While the United States has grown by over 22 million people in a decade to surpass 331 million, a deeper look reveals a nation at a demographic and economic crossroads.
Key Takeaways
- The United States population reached 331,449,281 as recorded in the 2020 Census, marking a 7.4% increase from 2010
- In 2022, the median age of the US population was 38.9 years, up from 38.2 in 2020
- As of 2023 estimates, non-Hispanic Whites comprise 58.9% of the US population, totaling about 196 million people
- US GDP nominal was $25.46 trillion in 2022, largest globally
- GDP per capita in US reached $76,399 in 2022
- Unemployment rate averaged 3.6% in 2023
- Obesity prevalence among US adults is 41.9% in 2017-2020 data
- Life expectancy declined to 77.5 years in 2022 from 78.8 in 2019
- COVID-19 deaths totaled 1,115,430 in US as of 2023
- High school graduation rate 86% class of 2022
- College enrollment fall 2023: 15.2 million undergraduates
- Bachelor's degree attainment 37.7% ages 25-64 in 2022
- Renewable energy 21% of US electricity in 2023
- CO2 emissions 4.8 billion metric tons in 2022
- Forest cover 33% of US land area 310 million hectares 2023
America's population is diversifying and aging while the economy grows despite health challenges.
Demographics
- The United States population reached 331,449,281 as recorded in the 2020 Census, marking a 7.4% increase from 2010
- In 2022, the median age of the US population was 38.9 years, up from 38.2 in 2020
- As of 2023 estimates, non-Hispanic Whites comprise 58.9% of the US population, totaling about 196 million people
- The Hispanic or Latino population grew to 62.1 million in 2020, representing 18.7% of the total US population
- Black or African American population stood at 41.1 million in 2022, or 12.1% of the US total
- Asian Americans numbered 20.6 million in 2022, accounting for 6.2% of the US population
- In 2021, there were 1.88 million immigrants arriving in the US, with India as the top source country at 289,000
- The US fertility rate in 2022 was 1.64 births per woman, below the replacement level of 2.1
- Life expectancy at birth in the US was 76.4 years in 2022, down from 78.8 in 2019 pre-pandemic
- Urban population in the US constitutes 82.8% of the total as of 2023
- The largest US city by population is New York City with 8,804,190 residents in 2020 Census
- California has the largest state population at 39,029,342 in 2023 estimates
- US population density is 36 people per square kilometer as of 2023
- In 2022, 18.7% of US population was aged 65 and over, totaling 62 million seniors
- Children under 18 make up 21.7% of the US population in 2022, about 72 million
- Native American and Alaska Native population is 3.3 million or 1.1% in 2022
- Multiracial population surged to 33.8 million in 2020, 10.2% of total
- Foreign-born residents are 13.9% of US population in 2022, or 46.2 million
- US population growth rate was 0.47% in 2023
- Wyoming has the lowest population density at 6 people per sq km
- In 2021, 59% of US adults were married, down from 72% in 1960
- Households headed by single women numbered 20.5 million in 2022
- Average US household size is 2.5 people in 2022
- 10.6% of US population lives in poverty as of 2022
- Homeownership rate is 65.7% in 2023 Q1
- Veterans number 16.2 million in 2022, 6.3% of adults
- LGBTQ+ identification among adults rose to 7.1% in 2022 Gallup poll
- Religious affiliation: 63% Christian in 2021 Pew survey
- Language: 78% speak English at home, 13% Spanish in 2019 ACS
- Disability affects 13.6% of population or 42 million in 2022
Demographics Interpretation
America is simultaneously graying and browning, urbanizing and diversifying, as it grows more slowly, births fewer babies, and lives shorter lives, presenting a portrait of a nation in a complex and consequential demographic transition.
Economy
- US GDP nominal was $25.46 trillion in 2022, largest globally
- GDP per capita in US reached $76,399 in 2022
- Unemployment rate averaged 3.6% in 2023
- Inflation rate (CPI) was 4.1% in 2023 annual average
- Federal debt held by public is $26.3 trillion as of 2023
- Stock market: S&P 500 index closed at 4,769.83 on Dec 29, 2023, up 24% YOY
- Corporate profits after tax reached $2.8 trillion in Q4 2023
- Labor force participation rate was 62.5% in 2023
- Average hourly earnings for private sector rose 4.1% to $34.55 in Dec 2023
- US exports of goods and services totaled $3.01 trillion in 2023
- Trade deficit was $773 billion in 2023
- Personal income increased 6.4% to $22.8 trillion in 2023
- Median household income was $74,580 in 2022, up 2.3% from 2021
- Consumer spending drove 2.5% GDP growth in 2023
- Manufacturing output index at 100.8 in Dec 2023 (2017=100)
- Housing starts totaled 1.41 million units in 2023, down 1.7%
- Retail sales reached $7.1 trillion in 2023
- Small businesses: 33.2 million employer and nonemployer firms in 2022
- Venture capital investment hit $170 billion in 2023 US startups
- Federal budget deficit was $1.7 trillion in FY2023
- Tax revenue collected $4.4 trillion in FY2023
- Minimum wage federal is $7.25/hour since 2009, covering 1.3% of hourly workers
- Billionaires: 756 in US with $4.5 trillion wealth in 2023 Forbes
- Household debt totaled $17.5 trillion in Q4 2023
- Savings rate personal was 3.8% in Dec 2023
- Productivity growth nonfarm business sector 2.7% in 2023 Q4
- Energy prices: Crude oil WTI average $77.58/barrel in 2023
- Gold reserves US: 8,133 tonnes worth $500 billion in 2023
- Cryptocurrency market cap US firms influence $1.7 trillion total in 2023 peak
Economy Interpretation
America appears to be a high-performance engine currently running on premium fuel, financed by a maxed-out credit card, and driven by consumers who are spending their slightly bigger paychecks while nervously glancing at the debt collector in the rearview mirror.
Education
- High school graduation rate 86% class of 2022
- College enrollment fall 2023: 15.2 million undergraduates
- Bachelor's degree attainment 37.7% ages 25-64 in 2022
- Student debt total $1.7 trillion owed by 45 million borrowers 2023
- Public K-12 enrollment 49.6 million in 2022-23
- Teacher shortage: 55,000 vacancies fall 2023
- NAEP reading scores 8th grade 260 in 2022, down 5 points from 2019
- Math proficiency NAEP 4th grade 236 in 2022
- Per-pupil spending $15,424 public schools 2021
- Charter schools enroll 3.7 million students 2022-23
- Homeschooling families rose to 3.7 million students 2022-23
- Pell Grant recipients 6.4 million in 2022-23
- STEM graduates 30% of bachelor's degrees 2022
- Dropout rate 5.2% for 16-24 year olds 2022
- Adult literacy proficiency level 3 or above 48% in 2023 PIAAC
- Community college enrollment 5.6 million credit students 2022
- Women earn 58% of bachelor's degrees 2021-22
- Average teacher salary $69,544 public 2022-23
- Student-teacher ratio 15.4 to 1 public schools 2021
- Online learning K-12 4 million full-time 2022-23
- PhD conferrals 55,283 in 2022
- Library visits 1.3 billion in public libraries 2022
- SAT average score 1028 in 2023
- ACT composite average 19.5 class of 2023
- Federal student aid $153 billion in 2023-24
Education Interpretation
The system has engineered an impressive conveyor belt of credentials, but between the looming teacher vacancies, stagnant scores, and the trillion-dollar millstone of debt, it feels like we're admiring the grandeur of the library while the foundation quietly crumbles.
Environment
- Renewable energy 21% of US electricity in 2023
- CO2 emissions 4.8 billion metric tons in 2022
- Forest cover 33% of US land area 310 million hectares 2023
- Protected lands national parks etc. 14% of land 2023
- Water use total 322 billion gallons/day 2015 latest
- Air quality PM2.5 annual average 8.4 ug/m3 2022
- Endangered species 1,370 listed 2023
- Plastic waste recycled 9% in 2022
- Solar power capacity 139 GW end 2023
- Wind power 147 GW capacity 2023
- EV sales 1.2 million in 2023, 7.6% of new vehicles
- National parks 63 units 85 million acres 2023
- Freshwater withdrawal 80% for thermoelectric power and irrigation 2015
- Ozone layer recovery Montreal Protocol US compliant
- Wildlife refuges 568 units 150 million acres 2023
- Greenhouse gas emissions down 2% in 2022 to 6.3 GtCO2e equiv
- Recycling rate municipal solid waste 32.1% in 2018 latest
- Lead emissions down 98% since 1980 to 1,080 tons 2022
- Coral reefs US 3.5 million acres protected
- Wildfires burned 2.7 million acres in 2023
- Sea level rise 3.7 mm/year US coasts 1993-2023
- Biodiversity hotspots 5 in US lower 48
- Methane emissions 30% of GHGs from energy sector 2022
- Clean energy jobs 3.2 million in 2023
Environment Interpretation
The American environmental story is a contradictory page-turner where clean energy heroes are writing a hopeful new chapter, while plastic villains lurk in the recycling bin and wildfires rage in the margins.
Health
- Obesity prevalence among US adults is 41.9% in 2017-2020 data
- Life expectancy declined to 77.5 years in 2022 from 78.8 in 2019
- COVID-19 deaths totaled 1,115,430 in US as of 2023
- Cancer incidence rate 442 per 100,000 in 2020
- Heart disease death rate 165.4 per 100,000 in 2022
- Diabetes affects 38.4 million Americans or 11.6% in 2021
- Opioid overdose deaths 81,806 in 2022
- Mental illness: 22.8% of adults experienced in 2022
- Smoking rate among adults 11.5% in 2022
- Alcohol use disorder affects 29.5 million or 10.2% adults 2022
- Infant mortality rate 5.44 per 1,000 births in 2022
- Health insurance coverage: 92.0% of population in 2023
- Uninsured rate dropped to 7.7% in 2023
- Hospital beds: 919,649 total in 2023
- Physicians per 1,000 people: 2.6 in 2022
- Health expenditure per capita $12,555 in 2022, 17.3% of GDP
- Vaccine coverage: 92.8% MMR for kindergarteners 2022-23
- Suicide rate 14.2 per 100,000 in 2022
- Alzheimer's prevalence 6.7 million aged 65+ in 2023
- Asthma affects 24.9 million or 7.7% population 2022
- HIV diagnoses 37,981 in 2022
- Maternal mortality rate 22.3 per 100,000 live births 2022
- Average sleep 6.8 hours per night for adults 2022
- Physical inactivity 25.2% adults 2022
- Health care spending growth 4.1% to $4.5 trillion in 2022
- ER visits 139 million in 2022
- Life expectancy racial gap: Black 71.8 vs White 76.4 years 2022
Health Interpretation
Despite pouring more money into a vast medical industry than any other nation, America's complex public health crises—from widespread obesity and declining life expectancy to soaring mental illness and deep racial disparities—reveal a society paying more to stay alive but struggling to truly live well.
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