[{"index":0,"active":"1","slug":"population","data-format":"decimal","precision":"0","range-breaks":"5","type":"special","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Total Population","short-title":"Total Population","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The total population of a geographic area provides a foundation for tracking demographic trends. Estimates of the total population are used by governments, businesses, planners, researchers, and others to understand population change, develop policies and programs that serve residents, and distribute billions of dollars of funding each year. Between 2000 and 2019, the population of the United States increased by 46 million people, from 282 million to 328 million.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0[https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html](https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html)","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":1,"active":"1","slug":"population-change","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Percent Population Change","short-title":"Percent Population Change","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Understanding how a population changes over time is important to develop effective policies and programs, for planning services and infrastructure, and for business development. Population change is a measure of how much a population grows or declines during a specified time period. Between 2010 and 2019, the population of the United States grew by 6.1%, while the population in the fastest-growing state\u2014Utah\u2014increased by 15.5%.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see [https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html](https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html)","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":2,"active":"1","slug":"births","data-format":"decimal","precision":"0","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Total Births","short-title":"Total Births","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The number of children born each year can inform policymakers about how to allocate educational and health resources to support children and families. The total number of live births in the United States has fallen 13% since 2007, when a record 4.3 million children were born. In 2019, there were about 3.7 million births in the United States.","sources":"U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (accessed January 2021).","notes":"The number of children born each year can inform policymakers about how to allocate educational and health resources to support children and families. The total number of live births in the United States has fallen 13% since 2007, when a record 4.3 million children were born. In 2019, there were about 3.7 million births in the United States.","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"2\/21"},{"index":3,"active":"1","slug":"deaths","data-format":"decimal","precision":"0","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Total Deaths","short-title":"Total Deaths","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The total number of deaths in the United States increased from 2.4 million in 2009 to over 2.8 million in 2019. An increase in deaths can indicate an aging population and\/or an underlying public health issue. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the three leading causes of death in 2019 were heart disease, cancer, and accidents, such as motor vehicle accidents and accidental poisonings (drug overdose).\n ","sources":"U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (accessed January 2021).","notes":"","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"2\/21"},{"index":4,"active":"1","slug":"fertility","data-format":"decimal","precision":"2","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Total Fertility Rate","short-title":"Total Fertility Rate","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children that would be born alive to a woman during her lifetime if she were to pass through her childbearing years conforming to the age-specific fertility rates of a given year. In short, the TFR tells us the number of children women are having today. The TFR has been declining in the United States since 2007, and in 2018 was 1.73 children per woman. That is well below \u201creplacement level,\u201d or the level of fertility at which a couple has only enough children to replace themselves, or about 2.1 children per couple. At the state level, South Dakota had the highest TFR, at 2.15 children per woman, and Vermont, at 1.44 children per woman, had the lowest TFR.","sources":"U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (accessed July 2020).","notes":"","definitions":"The average number of children that would be born alive to a woman (or group of women) during her lifetime if she were to pass through her childbearing years conforming to the age-specific fertility rates of a given year.","related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":5,"active":"1","slug":"migration","data-format":"decimal","precision":"0","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Net Migration Counts","short-title":"Net Migration Counts","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Net migration is the difference between the number of people moving into an area (a country, state, or county, for example) and the number moving out. Between 2010 and 2019, more than 7.6 million more people moved into the United States than left. Within the United States, some states have negative net migration (net outflows of population, such as Illinois and New York) while others have large net inflows. Florida and Texas both had net migration levels of more than 1.9 million between 2010 and 2019.","sources":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0[https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html](https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html)","notes":"","definitions":"The net effect of in-migration and out-migration on an area’s population in a given time period, expressed as an increase or decrease.","related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":6,"active":"1","slug":"race-ethnicity","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Percent of the Population That Are Racial\/Ethnic Minorities","short-title":"Percent of the Population That Are Racial\/Ethnic Minorities","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The racial and ethnic minority population in the United States includes anyone who identifies with a racial or ethnic group other than non-Hispanic White. Currently, about four in 10 people in the United States identify as a racial or ethnic minority (up from about three in 10 in 2000), but shares vary widely across states\u2014from less than 10% (Maine, Vermont, and West Virginia) to more than 60% (California, Hawaii, and New Mexico).","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":"Percent of the population that is not non-Hispanic white (alone).","related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":7,"active":"1","slug":"age65","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":7,"long-title":"Percent of the Population Ages 65 and Older","short-title":"Percent of the Population Ages 65 and Older","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The current growth in the share of the population ages 65 and older is one of the most significant demographic trends in the history of the United States. Population aging has implications for health care, entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and social support and caregiving needs. Between 2000 and 2019, the share of the population that is ages 65 and older increased from 12.4% to 16.5%, with a rapid acceleration starting in 2011 when the oldest baby boomers began to turn 65. This indicator is also used in calculating the old-age support ratio.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":8,"active":"1","slug":"age18","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":2,"long-title":"Percent of the Population Under Age 18","short-title":"Percent of the Population Under Age 18","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Decisionmakers need to understand trends in the child population to develop appropriate social programs and policies for children and families. The number and share of children in the population determines the need for schools, child care facilities, health care, and other services that meet families\u2019 needs. While the total number of children in the United States has grown slightly since 2000, the share of the population that is under age 18 decreased from 25.7% in 2000 to 22.3% in 2019.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":9,"active":"1","slug":"elderly-support-ratio","data-format":"decimal","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":7,"long-title":"Old-Age Support Ratio","short-title":"Old-Age Support Ratio","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Many policymakers and planners are concerned about the shrinking number of workers who will be supporting a growing retired population. One way to evaluate social support needs is through the old-age support ratio. It measures the number of working-age adults ages 18 to 64 for every person age 65 or older. There are currently 3.7 working-age persons for every adult age 65 or older, but this varies widely across states and counties. In 2000, this ratio was 5, but it is projected to drop to only 2.8 by 2030 when all the baby boomers have reached age 65.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2010 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":"The ratio of older adults (ages 65 and older) to the working-age population (18 to 64).","related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":10,"active":"1","slug":"foreign-born","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":9,"long-title":"Percent of the Population Born Outside of the United States","short-title":"Percent of the Population Born Outside of the United States","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"The foreign-born population includes anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth, including those who have become U.S. citizens through naturalization. Demographic data suggest that foreign-born residents in the United States have higher birth rates and longer life expectancy than those who are native born, which (according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau) are expected to contribute to U.S. population growth in the coming decades. In 2014 to 2018, about 13.5% of the U.S. population was foreign-born, up from 11.1% in 2000.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons. Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2013 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information seehttps:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html.","definitions":"Percent of the population born outside of the United States.","related-articles":null,"updated":"3\/21"},{"index":11,"active":"1","slug":"bachelors-degree","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":13,"long-title":"Percent of Adults Ages 25 and Older Who Have Completed a Bachelor's Degree or Higher","short-title":"Percent of Adults Ages 25 and Older Who Have Completed a Bachelor's Degree or Higher","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Educational attainment is strongly associated with employment and lifetime earnings. Nearly one-third (31.5%) of U.S. adults ages 25 and older had completed a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher in 2014 to 2018, up from just a quarter (24.4%) in 2000. Among the states, Massachusetts had the highest share of adults who completed a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher (42.9%) and West Virginia had the lowest share (20.3%).","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons. Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2013 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":"Percent of people ages 25 and older who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.","related-articles":null,"updated":"3\/21"},{"index":12,"active":"1","slug":"income","data-format":"currency","precision":"0","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":null,"long-title":"Median Household Income (2018 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)","short-title":"Median Household Income (2018 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars)","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Median annual household income is the dollar value at which half of all households have incomes below that amount, and half have income above that amount. Factors known to influence changes in median household income include the size of the working-age population, family formation patterns, and economic cycles. Median household income was $60,293 in 2014-18, down from $63,489 in 1999 (in 2018 dollars). Median household income varies widely across states, ranging from $43,567 in Mississippi to $81,868 in Maryland.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Estimates for 2006-2010 and later years reflect income received during the 12 months prior to the survey. Estimates for 1999 reflect income received during calendar year 1999. Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons. Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2013 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see\u00a0https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html","definitions":"Median household income (in 2018 dollars).","related-articles":null,"updated":"3\/21"},{"index":13,"active":"1","slug":"poverty","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":13,"long-title":"Percent of the Population Living in Poverty","short-title":"Percent of the Population Living in Poverty","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Policymakers and researchers use various measures to monitor the social and economic well-being of the U.S. population. The poverty rate measures the share of people whose income falls below the federal poverty threshold for their family type. Poverty rates tend to follow economic cycles, increasing during economic recessions and decreasing when the economy rebounds. In 2018, the federal poverty threshold was $25,465 for a family of two adults and two children. The U.S. poverty rate increased from 12.4% in 1999 to 14.1% in 2014-2018. An estimated 44.3 million Americans lived in poverty in 2014-2018.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Poverty estimates for 2006-2010 and later years reflect income received during the 12 months prior to the survey. Poverty estimates for 1999 reflect income received during calendar year 1999. Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons. Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2013 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see [https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html](https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html)","definitions":"The share of people with incomes below the federal poverty level.","related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"},{"index":14,"active":"1","slug":"marriage-age-men","data-format":"decimal","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":2,"long-title":"Median Age at First Marriage (Men)","short-title":"Median Age at First Marriage (Men)","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Since the mid-twentieth century, the United States has experienced substantial changes in family formation patterns and living arrangements. Changing norms and attitudes toward marriage have resulted in an increase in the proportion of people who never marry as well as a steady rise in the age at first marriage. We continue to observe these trends in the twenty-first century. The median age at first marriage for men was 29.9 years in 2015-2019, up from 28.1 in 2006-2010. The median age at first marriage for women was 28 years in 2015-2019, up from 26.3 in 2006-2010. Age at first marriage also varies widely across states and local areas.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (accessed January 2021).","notes":"Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"3\/21"},{"index":15,"active":"1","slug":"marriage-age-women","data-format":"decimal","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":2,"long-title":"Median Age at First Marriage (Women)","short-title":"Median Age at First Marriage (Women)","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Since the mid-twentieth century, the United States has experienced substantial changes in family formation patterns and living arrangements. Changing norms and attitudes toward marriage have resulted in an increase in the proportion of people who never marry as well as a steady rise in the age at first marriage. We continue to observe these trends in the twenty-first century. The median age at first marriage for women was 28 years in 2015-2019, up from 26.3 in 2006-2010. The median age at first marriage for men was 29.9 years in 2015-2019, up from 28.1 in 2006-2010. Age at first marriage also varies widely across states and local areas.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (accessed January 2021).","notes":"Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"2\/21"},{"index":16,"active":"1","slug":"gini","data-format":"decimal","precision":"2","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":13,"long-title":"Gini Index of Income Inequality","short-title":"Gini Index of Income Inequality","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Levels of income inequality in the United States are increasing. The Gini index is a measure of income dispersion across the distribution of all household incomes. A Gini value of 0 represents total income equality (all households have an equal share of income), while a value of 1 (or 100) represents total income inequality (one household has all the income). In the United States, the Gini index value increased from 46.7% in 2006-2010 to 48.2% in 2015-2019.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (accessed January 2021).","notes":"Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons.","definitions":"The Gini Index is a summary measure of income inequality. A value of 0 indicates perfect equality while a value of 1 (or 100) indicates perfect inequality.","related-articles":null,"updated":"3\/21"},{"index":17,"active":"1","slug":"living-alone","data-format":"percent","precision":"1","range-breaks":"5","type":"standard","focus-area":28,"long-title":"Percent of Adults Ages 18 and Older Living Alone","short-title":"Percent of Adults Ages 18 and Older Living Alone","teaser":null,"snapshot-narrative":"Health improvements and financial gains among older adults, as well as a delay in marriage among younger people, have fueled an increase in the population living alone. In 2014-2018, about 13% of adults ages 18 and older were living alone. But the nationwide percentage masks extensive state and local variation: While at least 15% of adults were living alone in 1,161 of the 3,142 U.S. counties, the share was less than 10% in 252 others.","sources":"U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census and American Community Survey (accessed July 2020).","notes":"Included in these estimates are a small number of children under age 18 who are living alone. Estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. A value of “n\/a” indicates that data are not available or have been suppressed for reliability reasons. Bedford city, Virginia (FIPS 51515) joined Bedford County, Virginia (FIPS 51019) in 2013; data for Bedford County prior to 2013 do not include this boundary change. Prior to 2015, Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02158) was Wade Hampton Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02270); and Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota (FIPS 46113) was Shannon County, South Dakota (FIPS 46102). The boundaries of Petersburg Borough, Alaska (FIPS 02195), Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02105), and Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area, Alaska (FIPS 02198) also changed slightly. For more information see [https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html](https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/geography\/technical-documentation\/county-changes.html)","definitions":null,"related-articles":null,"updated":"9\/20"}]