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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Introduction

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Introduction

America's transportation system continues to change along with the population, work force, and economy. The following table puts those changes in perspective:

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Context 1990 2009
Resident population (thousand) 248,791 307,007
Total area (thousand sq. mi.) 3,718 3,794 (2000)a
Total civilian labor force (thousand) 125,840 154,142
Real gross domestic productb (trillion) $8.0 $12.9
Median household incomeb,c $41,465 $45,410
Average household incomeb,c $44,160 $57,342
Average household expendituresb,c $39,338 $44,909
Number of households (thousand) 93,347 117,538
Life expectancy at birth (years) 75.4 77.9 (2007)

a Data for 2000 include inland water, coastal water, Great Lakes, and territorial water. The Census Bureau tabulates area data for the decennial census years only.

b Data in 2005 chained dollars (see Glossary for definition).

c BTS calculations, November 2010.

Sources: AreaU.S. Department of Commerce (USDOC), U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2002 and 2010, available at www.census.gov as of November 2010. GDPUSDOC, Bureau of Economic Analysis, available at www.bea.gov as of November 2010. Population, number of households, and median household incomeUSDOC, U.S. Census Bureau, available at www.census.gov as of November 2010. Average household income and expenditures, and labor forceU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at www.bls.gov as of November 2010. Life expectancyCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, available at www.cdc.gov as of November 2010.