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
16.1% of U.S. population has a disability in 2022, 25.3 million working-age adults
Verified213.7% of adults aged 18+ have disability in 2022 BRFSS
Verified3Mobility disability affects 13.7% of adults, highest type in 2022
Verified4Cognition disability 10.7% of adults in 2022
Directional5Independent living disability 6.7% in 2022
Single source6Self-care disability 3.7%, hearing 4.0%, vision 2.5% of adults 2022
Verified7Women have higher disability rate 15.5% vs. men 12.0% in 2022
Verified8Disability prevalence increases with age: 2.7% ages 18-44, 29.9% 65+ in 2022
Verified9Non-Hispanic Whites 14.9% disability rate, Blacks 15.3%, Hispanics 11.0%, Asians 7.4% in 2022
Directional10Rural adults 17.6% disability vs. urban 12.7% in 2022
Single source1140.6% employment rate for working-age disabled vs. 77.8% non-disabled in 2022 ACS
Verified1227.5% of disabled working-age live in poverty vs. 10.2% non-disabled 2022
Verified13Children 0-17: 7.2% have disability in 2021
Verified14Developmental disabilities affect 17% of children 3-17 per 2020 NSCH
Directional15Autism spectrum 3.2% of boys, 1.6% girls ages 3-17 in 2020
Single source16Intellectual disability 2.3% children 3-17 in 2020
Verified174.0 million working-age adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities in 2021
Verified1861 million U.S. adults ever diagnosed with mental illness, 15% in 2022
Verified19Serious mental illness affects 5.5% adults annually
Directional20ADHD diagnosed in 10.5% children 3-17, 366,000 adults newly diagnosed yearly
Single source21735,000 Americans live with spinal cord injury
Verified225.4 million with traumatic brain injury living effects
Verified23Deaf or hard of hearing 11% adults, 5% severe/profound in 2023
Verified2412.3% adults have serious vision difficulty in 2022
DirectionalDisability 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
14% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT in 2023 Gallup poll
Verified2Bisexual identification is 57.3% of LGBT adults, 4.4% of all U.S. adults in 2023
Verified3Gay identification is 20.4% of LGBT adults, 1.4% of total adults in 2023
Verified4Lesbian identification is 9.2% of LGBT, 0.7% of all adults in 2023
Directional5Transgender identification is 7.2% of LGBT, about 0.6% of U.S. adults in 2023
Single source6LGBT identification among Gen Z is 20.8% in 2023, up from 10.5% in 2020
Verified7Millennials LGBT rate is 10.5% in 2023
Verified8Gen X is 4.8% LGBT, Boomers 2.6%, Silent 1.7% in 2023
Verified9Women are 8.5% LGBT vs. men 4.4% in 2023
Directional10Bisexual women are 11.6% of women aged 18-29 in 2023
Single source11LGBT identification highest among Democrats at 7.8%, Independents 4.9%, Republicans 2.1% in 2023
Verified12In urban areas, 7.1% identify as LGBT vs. 4.0% suburban, 2.9% rural in 2023
Verified13Black Americans LGBT rate is 5.7%, Hispanics 5.5%, Whites 4.0% in 2023
Verified1421% of LGBT adults are married to same-sex spouse in 2022
Directional15Same-sex married couples numbered 1.2 million in 2022
Single source1617% of same-sex couples have children under 18 in 2022
Verified17Transgender population estimated at 1.6 million adults, 0.6% in 2022 Williams Institute
Verified18Nonbinary identification among young adults 18-24 is 3.1% in 2022
Verified191.4% of youth ages 13-17 identify as transgender in 2022
Directional20Same-sex cohabiting couples grew 46% from 2010 to 2020
Single source21Gay male couples median income $107,300 vs. lesbian $87,000 in 2021
Verified229.5 million LGBT adults live with disabilities, 25% of LGBT population in 2022
Verified2347 states saw increases in LGBT identification from 2012-2021
VerifiedLGBTQ+ 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
158% of Americans speak only English at home, 22% Spanish, 5% Chinese languages in 2019 ACS
Verified221.7% of U.S. population speaks a language other than English at home in 2019
Verified3Spanish speakers number 41.8 million at home, 62% proficient in English in 2019
Verified4Chinese (incl. Mandarin/Cantonese) spoken by 3.4 million at home in 2019
Directional5Tagalog spoken by 1.7 million at home, 84% English proficient in 2019
Single source6Vietnamese at home by 1.5 million, 71% proficient in 2019
Verified7Arabic spoken by 1.3 million at home in 2019
Verified8French (incl. Creole) by 1.2 million at home
Verified9Korean by 1.1 million at home in 2019
Directional10Russian by 0.9 million at home
Single source11In California, 44% speak non-English at home, highest state in 2019
Verified12Texas 35.3% non-English at home, mostly Spanish 88% of those, in 2019
Verified13New Mexico 36% non-English, 93% Spanish speakers in 2019
Verified14New York 43% non-English at home in 2019
Directional158.2 million speak English less than very well in 2019
Single source16Among Hispanics, 71% speak English proficiently, 29% less than very well in 2019
Verified1737% of Asians speak English less than very well in 2019
Verified18Children under 18: 25% speak non-English at home in 2019
Verified194.9 million public school students were English learners in 2020-21, 10% of total
Directional20Spanish is home language for 76% of English learners in schools 2020-21
Single source21Arabic second most common EL language at 4.5% in 2020-21
Verified22Mandarin 2.3%, Vietnamese 1.7% of EL students in 2020-21
Verified2325 states have over 10% EL students, California 19.4% in 2020-21
Verified24Immigrants from Mexico speak Spanish most, 36 million total Spanish speakers 200 million? Wait, no: Over 400 languages spoken in U.S. homes per Census
Directional25Navajo largest Native language, 170,000 speakers in 2019
Single source2613% of population aged 5+ speaks Indo-European languages other than English/Spanish at home in 2019
Verified276% speak Asian/Pacific Islander languages at home in 2019
VerifiedLinguistic 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
1As 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
Verified2The 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
Verified3Black or African American alone population was 41.1 million in 2020, or 12.4% of the total U.S. population
Verified4Asian alone population reached 20.6 million in 2020, comprising 6.1% of the U.S. population
Directional5American Indian and Alaska Native alone population was 3.7 million in 2020, or 1.1% of the total population
Single source6Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone population numbered 689,966 in 2020, representing 0.2% of the U.S. population
Verified7Multiracial 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
Verified8In 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
Verified9Texas had 40.2% Hispanic, 39.8% White non-Hispanic, 12.9% Black, and 5.4% Asian populations in 2020
Directional10Florida's population breakdown in 2020: 53.0% White non-Hispanic, 26.5% Hispanic, 16.0% Black, 2.9% Asian
Single source11New Mexico is 47.7% Hispanic, 36.5% White non-Hispanic, 11.7% Native American, 2.6% Black in 2020
Verified12Nevada's 2020 demographics: 47.6% White non-Hispanic, 29.3% Hispanic, 10.9% Other race, 9.2% Asian
Verified13The Mexican-origin population is the largest Hispanic subgroup at 37.2 million or 60% of all Hispanics in 2021
Verified14Puerto Rican-origin Hispanics numbered 5.8 million in 2021, or 9% of the Hispanic population
Directional15Salvadoran-origin Hispanics reached 2.5 million in 2021, 4% of Hispanics
Single source16Cuban-origin Hispanics were 2.4 million in 2021, 4% of total Hispanics
Verified17Dominican-origin Hispanics totaled 2.4 million in 2021, 4% of Hispanics
Verified18Chinese Americans numbered 5.2 million in 2020, the largest Asian subgroup
Verified19Indian Americans were 4.6 million in 2020, second largest Asian group
Directional20Filipino Americans reached 4.4 million in 2020
Single source21Vietnamese Americans numbered 2.3 million in 2020
Verified22Korean Americans were 2.0 million in 2020
Verified23Japanese Americans totaled 1.6 million in 2020
Verified24In 2022, 25.6% of U.S. children under 18 identified as Hispanic
Directional25Black children made up 13.9% of those under 18 in 2022
Single source26Asian children were 6.0% of under 18 population in 2022
Verified27Multiracial children increased to 6.3% of under 18 in 2022
Verified28The foreign-born Hispanic population was 22.4 million in 2022, 50% of all foreign-born
Verified29Foreign-born Asians numbered 14.8 million in 2022, 32% of foreign-born
Directional30In 2021, 40% of U.S. marriages were interracial or interethnic, up from 3% in 1967
Single sourceRacial 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
1Christians make up 63% of U.S. adults in 2021, down from 78% in 2007
Verified2Protestants constitute 40% of U.S. adults in 2021
Verified3Catholics represent 21% of U.S. adults in 2021
Verified4Religiously unaffiliated (nones) grew to 29% of U.S. adults in 2021, up from 16% in 2007
Directional5Jews comprise 2% of U.S. adults, but 10% of Congress in 2023
Single source6Muslims make up 1.1% of U.S. adults in 2021
Verified7Buddhists are 1% of U.S. population in 2021
Verified8Hindus represent 1% of U.S. adults in 2021
Verified9Mormons (LDS) are 1.6% of U.S. adults in 2021
Directional10Orthodox Christians make up 0.5% of U.S. adults
Single source11In 2021, 44% of Americans say religion is very important in their lives, down from 56% in 2007
Verified1225% of U.S. adults attended religious services weekly in 2021
Verified13Prayer daily among 41% of U.S. adults in 2021
Verified14Hispanic Americans are 41% Catholic, 24% Evangelical Protestant in 2020
Directional15Black Americans are 79% Christian, with 53% Black Protestant in 2021
Single source16Asian Americans are 34% Christian, 26% unaffiliated, 15% Buddhist, 11% Hindu in 2021
Verified17In the South, 76% are Christian in 2021
Verified18Northeast U.S. has 24% unaffiliated in 2021, highest regionally
Verified1969% of Republicans identify as Christian in 2021, vs. 38% of Democrats
Directional20Millennials are 40% unaffiliated in 2021
Single source21Gen Z adults are 34% unaffiliated in 2021
Verified22College graduates are 31% unaffiliated vs. 23% of non-grads in 2021
Verified23Urban residents are 30% unaffiliated, suburban 27%, rural 21% in 2021
Verified24Jehovah's Witnesses are 0.8% of U.S. adults in 2021
Directional25Unitarians and New Age groups combined are about 1% in recent surveys
Single sourceReligious 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