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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

Summary of Social and Economic Characteristics of the United States: 1980-2000

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Summary of Social and Economic Characteristics of the United States: 1980-2000

  1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Total U.S. resident population (thousands)a 227,225 237,924 248,791 262,803 265,229 267,784 270,248 272,691 276,059
Age (thousands)a                  
Under 18 63,754 62,623 63,949 68,555 69,109 69,603 69,903 70,199 70,484
18-24 years 30,022 28,902 26,961 25,112 24,843 24,980 25,476 26,011 26,748
25-34 37,082 41,696 43,174 40,730 40,246 39,559 38,743 37,936 37,189
35-44 25,634 31,691 37,444 42,555 43,365 44,014 44,498 44,813 44,813
45-54 22,800 22,460 25,062 31,100 32,358 33,625 34,575 35,804 37,685
55-64 21,703 22,135 21,116 21,132 21,353 21,813 22,666 23,389 24,209
65 and over 25,550 28,415 31,083 33,619 33,957 34,185 34,385 34,540 39,301
Sex (thousands) b                  
Male 110,053 116,160 121,284 128,294 129,504 130,783 132,030 133,277 134,979
Female 116,493 122,576 127,507 134,510 135,724 137,001 138,212 139,414 141,080
Metropolitan areas (population in millions)                  
Large (over 1 million) 119 U 139 147 149 151 153 156 U
Medium (250,000-999,999) 41 U 41 44 44 43 43 43 U
Small (less than 250,000) 17 U 18 19 19 20 20 20 U
Rural vs urban area (population in thousands)                  
Rural 59,495 U 61,656 U U U U U U
Urban 167,051 U 187,053 U U U U U U
Regions (population in millions) c                  
Northeast 49.1 49.9 50.8 51.4 51.6 51.6 51.7 51.8 U
South 75.4 81.4 85.5 91.8 93.1 94.2 95.3 96.5 U
Midwest 58.9 58.8 59.7 61.8 62.1 62.5 63.0 63.2 U
West 43.2 47.8 52.8 57.7 58.5 59.4 60.3 61.2 U
Immigrants admitted 530,639 570,009 1,536,483 720,461 915,900 798,378 660,447 U U
Total area (square miles) 3,618,770 U 3,717,796 U U U U U U

 

  1980 1985 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (chained $ 1996 billions)d 4,901 5,717 6,708 7,544 7,813 8,160 8,516 8,876 9,319
Total civilian labor force (thousands)e 106,940 115,461 125,840 132,304 133,943 136,297 137,673 139,368 141,489
Participation rate of men (percent) 77.40 76.30 76.40 75.00 74.90 75.00 74.90 74.70 74.60
Participation rate of women (percent) 51.50 54.50 57.50 58.90 59.30 59.80 59.80 60.00 60.20
Unemployment rate (percent) 7.10 7.20 5.60 5.60 5.40 4.90 4.50 4.20 4.00
Men (percent) 6.90 7.00 5.70 5.60 5.40 4.90 4.40 4.10 4.00
Women (percent) 7.40 7.40 5.50 5.60 5.40 5.00 4.60 4.30 4.00
Number of households (thousands) 80,776 86,789 93,347 98,990 99,627 101,018 102,528 U U
Average size of households 2.76 2.69 2.63 2.65 2.65 2.64 2.62 U U
Median household income (chained $ 1996) 33,722 34,439 35,945 35,082 35,492 36,175 37,430 U U
Families below poverty level (thousands) 6,217 7,223 7,098 7,532 7,708 7,324 7,186 U U
Average household expenditures (chained $ 1996) U 34,253 34,070 33,217 33,797 34,038 34,205 U U

KEY: U = Unavailable
a Estimates as of July 1 except 1980 and 1990, which are as of April 1, and 2000, which is as of November 1.
b 1995 through 2000 data are estimates.
c As of July 1 for all years except 1980 and 1990.
d Chained 1996 dollars are calculated using chain-type indices, rather than constant dollars, to measure real GDP. The chain-type method first calculates the real changes between adjacent years. Annual rates of real changes are then chained (multiplied) together to obtain the rate of real changes between nonadjacent years. Chained dollars are preferable to constant dollars, which merely reflect overall price inflation, because chained dollars capture the effect of changes in the components of GDP.
e For 2000, as of December.

SOURCES: 1980-1998 data: Multiple sources as cited in U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Statistics 1999, Table A, p. xix.

1999 Data: Population: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, available at: http://www.census.gov.

Immigration: U.S. Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Services, Annual Report: Legal Immigration FY 1998, available at: http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/aboutins/statistics/index.htm.

GDP, Average household expenditure, Median household income: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Employment (1980-1999): U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, available at: http://www.bls.gov/cpsatabs.htm.

Average Size of Households, Families below poverty level: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1999.