Demographics of the United States

The United States has a total resident population of 309,127,000.[1] It is a very urbanized population, with 81% residing in cities and suburbs as of mid-2005 (the worldwide urban rate was 49%).California and Texas are the most populous states, as the mean center of United States population has consistently shifted westward and southward.

The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2009 is 2.05 children per woman,which is roughly the replacement level. However, U.S. population growth is among the highest in industrialized countries,since the vast majority of these have below-replacement fertility rates and the U.S. has higher levels of immigration.The United States Census Bureau shows population increases ranging between 0.85% and 0.89% for the twelve-month periods ending in 2009.Nonetheless, though high by industrialized country standards, this is below the world average annual rate of 1.19%.

People under 20 years of age made up over a quarter of the U.S. population (27.6%), and people age 65 and over made up one-eighth (12.6%) in 2007.The national median age was 36.7 years.Racially, the U.S. has a White American majority. Minorities compose just over one-third of the population (102.5 million in 2007), with Hispanic and Latino Americans and African Americans as the largest minority groups, by ethnicity and race, respectively.

The American population more than tripled during the 20th century—a growth rate of about 1.3% a year—from about 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000. It reached the 200 million mark in 1967, and the 300 million mark on October 17, 2006. Currently, population growth is fastest among minorities as a whole, and according to the Census Bureau's estimation for 2005, 45% of American children under the age of 5 belonged to minority groups.



Hispanic and Latino Americans accounted for almost half (1.4 million) of the national population growth of 2.9 million between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006.Immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants are expected to provide most of the U.S. population gains in the decades ahead.Since the liberalization of immigration policy in 1965,the number of first-generation immigrants living in the United States has quadrupled,[18] from 9.6 million in 1970 to about 38 million in 2007.Almost 97% of residents of the 10 largest American cities in 1900 were non-Hispanic whites.[20] In 2006, non-Hispanic whites were the minority in thirty-five of the fifty largest cities.

The Census Bureau projects a U.S. population of 439 million in 2050, which is a 46% increase from 2007 (301.3 million).However, the United Nations projects a U.S. population of 402 million in 2050, an increase of 32% from 2007 (the UN projects a gain of 38% for the world at large).In either case, such growth is unlike most European countries, especially Germany, Russia, Italy, and Greece, or Asian countries such as Japan or South Korea, whose populations are slowly declining, and whose fertility rates are below replacement.

As of 24 April 2010, the United States has 4.53% of the world's population.

The first U.S. census, in 1790, recorded four million Americans. By 2000, this number had grown to 281 million. It is expected to reach 310 million by 2010 and 439 million by 2050.


U.S. population clock hits the 300 million mark


United States population pyramid.
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%
2010 309,162,581 9.9%
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Cities
* 2 Population density
* 3 Race and ethnicity
o 3.1 Hispanic and Latino Americans
* 4 Projections
* 5 Other subgroups
* 6 Religion
o 6.1 Religions of American adults
* 7 Income
* 8 Social class
* 9 Demographic statistics
o 9.1 Median age
o 9.2 Age structure
o 9.3 Population growth rate
o 9.4 Birth rate
o 9.5 Death rate
o 9.6 Net migration rate
o 9.7 Sex ratios
o 9.8 Infant mortality rate
o 9.9 Life expectancy at birth
o 9.10 Total fertility rate
o 9.11 Unemployment rate
o 9.12 Nationality
* 10 Population projections
* 11 See also
* 12 References
* 13 External links

Cities
See also: United States metropolitan area and List of United States cities by population

The United States has dozens of major cities, including 8 of the 60 "global cities"[24] of all types, with three "alpha" global cities: New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.[25] As of 2008[update], the United States had 52 metropolitan areas with a population of over 1,000,000 people each. (See Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas.)

The following table shows the populations of the top ten cities and their metropolitan areas, as of July 1, 2008.
Leading population centers
Rank Core city State Pop.[26] Metro area rank Metro area pop.[27] Region[28]
New York City
New York City

Los Angeles
Los Angeles
1 New York New York 8,363,710 1 19,006,798 Northeast
2 Los Angeles California 3,833,995 2 12,872,808 West
3 Chicago Illinois 2,853,114 3 9,569,624 Midwest
4 Houston Texas 2,242,193 6 5,728,143 South
5 Phoenix Arizona 1,567,924 12 4,281,899 West
6 Philadelphia Pennsylvania 1,447,395 5 5,838,471 Northeast
7 San Antonio Texas 1,351,305 28 2,031,445 South
8 Dallas Texas 1,279,910 4 6,300,006 South
9 San Diego California 1,279,329 17 3,001,072 West
10 San Jose California 948,279 31 1,819,198 West
2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates
[edit] Population density
See also: List of United States cities by population density
2000 U.S. population density within each county, 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. census-designated places (CDPs)


Place↓ Government type↓ Density↓
Friendship Village, Maryland 31,657/km2 81,992/mi2
Manhattan, New York Borough & County 25,850/km2 66,940/mi2
Guttenberg, New Jersey Town 21,961/km2 56,012/mi2
Union City, New Jersey City 20,454/km2 52,978/mi2
West New York, New Jersey Town 17,124/km2 44,352/mi2
Edgewater, Illinois 13,800/km2 35,743/mi2
Brooklyn, New York Borough & County 13,481/km2 34,917/mi2
The Bronx, New York Borough & County 12,242/km2 31,709/mi2
Hoboken, New Jersey City 11,675/km2 30,239/mi2
Back Bay/Beacon Hill, Massachusetts 11,463/km2 29,690/mi2
New York City, New York City 10,194/km2 26,403/mi2
Maywood, California City 9,189/km2 23,887/mi2
Cliffside Park, New Jersey Borough 9,253/km2 23,848/mi2
East Newark, New Jersey Borough 9,178/km2 23,330/mi2
Passaic, New Jersey City 8,425/km2 21,805/mi2
Cudahy, California City 8,345/km2 21,628/mi2
Great Neck Plaza, New York Village 8,052/km2 20,853/mi2
Irvington, New Jersey City 7,926/km2 20,528/mi2
Queens, New York Borough & County 7,880/km2 20,409/mi2
North Bay Village, Florida City 7,825/km2 20,267/mi2
Huntington Park, California City 7,819.5/km2 20,254/mi2
Kaser, New York Village 7,468/km2 19,343/mi2
West Hollywood, California City 7,335/km2 18,993/mi2
Somerville, Massachusetts City 7,285/km2 18,868/mi2[29]
East Orange, New Jersey City 6,860/km2 17,777/mi2
Bell Gardens, California City 6,842/km2 17,721/mi2
Paterson, New Jersey City 6,826/km2 17,675/mi2
Sweetwater, Florida City 6,774/km2 17,440/mi2
San Francisco, California City & County 6,349/km2 16,443/mi2
Long Beach, New York City 6,398/km2 16,595/mi2
Jersey City, New Jersey 6,195/km2 16,094/mi2
Chelsea, Massachusetts City 6,211/km2 16,086/mi2
Lawndale, California City 6,192/km2 16,037/mi2
Weehawken, New Jersey Township 6,136/km2 15,891/mi2
South Floral Park, New York Village 6,091/km2 15,776/mi2
Cambridge, Massachusetts City 6,086/km2 15,766/mi2
Mount Vernon, New York City 6058/km2 15,689/mi2
Central Falls, Rhode Island 6,096/km2 15,652/mi2[30]
Fairview, New Jersey Borough 6,021/km2 15,586/mi2
Hawaiian Gardens, California City 5,942/km2 15,390/mi2
Stone Park, Illinois Village 5,999/km2 15,378/mi2
Hempstead, New York Village 5,547/km2 15,366/mi2
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida City 5,881/km2 15,231/mi2
Orange, New Jersey Township 5,754/km2 14,904/mi2
Bell, California City 5,715/km2 14,803/mi2
Cicero, Illinois 5,651/km2 14,645/mi2
Lynwood, California City 5,556/km2 14,389/mi2
Palisades Park, New Jersey Borough 5,449/km2 14,112/mi2
Fort Lee, New Jersey Borough 5,412/km2 14,002/mi2
Garfield, New Jersey City 5,399/km2 13,976/mi2
Hawthorne, California City 5,359/km2 13,879/mi2
Berwyn, Illinois City 5,361/km2 13,876/mi2
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida Town 5,357/km2 13,875/mi2
Millbourne, Pennsylvania Borough 5,309/km2 13,749/mi2
Daly City, California City 5,353/km2 13,704/mi2
Elmwood Park, Illinois Village 5,136/km2 13,328/mi2
South Gate, California City 5,052/km2 13,084/mi2
Manorhaven, New York Village 5,041/km2 13,056/mi2
Hudson County, New Jersey County 5,036/km2 13,044/mi2
Mount Rainier, Maryland City 5,034/km2 13,039/mi2
Hermosa Beach, California City 5,013/km2 12,982/mi2
Woodlynne, New Jersey Borough 4,996/km2 12,939/mi2
Island Park, New York Village 4,938/km2 12,866/mi2
New Square, New York Village 4,947/km2 12,812/mi2
Chicago, Illinois 4,866/km2 12,603/mi2
Miami Beach, Florida 4,830/km2 12,502/mi2
Santa Ana, California 4,751/km2 12,306/mi2
Boston, Massachusetts 4,697/km2 12,166/mi2
Spring Valley, New York 4,682/km2 12,123/mi2
Hialeah, Florida 4,544/km2 11,768/mi2
Hamtramck, Michigan 4,537/km2 11,750/mi2
Newark, New Jersey 4,459/km2 11,548/mi2
Miami, Florida 4,407/km2 11,534/mi2
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 4,190/km2 10,852/mi2
Yonkers, New York 4,162/km2 10,780/mi2
Lakewood, Ohio 3,895/km2 10,088/mi2
Berkeley, California 3,793/km2 9,823/mi2[31]
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
Detroit, Michigan 2,470/km2 6,398/mi2
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2,399.5/km2 6,214.7/mi2
Cleveland, Ohio 2,353/km2 6,095/mi2
St. Louis, Missouri 2,199/km2 5,696/mi2
University City, Missouri 2,457/km2 6,363.1/mi2
Mechanicville, New York 2,091/km2 5,577/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
Atlanta, Georgia 1,425/km2 3,690.5/mi2
Denver, Colorado 1,396.4/km2 3,642/mi2
Dallas, Texas 1,348/km2 3,492/mi2
Columbus, Ohio 1,307/km2 3,384/mi2
Houston, Texas 1,287/km2 3,333/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,[32] as well as complete listings of population density by place name.[33]
[edit] Race and ethnicity
Main articles: Racial and ethnic demographics of the United States and Hyphenated American

The U.S. population's distribution by race and ethnicity in 2008 was as follows:[34][35]

* Total population: 304.1 million

Race and Hispanic or Latino origin Percentage Number
White alone
(Not including the 29.2 million
White Hispanic and Latino Americans: 65.4% or 198.9 million) 75.0% 228.2 million
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, of any race 15.4% 46.9 million
Black or African American alone 12.4% 37.6 million
Some other race alone 4.9% 15.0 million
Asian alone 4.4% 13.4 million
Two or more races 2.3% 7.0 million
American Indian or Alaska Native alone 0.8% 2.4 million
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone 0.14% 0.43 million

These figures add up to more than 100% on this table because Hispanic and Latino Americans are distributed among all the races and are also listed as an ethnicity category, resulting in a double count.
[edit] Hispanic and Latino Americans

Each of the racial categories includes people who identify their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino.[36] U.S. federal law defines Hispanic or Latino as "those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the Census 2000 or ACS questionnaire - "Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban" - as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.""[37] The total population of Hispanic and Latino Americans comprised 46.9 million or 15.4% of the national total in 2008, with the following racial distribution:[35]

* White or European American alone: 62.4% or 29.2 million
* Some other race alone: 30.5% or 14.3 million
* Two or more races: 3.9% or 1.8 million
* Black or African American alone: 1.9% or 0.885 million
* American Indian or Alaska Native alone: 1.0% or 0.450 million
* Asian alone: 0.37% or 0.174 million
* Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone: 0.05% or 0.025 million

[edit] Projections
U.S. Census Population projections 2008 2050
Non-Hispanic whites 66% 46%
Hispanics (of any race) 15% 30%
African Americans 14% 15%
Asian Americans 5% 9%

A report in August 2008[38] from the U.S. Census Bureau projects that non-Hispanic whites will no longer make up the majority of the population by 2042, but will continue to constitute the largest minority. This is a revision of earlier projections that this would occur in 2050. Today, non-Hispanic White Americans make up about 66% of the population. This percentage is expected to fall to 46% in 2050. The report foresees the Hispanic and Latino population rising from 15% today to 30% by 2050. Today, African Americans make up 14% of the population, in 2050 they are projected to comprise 15%. Asian Americans make up 5% of the population and are expected to make up 9% in 2050. The U.S. has 308 million people today, and is projected to reach 400 million by 2039 and 439 million in 2050.[22][39][40]

A report from the Pew Research Center in 2008 projects that by 2050, non-Hispanic Whites will make up 47% of the population, down from 67% projected in 2005.[41] Non-Hispanic whites made up 85% of the population in 1960.[42] It foresees the Hispanic population rising from 14% in 2005 to 29% by 2050.[43] The proportion of Asian Americans would almost double by 2050. Overall, the population of the U.S. was due to rise from 296 million in 2005 to 438 million, with 82% of the increase due to immigration.[44]

Of the nation's children in 2050, 62% are expected to be of a minority ethnicity, up from 44% today. Approximately 39% are projected to be Hispanic (up from 22% in 2008), and 38% are projected to be single-race, non-Hispanic whites (down from 56% in 2008).[45]
[edit] Other subgroups

According to 2004 figures from the Census Bureau, there were some 32 million disabled adults (aged 18 or over) in the United States, plus another 5 million children and youth (under age 18).[citation needed]

There were 22.1 million veterans in 2009.[46]

The 2000 U.S. Census counted same-sex couples in an oblique way; asking the sex and the relationship to the "main householder", whose sex was also asked. One organization specializing in analyzing gay demographic data reported, based on this count in the 2000 census and in the 2000 supplementary survey, that same-sex couples comprised between 0.99% and 1.13% of U.S. couples in 2000.[47] A 2006 report issued by The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation concluded that the number of same-sex couples in the U.S. grew from 2000 to 2005, from nearly 600,000 couples in 2000 to almost 777,000 in 2005. 4.1% of Americans aged 18–45 identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual[48] (Other estimates have varied depending on methodology and timing; see Demographics of sexual orientation for a list of studies.) The American Community Survey from the 2000 U.S. Census estimated 776,943 same-sex couple households in the country as a whole, representing about 0.5% of the population.[48]

Fewer than 1% of Americans serve in the Armed Forces.[49]
[edit] Religion
Main article: Religion in the United States
Major religions by overall percentage

The table below is based mainly on selected data as reported to the United States Census Bureau. It only includes the voluntary self-reported membership of religious bodies with 60,000 or more. The definition of a member is determined by each religious body. As of 2004[update], the US census bureau reported that about 13% of the population did not identify itself as a member of any religion.[50]
Religious body↓ Year reported↓ Places of worship reported↓ Membership
(thousands)↓ Number of clergy↓
African Methodist Episcopal Church 1999 - 2500 7741
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church 2002 3226 1431 3252
American Baptist Association 1998 1760 275 1740
Amish, Old Order 1993 898 227 3592
American Baptist Churches USA 1998 3800 1507 4145
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America 1998 220 65 263
Armenian Apostolic Church 1998 28 200 25
Assemblies of God 1998 11937 2526 18148
Baptist Bible Fellowship International 1997 4500 1200 -
Baptist General Conference 1998 876 141 -
Baptist Missionary Association of America 1999 1334 235 1525
Buddhism 2001 - 1082 -
Christian and Missionary Alliance, The 1998 1964 346 1629
Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren) 1997 1150 100 -
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1997 3818 879 3419
Independent Christian Churches/Churches of Christ 1998 5579 1072 5525
Christian Congregation, Inc., The 1998 1438 117 1436
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church 1983 2340 719 -
Christian Reformed Church in North America 1998 733 199 655
Church of God in Christ 1991 15300 5500 28988
Church of God of Prophecy 1997 1908 77 2000
Church of God (Anderson, IN) 1998 2353 234 3034
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) 1995 6060 753 3121
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2005 12753 5691 38259
Church of the Brethren 1997 1095 141 827
Church of the Nazarene 1998 5101 627 4598
Churches of Christ 1999 15000 1500 14500
Conservative Baptist Association of America 1998 1200 200 -
Community of Christ 1998 1236 140 19319
Coptic Orthodox Church 2003 200 1000 200
Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1998 774 87 634
Episcopal Church 1996 7390 2365 8131
Evangelical Covenant Church, The 1998 628 97 607
Evangelical Free Church of America, The 1995 1224 243 1936
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 1998 10862 5178 9646
Evangelical Presbyterian Church 1998 187 61 262
Free Methodist Church of North America 1998 990 73 -
Full Gospel Fellowship 1999 896 275 2070
General Association of General Baptists 1997 790 72 1085
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches 1998 1415 102 -
U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches 1996 368 82 590
Grace Gospel Fellowship 1992 128 60 160
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 1998 523 1955 596
Hinduism 2001 - 766 -
Independent Fundamental Churches of America 1999 659 62 -
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel 1998 1851 238 4900
International Council of Community Churches 1998 150 250 182
International Pentecostal Holiness Church 1998 1716 177 1507
Islam 2001 - 1104 -
Jehovah's Witnesses 2007 12494 1040 -
Judaism 2001 - 2831 -
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, The 1998 6218 2594 5227
Mennonite Church USA 2005 943 114 -
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches 1998 416 67 534
National Association of Free Will Baptists 1998 2297 210 2800
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. 1987 2500 3500 8000
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. 1992 33000 8200 32832
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America 1992 - 2500 -
Orthodox Church in America 1998 625 1000 700
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. 1998 1750 1500 4500
Pentecostal Church of God 1998 1237 104 -
Pentecostal Church International, United 2008 28351 4037 22881
Presbyterian Church in America 1997 1340 280 1642
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 1998 11260 3575 9390
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. 1995 2000 2500 -
Reformed Church in America 1998 902 296 915
Religious Society of Friends (Conservative) 1994 1200 104 -
Roman Catholic Church 2002 19484 66404 50,017 (1997)[51]
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate 1996 37 65 37
Salvation Army, The 1998 1388 471 2920
Scientology 2005 1300 55[52] 1
Serbian Orthodox Church 1986 68 67 60
Seventh-day Adventist Church 1998 4405 840 2454
Sikhism 1999 244 80 -
Southern Baptist Convention 1998 40870 16500 71520
Unitarian Universalism 2001 - 629 -
United Church of Christ 1998 6017 1421 4317
United House of Prayer For All People - 100 2500 -
United Methodist Church, The 1998 36170 8400 -
Wesleyan Church, The 1998 1590 120 1806
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 1997 1240 411 1222
Religions of the United States
Plurality religion by state, 2001. Data is unavailable for Alaska and Hawaii.
Religious affiliation within each state that has the largest deviation compared to the national average, 2001.
Percentage of state populations that identify with a religion rather than "no religion", 2001.
[edit] Religions of American adults
Main article: Religion in the United States

The United States government does not collect religious data in its census. The survey below, the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, was a random digit-dialed telephone survey of 54,461 American residential households in the contiguous United States. The 1990 sample size was 113,723; 2001 sample size was 50,281

Adult respondents were asked the open-ended question, "What is your religion, if any?". Interviewers did not prompt or offer a suggested list of potential answers. The religion of the spouse or partner was also asked. If the initial answer was "Protestant" or "Christian" further questions were asked to probe which particular denomination. About one third of the sample was asked more detailed demographic questions.

Religious Self-Identification of the U.S. Adult Population: 1990, 2001, 2008[53]
Figures are not adjusted for refusals to reply; investigators suspect refusals are possibly more representative of "no religion" than any other group.
Source:ARIS 2008[53] Group
↓ 1990
adults
x 1,000
↓ 2001
adults
x 1,000
↓ 2008
adults
x 1,000
↓
Numerical
Change
1990-
2008
as %
of 1990
↓ 1990
% of
adults
↓ 2001
% of
adults
↓ 2008
% of
adults
↓ change
in % of
total
adults
1990-
2008
↓
Adult population, total 175,440 207,983 228,182 30.1%
Adult population, Responded 171,409 196,683 216,367 26.2% 97.7% 94.6% 94.8% -2.9%
Total Christian 151,225 159,514 173,402 14.7% 86.2% 76.7% 76.0% -10.2%
Catholic 46,004 50,873 57,199 24.3% 26.2% 24.5% 25.1% -1.2%
non-Catholic Christian 105,221 108,641 116,203 10.4% 60.0% 52.2% 50.9% -9.0%
Baptist 33,964 33,820 36,148 6.4% 19.4% 16.3% 15.8% -3.5%
Mainline Christian 32,784 35,788 29,375 -10.4% 18.7% 17.2% 12.9% -5.8%
Methodist 14,174 14,039 11,366 -19.8% 8.1% 6.8% 5.0% -3.1%
Lutheran 9,110 9,580 8,674 -4.8% 5.2% 4.6% 3.8% -1.4%
Presbyterian 4,985 5,596 4,723 -5.3% 2.8% 2.7% 2.1% -0.8%
Episcopalian/Anglican 3,043 3,451 2,405 -21.0% 1.7% 1.7% 1.1% -0.7%
United Church of Christ 438 1,378 736 68.0% 0.2% 0.7% 0.3% 0.1%
Christian Generic 25,980 22,546 32,441 24.9% 14.8% 10.8% 14.2% -0.6%
Christian Unspecified 8,073 14,190 16,384 102.9% 4.6% 6.8% 7.2% 2.6%
Non-denominational Christian 194 2,489 8,032 4040.2% 0.1% 1.2% 3.5% 3.4%
Protestant - Unspecified 17,214 4,647 5,187 -69.9% 9.8% 2.2% 2.3% -7.5%
Evangelical/Born Again 546 1,088 2,154 294.5% 0.3% 0.5% 0.9% 0.6%
Pentecostal/Charismatic 5,647 7,831 7,948 40.7% 3.2% 3.8% 3.5% 0.3%
Pentecostal - Unspecified 3,116 4,407 5,416 73.8% 1.8% 2.1% 2.4% 0.6%
Assemblies of God 617 1,105 810 31.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.4% 0.0%
Church of God 590 943 663 12.4% 0.3% 0.5% 0.3% 0.0%
Other Protestant Denominations 4,630 5,949 7,131 54.0% 2.6% 2.9% 3.1% 0.5%
Churches of Christ 1,769 2,593 1,921 8.6% 1.0% 1.2% 0.8% -0.2%
Jehovah's Witness 1,381 1,331 1,914 38.6% 0.8% 0.6% 0.8% 0.1%
Seventh-Day Adventist 668 724 938 40.4% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.0%
Mormon/Latter-Day Saints 2,487 2,697 3,158 27.0% 1.4% 1.3% 1.4% 0.0%
Total non-Christian religions 5,853 7,740 8,796 50.3% 3.3% 3.7% 3.9% 0.5%
Jewish 3,137 2,837 2,680 -14.6% 1.8% 1.4% 1.2% -0.6%
Eastern Religions 687 2,020 1,961 185.4% 0.4% 1.0% 0.9% 0.5%
Buddhist 404 1,082 1,189 194.3% 0.2% 0.5% 0.5% 0.3%
Muslim 527 1,104 1,349 156.0% 0.3% 0.5% 0.6% 0.3%
New Religious Movements & Others 1,296 1,770 2,804 116.4% 0.7% 0.9% 1.2% 0.5%
None/ No religion, total 14,331 29,481 34,169 138.4% 8.2% 14.2% 15.0% 6.8%
Agnostic+Atheist 1,186 1,893 3,606 204.0% 0.7% 0.9% 1.6% 0.9%
Did Not Know/ Refused to reply 4,031 11,300 11,815 193.1% 2.3% 5.4% 5.2% 2.9%
[edit] Income
Main articles: Household income in the United States, Personal income in the United States, Affluence in the United States, and Income inequality in the United States

In 2006, the median household income in the United States was around $46,000. Household and personal income depends on variables such as race, number of income earners, educational attainment and marital status.
Median income levels
Households Persons, age 25 or older with earnings Household income by race
All households Dual earner
households Per household
member Males Females Both sexes Asian White,
non-hispanic Hispanic Black
$46,326 $67,348 $23,535 $39,403 $26,507 $32,140 $57,518 $48,977 $34,241 $30,134
Median personal income by educational attainment
Measure 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 $20,321 $26,505 $31,054 $35,009 $49,303 $43,143 $52,390 $82,473 $70,853
Male, age 25+ w/ earnings $24,192 $32,085 $39,150 $42,382 $60,493 $52,265 $67,123 $100,000 $78,324
Female, age 25+ w/ earnings $15,073 $21,117 $25,185 $29,510 $40,483 $36,532 $45,730 $66,055 $54,666
Persons, age 25+, employed full-time $25,039 $31,539 $37,135 $40,588 $56,078 $50,944 $61,273 $100,000 $79,401
Household $22,718 $36,835 $45,854 $51,970 $73,446 $68,728 $78,541 $100,000 $96,830
Household income distribution
Bottom 10% Bottom 20% Bottom 25% Middle 33% Middle 20% Top 25% Top 20% Top 5% Top 1.5% Top 1%
$0 to $10,500 $0 to $18,500 $0 to $22,500 $30,000 to $62,500 $35,000 to $55,000 $77,500 and up $92,000 and up $167,000 and up $250,000 and up $350,000 and up
Source: US Census Bureau, 2006; income statistics for the year 2005
[edit] Social class
Main article: Social class in the United States

Social classes in the U.S. lack distinct boundaries and may overlap. The following table provides a summary of currently prominent academic theories on the 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 $350,000; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common.
The Rich (5%) Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees.
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
Middle class (plurality/
majority?; ca. 46%) College educated workers with incomes considerably above-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 craftsman 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; 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-Colins.


Demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.[54]
[edit] Median age

* 36.7 years (2009 est.)

Age structure
A population pyramid that shows the age of the population by sex from 1950-2010.

(2009 est.)

* 0–14 years: 20.2%
(male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
* 15–64 years: 67.0%
(male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
* 65 years and over: 12.8%
(male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696)

Population growth rate

0.977% (2009 est.)

Birth rate

13.83 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate

8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Net migration rate

4.32 migrants/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Sex ratios

(2009 est.)

* at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
* under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
* 15−64 years: 1 male(s)/female
* 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
* total population: 0.97 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate

(2009 est.)

* total population: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births
* male: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births
* female: 5.51 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth

(2009 est.)

* total population: 78.11 years
* male: 75.65 years
* female: 80.69 years

Total fertility rate

* 2.05 children born/woman (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate

(2008[55])

* All workers: 5.8%
* Adult men: 6.1%
* Adult women: 5.4%
* White: 5.2%
* Black or African American: 10.1%
* Hispanic or Latino ethnicity: 7.6%
* Asians: 4.0%

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

* noun: American(s)
* adjective: American
Population projections

2008 US Census Bureau data

* 2010: 310,232,863
* 2020: 341,386,665
* 2030: 373,503,674
* 2040: 405,655,295
* 2050: 439,010,253