |
| 2 | Los Angeles, California | 3,844,829 | 7,876.8 | 12.9 | 2 | West |
| 3 | Chicago, Illinois | 2,842,518 | 12,750.3 | 9.4 | 3 | Midwest |
| 4 | Houston, Texas | 2,016,582 | 3,371.7 | 5.2 | 7 | South |
| 5 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,463,281 | 11,233.6 | 5.8 | 4 | Northeast |
| 6 | Phoenix, Arizona | 1,461,575 | 2,782.0 | 3.7 | 14 | West |
| 7 | San Antonio, Texas | 1,256,509 | 2,808.5 | 1.8 | 29 | South |
| 8 | San Diego, California | 1,255,540 | 3,771.9 | 2.9 | 17 | West |
| 9 | Dallas, Texas | 1,213,825 | 3,469.9 | 5.7 | 5 | South |
| 10 | San Jose, California | 953,679 | 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.
- See also: United States metropolitan area
Contents |
[edit] Population density
The most densely populated state is New Jersey (1,121/mi²). 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,[5] as well as complete listings of population density by place name. [6]
[edit] Racial groups
- Main article: Racial demographics of the United States
According to the Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey the US population is as follows:
- White American, 74.7%, or about 215.3 million (the definition of White includes European Americans, North African Americans, Middle Eastern Americans (e.g. Arab Americans), Central Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans who reported as White in the 2000 Census)
- Black or African American 12.1% or 34.9 million
- Asian American 4.3% or 12.5 million,
- American Indian 0.8% or 2.4 million
- Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 0.1% or 0.4 million
- Some other race 6% or 17.3 million
- Two or more races 1.9% or 5.6 million
Each of the above categories include people who identify themselves as Hispanic. As of the 2000 Census, U.S. federal law defines Hispanic to indicate any person with ancestry from a Latin American country or Spain. Speakers of Ladino are classified with Spanish speakers in the U.S. Census.
- Hispanics of any race: 14.5% or about 41.9 million.
[edit] 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
| 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.
- 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.
[edit] Income
In 2006, the median household income in the United States was around $46,000. Household and personal income in the US dependent on multiple variables such as race, number of income earners, educational attainment and maritial status.
[edit] Miscellaneous statistics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 3,929,214 |
|
|
| 1800 | 5,236,631 | 33.3% | |
| 1810 | 7,239,881 | 38.3% | |
| 1820 | 9,638,453 | 33.1% | |
| 1830 | 12,866,020 | 33.5% | |
| 1840 | 17,069,453 | 32.7% | |
| 1850 | 23,191,876 | 35.9% | |
| 1860 | 31,443,321 | 35.6% | |
| 1870 | 38,558,371 | 22.6% | |
| 1880 | 49,371,340 | 28.0% | |
| 1890 | 62,979,766 | 27.6% | |
| 1900 | 76,212,168 | 21.0% | |
| 1910 | 92,228,496 | 21.0% | |
| 1920 | 106,021,537 | 15.0% | |
| 1930 | 123,202,624 | 16.2% | |
| 1940 | 132,164,569 | 7.3% | |
| 1950 | 151,325,798 | 14.5% | |
| 1960 | 179,323,175 | 18.5% | |
| 1970 | 203,211,926 | 13.3% | |
| 1980 | 226,545,805 | 11.5% | |
| 1990 | 248,709,873 | 9.8% | |
| 2000 | 281,421,906 | 13.2% | |
Age structure: (2006 est.)
- 0–14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847; female 29,715,872)
- 15–64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845; female 100,413,484)
- 65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288; female 21,653,879)
Population growth rate: 0.91% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 14.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.18 migrants/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratios: (2006 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: (2006 est.)
- total population: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
- female: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy (source: CIA World Factbook, 2006):
- total population: 77.85 years
- male: 75.02 years
- female: 80.82 years
Total fertility rate: 2.09 children born/woman (2006 est.)
2.01 children born/women (2000)
1.90 children born/women (1990)
1.81 children born/women (1980)
2.48 children born/women (1970)
3.76 children born/women (1960)
3.69 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, Apr. 2006 est):
- all workers: 4.7%
- adult men: 4.2%
- adult women: 4.3%
- teenagers: 14.6%
- white: 4.1%
- African American: 9.4%
- Hispanic or Latino ethnicity: 14.6%
Nationality: American
(See List of U.S. states by unemployment rate'
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.
[edit] See also
| Income in the United States |
|---|
|
Income by:
|
- United States metropolitan area
- Household income in the United States
- Personal income in the United States
- Affluence in the United States
- Maps of American ancestries
- Languages in the United States
- Internet access in the United States
- Lists of U.S. cities with non-white majority populations
- Largest cities of the world
- Highest-income places in the United States
- Lowest-income counties in the United States
- Places in the United States with notable demographic characteristics
- Demographic history of the United States
- Racial demographics of the United States
- List of U.S. cities with high transit ridership
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Demographics of the United States · Demographic history Economic · Social Race · Ethnicity · Ancestry Asian Americans · African Americans · Africans in the United States · Hispanics in the United States · Native Americans · Pacific Islander American · White Americans · European Americans · Middle Eastern Americans |
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[edit] References
- ^ 2003 Estimates of US Urban Population. United States Census Bureau.
- ^ Statistical Abstract of the United States. United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "U.S. population hits 300 million mark", MSNBC (Associated Press), 2006-10-17. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.
- ^ Dallas Population Density Map: 57,897 (people/mi²)
- ^ http://www.census.gov/geo/www/mapGallery/2kpopden.html
- ^ http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/density.html
