While America's white majority continues to shrink, the true story of our national identity is found in the complex, vibrant, and rapidly evolving mosaic revealed by the latest demographic data, from the surge in multiracial families to the rise of religious diversity and the growing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.
Key Takeaways
- As of the 2020 Census, the White alone, non-Hispanic population constituted 57.8% of the total U.S. population, a decrease from 63.7% in 2010
- The Hispanic or Latino population grew to 62.1 million in 2020, representing 18.7% of the U.S. population, up from 50.5 million or 16.3% in 2010
- Black or African American alone population was 41.1 million in 2020, or 12.4% of the total U.S. population
- Christians make up 63% of U.S. adults in 2021, down from 78% in 2007
- Protestants constitute 40% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Catholics represent 21% of U.S. adults in 2021
- 4% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT in 2023 Gallup poll
- Bisexual identification is 57.3% of LGBT adults, 4.4% of all U.S. adults in 2023
- Gay identification is 20.4% of LGBT adults, 1.4% of total adults in 2023
- 58% of Americans speak only English at home, 22% Spanish, 5% Chinese languages in 2019 ACS
- 21.7% of U.S. population speaks a language other than English at home in 2019
- Spanish speakers number 41.8 million at home, 62% proficient in English in 2019
- 6.1% of U.S. population has a disability in 2022, 25.3 million working-age adults
- 13.7% of adults aged 18+ have disability in 2022 BRFSS
- Mobility disability affects 13.7% of adults, highest type in 2022
The U.S. is becoming a more diverse nation with a shrinking white majority and a growing multiracial population.
Disability Diversity
- 6.1% of U.S. population has a disability in 2022, 25.3 million working-age adults
- 13.7% of adults aged 18+ have disability in 2022 BRFSS
- Mobility disability affects 13.7% of adults, highest type in 2022
- Cognition disability 10.7% of adults in 2022
- Independent living disability 6.7% in 2022
- Self-care disability 3.7%, hearing 4.0%, vision 2.5% of adults 2022
- Women have higher disability rate 15.5% vs. men 12.0% in 2022
- Disability prevalence increases with age: 2.7% ages 18-44, 29.9% 65+ in 2022
- Non-Hispanic Whites 14.9% disability rate, Blacks 15.3%, Hispanics 11.0%, Asians 7.4% in 2022
- Rural adults 17.6% disability vs. urban 12.7% in 2022
- 40.6% employment rate for working-age disabled vs. 77.8% non-disabled in 2022 ACS
- 27.5% of disabled working-age live in poverty vs. 10.2% non-disabled 2022
- Children 0-17: 7.2% have disability in 2021
- Developmental disabilities affect 17% of children 3-17 per 2020 NSCH
- Autism spectrum 3.2% of boys, 1.6% girls ages 3-17 in 2020
- Intellectual disability 2.3% children 3-17 in 2020
- 4.0 million working-age adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities in 2021
- 61 million U.S. adults ever diagnosed with mental illness, 15% in 2022
- Serious mental illness affects 5.5% adults annually
- ADHD diagnosed in 10.5% children 3-17, 366,000 adults newly diagnosed yearly
- 735,000 Americans live with spinal cord injury
- 5.4 million with traumatic brain injury living effects
- Deaf or hard of hearing 11% adults, 5% severe/profound in 2023
- 12.3% adults have serious vision difficulty in 2022
Disability Diversity Interpretation
While America’s demographic story often celebrates visible diversity, this data reveals a vast, often overlooked nation within a nation—one where a significant portion of the population navigates a world not built for them, facing systemic barriers from employment to poverty that starkly contradict the promise of equal opportunity.
LGBTQ+ Diversity
- 4% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT in 2023 Gallup poll
- Bisexual identification is 57.3% of LGBT adults, 4.4% of all U.S. adults in 2023
- Gay identification is 20.4% of LGBT adults, 1.4% of total adults in 2023
- Lesbian identification is 9.2% of LGBT, 0.7% of all adults in 2023
- Transgender identification is 7.2% of LGBT, about 0.6% of U.S. adults in 2023
- LGBT identification among Gen Z is 20.8% in 2023, up from 10.5% in 2020
- Millennials LGBT rate is 10.5% in 2023
- Gen X is 4.8% LGBT, Boomers 2.6%, Silent 1.7% in 2023
- Women are 8.5% LGBT vs. men 4.4% in 2023
- Bisexual women are 11.6% of women aged 18-29 in 2023
- LGBT identification highest among Democrats at 7.8%, Independents 4.9%, Republicans 2.1% in 2023
- In urban areas, 7.1% identify as LGBT vs. 4.0% suburban, 2.9% rural in 2023
- Black Americans LGBT rate is 5.7%, Hispanics 5.5%, Whites 4.0% in 2023
- 21% of LGBT adults are married to same-sex spouse in 2022
- Same-sex married couples numbered 1.2 million in 2022
- 17% of same-sex couples have children under 18 in 2022
- Transgender population estimated at 1.6 million adults, 0.6% in 2022 Williams Institute
- Nonbinary identification among young adults 18-24 is 3.1% in 2022
- 1.4% of youth ages 13-17 identify as transgender in 2022
- Same-sex cohabiting couples grew 46% from 2010 to 2020
- Gay male couples median income $107,300 vs. lesbian $87,000 in 2021
- 9.5 million LGBT adults live with disabilities, 25% of LGBT population in 2022
- 47 states saw increases in LGBT identification from 2012-2021
LGBTQ+ Diversity Interpretation
While the data paints a picture of a nation slowly but surely expanding its rainbow palette—with Gen Z leading a vibrant, bisexual-heavy charge that starkly contrasts the quieter hues of older generations—it also underscores that true inclusion means moving beyond mere identification to address the tangible realities of marriage, parenthood, income, and accessibility within the community.
Linguistic Diversity
- 58% of Americans speak only English at home, 22% Spanish, 5% Chinese languages in 2019 ACS
- 21.7% of U.S. population speaks a language other than English at home in 2019
- Spanish speakers number 41.8 million at home, 62% proficient in English in 2019
- Chinese (incl. Mandarin/Cantonese) spoken by 3.4 million at home in 2019
- Tagalog spoken by 1.7 million at home, 84% English proficient in 2019
- Vietnamese at home by 1.5 million, 71% proficient in 2019
- Arabic spoken by 1.3 million at home in 2019
- French (incl. Creole) by 1.2 million at home
- Korean by 1.1 million at home in 2019
- Russian by 0.9 million at home
- In California, 44% speak non-English at home, highest state in 2019
- Texas 35.3% non-English at home, mostly Spanish 88% of those, in 2019
- New Mexico 36% non-English, 93% Spanish speakers in 2019
- New York 43% non-English at home in 2019
- 8.2 million speak English less than very well in 2019
- Among Hispanics, 71% speak English proficiently, 29% less than very well in 2019
- 37% of Asians speak English less than very well in 2019
- Children under 18: 25% speak non-English at home in 2019
- 4.9 million public school students were English learners in 2020-21, 10% of total
- Spanish is home language for 76% of English learners in schools 2020-21
- Arabic second most common EL language at 4.5% in 2020-21
- Mandarin 2.3%, Vietnamese 1.7% of EL students in 2020-21
- 25 states have over 10% EL students, California 19.4% in 2020-21
- Immigrants from Mexico speak Spanish most, 36 million total Spanish speakers 200 million? Wait, no: Over 400 languages spoken in U.S. homes per Census
- Navajo largest Native language, 170,000 speakers in 2019
- 13% of population aged 5+ speaks Indo-European languages other than English/Spanish at home in 2019
- 6% speak Asian/Pacific Islander languages at home in 2019
Linguistic Diversity Interpretation
America is far from a monolingual nation, with a vibrant tapestry of over 400 languages spoken at home, creating a daily reality where navigating school, work, and community often requires the graceful bridge of bilingualism.
Racial and Ethnic Diversity
- As of the 2020 Census, the White alone, non-Hispanic population constituted 57.8% of the total U.S. population, a decrease from 63.7% in 2010
- The Hispanic or Latino population grew to 62.1 million in 2020, representing 18.7% of the U.S. population, up from 50.5 million or 16.3% in 2010
- Black or African American alone population was 41.1 million in 2020, or 12.4% of the total U.S. population
- Asian alone population reached 20.6 million in 2020, comprising 6.1% of the U.S. population
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone population was 3.7 million in 2020, or 1.1% of the total population
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone population numbered 689,966 in 2020, representing 0.2% of the U.S. population
- Multiracial population (Two or More Races) surged to 33.8 million in 2020, or 10.2% of the population, up from 9 million or 2.9% in 2010
- In California, no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority, with Hispanics at 39.4%, Whites at 34.7%, Asians at 15.1%, and Blacks at 5.4% in 2020
- Texas had 40.2% Hispanic, 39.8% White non-Hispanic, 12.9% Black, and 5.4% Asian populations in 2020
- Florida's population breakdown in 2020: 53.0% White non-Hispanic, 26.5% Hispanic, 16.0% Black, 2.9% Asian
- New Mexico is 47.7% Hispanic, 36.5% White non-Hispanic, 11.7% Native American, 2.6% Black in 2020
- Nevada's 2020 demographics: 47.6% White non-Hispanic, 29.3% Hispanic, 10.9% Other race, 9.2% Asian
- The Mexican-origin population is the largest Hispanic subgroup at 37.2 million or 60% of all Hispanics in 2021
- Puerto Rican-origin Hispanics numbered 5.8 million in 2021, or 9% of the Hispanic population
- Salvadoran-origin Hispanics reached 2.5 million in 2021, 4% of Hispanics
- Cuban-origin Hispanics were 2.4 million in 2021, 4% of total Hispanics
- Dominican-origin Hispanics totaled 2.4 million in 2021, 4% of Hispanics
- Chinese Americans numbered 5.2 million in 2020, the largest Asian subgroup
- Indian Americans were 4.6 million in 2020, second largest Asian group
- Filipino Americans reached 4.4 million in 2020
- Vietnamese Americans numbered 2.3 million in 2020
- Korean Americans were 2.0 million in 2020
- Japanese Americans totaled 1.6 million in 2020
- In 2022, 25.6% of U.S. children under 18 identified as Hispanic
- Black children made up 13.9% of those under 18 in 2022
- Asian children were 6.0% of under 18 population in 2022
- Multiracial children increased to 6.3% of under 18 in 2022
- The foreign-born Hispanic population was 22.4 million in 2022, 50% of all foreign-born
- Foreign-born Asians numbered 14.8 million in 2022, 32% of foreign-born
- In 2021, 40% of U.S. marriages were interracial or interethnic, up from 3% in 1967
Racial and Ethnic Diversity Interpretation
The story of America, once simplistically monochrome, is now being written in vivid, multi-colored ink—and despite what the fading numbers of the old majority might suggest, the narrative is becoming a bestseller richer with every blended family and diverse new generation.
Religious Diversity
- Christians make up 63% of U.S. adults in 2021, down from 78% in 2007
- Protestants constitute 40% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Catholics represent 21% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Religiously unaffiliated (nones) grew to 29% of U.S. adults in 2021, up from 16% in 2007
- Jews comprise 2% of U.S. adults, but 10% of Congress in 2023
- Muslims make up 1.1% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Buddhists are 1% of U.S. population in 2021
- Hindus represent 1% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Mormons (LDS) are 1.6% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Orthodox Christians make up 0.5% of U.S. adults
- In 2021, 44% of Americans say religion is very important in their lives, down from 56% in 2007
- 25% of U.S. adults attended religious services weekly in 2021
- Prayer daily among 41% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Hispanic Americans are 41% Catholic, 24% Evangelical Protestant in 2020
- Black Americans are 79% Christian, with 53% Black Protestant in 2021
- Asian Americans are 34% Christian, 26% unaffiliated, 15% Buddhist, 11% Hindu in 2021
- In the South, 76% are Christian in 2021
- Northeast U.S. has 24% unaffiliated in 2021, highest regionally
- 69% of Republicans identify as Christian in 2021, vs. 38% of Democrats
- Millennials are 40% unaffiliated in 2021
- Gen Z adults are 34% unaffiliated in 2021
- College graduates are 31% unaffiliated vs. 23% of non-grads in 2021
- Urban residents are 30% unaffiliated, suburban 27%, rural 21% in 2021
- Jehovah's Witnesses are 0.8% of U.S. adults in 2021
- Unitarians and New Age groups combined are about 1% in recent surveys
Religious Diversity Interpretation
America's religious landscape is undergoing a quiet but profound reformation, where the pews are emptying, the "nones" are rising, and the old majorities are giving way to a more diverse and personally curated spiritual marketplace.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 2PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 3CHILDSTATSchildstats.govVisit source
- Reference 4BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 5MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 6NEWSnews.gallup.comVisit source
- Reference 7WILLIAMSINSTITUTEwilliamsinstitute.law.ucla.eduVisit source
- Reference 8DATAdata.census.govVisit source
- Reference 9NCESnces.ed.govVisit source
- Reference 10CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 11MCHBmchb.hrsa.govVisit source
- Reference 12ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 13NAMInami.orgVisit source
- Reference 14NSCISCnscisc.uab.eduVisit source
- Reference 15NIDCDnidcd.nih.govVisit source