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SpatialNews Press Release
Census Bureau Report Answers Many Questions
About America's Population
url(s): http://www.census.gov
Did you know that mothers with infants were almost twice as likely to be
in the labor force in 1998 as they were in 1976? That the 1999 median
household income was the highest ever recorded for non-Hispanic White,
African American and Hispanic households? Or that, on a scale of 1 to 10,
more than half of older householders rated their homes a "9" or better?
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau today released a biennial report
that answers these and many other questions. Called
Population Profile of
the United States: America at the Close of the 20th Century, this
88-page report constitutes an all-in-one source of information on the
country's demographic, socioeconomic and housing trends from previously
released data.
The information in it should not be confused with Census 2000 results,
which are scheduled for release over the next three years.
Although the report's information is mostly at the national level, some
data are also provided for states. The Internet version will be a "living"
document; that is, it will be updated as needed until the next edition of
the report appears in two years.
Each of the report's 19 chapters presents analysis and graphics on a
different topic. Subjects covered are: population distribution;
geographical mobility; fertility; households, families, marital status and
living arrangements; children's well-being; housing; school enrollment;
educational attainment; computer use; voting and registration; income;
poverty; meeting basic needs; health insurance coverage; race and
ethnicity; the foreign-born; older adults; and people with disabilities.
Each chapter defines key terms and contains information about how to
access additional data on the topic.
Some additional highlights:
- Of the 40 million registered voters who did not vote in the November 1998
election, about one-third claimed they were too busy or had conflicting
work or school schedules.
- For many workers, computers have become as essential as desks. Half of
employed adults used a computer on the job in 1997, more than double the
share who did in 1984.
- In a nine-year period (1990-1999), the country's median age rose by three
years to 36.
- In 1998, about 10 percent of women ended their childbearing years with four
or more children, compared with 36 percent of women in 1976.
- California was home to 30 percent of the country's foreign-born population
in 1999.
- In 1997, one-fifth of adults had some type of disability.
The report is based on data released as of October 2000. While
emphasizing trends that took place during the 1990s, it also includes data
collected throughout the 20th century. Many of the chapters contain
statistics from more than one Census Bureau source. The primary data
sources are the agency's population estimates program, the Current
Population Survey, the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the
American Housing Survey.
Released along with the report was an interactive slide show, which
contains highlights from the report.
As with all data from surveys, the estimates are subject to sampling
variability and other sources of error.
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