Wednesday, August 10, 2011

U.S. Demographics

As regular readers know, COTTonLINE loves demographics, the ebb and flow of human life. Out of the 2010 census, USA Today has a great article on how we have changed in the U.S. over the last twenty years. Hat tip to the other DrC for recommending it.

Here are some highlights. We are getting older, with men's health improving more than women's. We are more diverse, more Hispanics being the main factor. More people are multiracial or multiethnic.

There are more households with three or more generations under one roof. On the other hand, more of us live alone. Fewer marry, they marry later, and have fewer children therefore more children are born to unmarried mothers.

We've continued to move South and West, and to the suburbs. Women now earn more college degrees than men, including graduate degrees. We spend longer as less-than-adults but also retire later.