Never

married

3%

1970 1994

Figure 1.

Marital Status of Persons 18 Years and Older: 1970 and 1994

Married

Divorced

Widowed

72%

16%

9%

61%

9%

7%

23%

Unmarried

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

Current Population Reports 

Special Studies

Series P23-191

February 1996

Demographic State of

the Nation: 1996

This is an overview of major demographic findings reported by the Census

Bureau since January 1995. Topics

covered give an update on trends and

attending issues facing America today

and into the next century. If you are interested in additional information on

the topics in this report, call one of our

subject specialists listed on page 4.

The number of currently

divorced persons has quadrupled

since 1970

In 1994, there were 75 million unmarried1 adults in the Nation, compared with

38 million in 1970. Unmarried persons

represented 39 percent of all adults (ages

18 and older) in 1994, up from 28 percent in 1970. 

Divorced persons were the fastest

growing segment of the unmarried population; these persons quadrupled in number from 4 million in 1970 to 17 million

in 1994. Divorced persons who had not

remarried represented 9 percent of all

adults in 1994 (figure 1).

Never-married persons, who

represented the largest segment of the 

unmarried in 1994 (59 percent), more

than doubled in size from 21 million in

1970 to 44 million in 1994. In fact, 

during this period, the proportion of 

persons ages 30 to 34 who had never

married tripled from6 to 20 percent for

women and from 9 to 30 percent for

men. Never-married persons represented

23 percent of all adults in 1994.

In 1994, the estimated median age at

first marriage was 24.5 years for women

and 26.7 years for men.2 The








1 “Unmarried” includes those who have never

married plus those who are currently divorced

or widowed.

2 Median age at first marriage is the age by which

half of the people who will ever marry

have married.

than 3 years for men and women since

1975.

The percent foreign born3 in

the United States is at its highest

level since before World War II.

Foreign-born persons (i.e., immigrants) represented 9 percent (23 million)

of the United States population in 1994.

During this century, the percent foreign

born has ranged from a high of 15 percent in 1910 to a low of 5 percent in

1970. Since 1970, however, the percent

foreign born has steadily increased. In

the past 5 years, on average, more immigrants came to the United States per year

than came per year during the entire

1980’s.

Among the foreign born in 1994, 

68 percent were White, 7 percent were

Black, and 21 percent were Asian and

Pacific Islander. Nearly half (46 percent)

of all immigrants were Hispanic.4 Mexicans comprised the largest group of im3 Natives are persons born in the United States,

Puerto Rico, or an outlying area of the United

States, such as Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands,

and persons who were born in a foreign country

but who had at least one parent who was a U.S.

citizen. Foreign-born persons are all others born

outside of the United States.

4 

	


	

	



	

migrants (6 million) and Filipinos the

second largest (1 million).

California was the State with the largest immigrant population in 1994

(8 million). These immigrants comprised

over one-third of all immigrants to the

United States and nearly one-fourth of all

California residents. The States with the

second and third largest immigrant populations were New York (3 million) and

Florida (2 million).

Americans are not moving

as often as they were in the

mid-1980’s.

Between March 1993 and March

1994, 43 million Americans, or 17 percent of persons 1 year old and over,

moved from one residence to another.

This was not significantly different from

the 1992-93 mobility rate, but was well

below the mobility rate of

20 percent during 1984-85.

Local movers (persons who moved

within the same county) numbered 27

million, representing 62 percent of all

movers between March 1993 and March

1994. Longer-distance movers (persons

who moved from one county to another

within the United States) amounted to 15

million, representing 35 percent of all

movers. Among the longer-distance
&$1."

	

Percent of Persons Not

Covered by Health Insurance,

by Work Status: 1994

All persons

Poor persons

17

45

47

16

20

42

13

26

Worked

during the

year

Worked

full time

Worked

part time

Did not

work

	"*,$.-%& 00",#0%"0&,+


movers, 8 million moved between 

counties in the same State, and 7 million

moved from one State to another. 

Movers into the United States from

abroad numbered 1 million.

Typically, among persons 20 years 

and over, as age increases moving rates

decline. In 1994, the highest moving 

rate was for persons ages 20 to 24

(36 percent). The lowest moving rate

was for persons ages 75 to 84 (5 percent),

but this was not significantly different

from the rate for persons ages 85 and

older (6 percent). 

,2&+$.0"/)/,2.&"!5. "

+!&/-+& ,.&$&+%&0"/%!),3".

,2".))*,2&+$.0"/
-". "+00%+

"&0%".) (/	-". "+0,.&/-+& /

		-". "+0%"$"/0.1 01.",#

0%"/"-,-1)0&,+/,+0.&10"!0,

0%"/"!&##"."+ "/%"*"!&+$"

,#) (/	
+!&/-+& /	


3/),3".0%+0%0#,.%&0"/


About 40 million people do not

have health insurance.

+*&))&,+-"./,+/,.

-". "+0,#0%"-,-1)0&,+!&!+,0

%2"/,*"05-",#%")0%&+/1.+ "

%"-.,-,.0&,+,#-,,.-"./,+/3&0%6

,10,2".$"	-". "+03/)*,/0

!,1)"0%0,#0%"0,0)-,-1)0&,+

"2"+05-". "+0,#))-"./,+/

3".",2"."!5-.&20"&+/1.+ "

-)+#,./,*",.)),#)"+!.5".

+/1."!-"./,+/)/,3"."

 ,2"."!5"!& &!	-". "+0

"!& ."
-". "+0,.*&)&0.5

%")0%."-". "+0&+ "*+5

-"./,+/..5,2".$"#.,**,."

0%+,+"05-",#%")0%&+/1.+ "

-)+0%"#&$1."/#,.0%"&+/1."!!!

1-0,*,."0%+0%"-". "+0,#0%"

-,-1)0&,+0%0."&+# 0,2"."!

5/,*"%")0%&+/1.+ "

+	-". "+0,#-.060&*"

3,.("./!&!+,0%2"%")0%&+/1.+ "

 ,2".$",*-."!3&0%
-". "+0,#

#1))60&*"3,.("./+!
-". "+0,#

-"./,+/3%,!&!+,03,.(1))60&*"

3,.("./3"."*,.")&(")50%+-.06

0&*"3,.("./0,",2"."!0%.,1$%

0%"&."*-),5".+,+3,.("./3"."*,."

)&(")50%+3,.("./0,",2"."!5

$,2".+*"+0%")0%-.,$.*//1 %/

"!& &!+!"!& .",." %,#

0%"/"$.,1-/0%"-". "+01+&+/1."!

was much higher for poor persons

(figure 2).

Single-parent families spend

less on child care than marriedcouple families, but they spend a

larger proportion of their monthly

income on child care.

In fall 1993, there were 9.9 million

children under age 5 who needed child

care while their mothers worked.5 Families paid an average of $74 per week for

child care for their preschool-age children

in 1993 (8 percent of their monthly family income).

Single-parent families spent about 

$61 per week on child care for their 

preschoolers, compared with $78 for

married-couple families. Single-parent

families, however, spent a larger share 

of their family income on child care 

(12 percent) than married-couple families

(7 percent). Similarly, poor families paid

less per week for child care than nonpoor

families ($50 versus $76), but they spent

a larger proportion of their income on

child care (18 versus 7 percent).

Care for these preschoolers was provided primarily by relatives (41 percent);

organized facilities, such as nursery

schools and preschools (30 percent); and

family day care providers6 (17 percent).

The average weekly cost

5

%&)!."+,#1+*..&"!#0%"./.""4 )1!"!

#.,*0%"/"!0

6

*&)5!5."-.,2&!"./."+,+.")0&2"/

 .&+$#,.%&)!."+&+0%"-.,2&!"./%,*"

per arrangement paid by families

was $42 for relatives, about $65 for

in-home babysitters and organized

facilities, and $52 for family day

care providers.

Custodial mothers receive more

child support than custodial 

fathers but are still more likely 

to be poor.

In spring 1992, there were

12 million custodial parents of children

under age 21 (whose other parent

was not living in the household) —

10 million were custodial mothers and 

2 million were custodial fathers. As

of the survey date (spring 1992), child

support was awarded to 6 million

(54 percent) of these custodial parents. 

A larger proportion of custodial

mothers had child support awards

than custodial fathers (56 percent

compared with 41 percent).

Of the 6 million custodial parents with

child support awards in 1992, 5 million

were supposed to receive child support

payments in 1991. About 76 percent of

the women and 63 percent of the men

received full or partial payment; only

about one-half (52 percent of mothers

and 43 percent of fathers) received the

full amount due.

On average, custodial mothers 

received $3,011 in child support in 1991,

constituting 17 percent of their income.

The comparable figure for custodial 

fathers was $2,292, comprising only 

7 percent of their income. Although

child support payments to mothers were

larger on average than payments to 

fathers, mothers had lower average 

incomes ($18,144 versus $33,579) 

and higher poverty rates (35 versus 

13 percent) than fathers.

Median household income is

unchanged in 1994.7

Median household income was

$32,264 in 1994, not different in real

terms from 1993 ($32,041), but about

$2,200 less than the 1989 prerecessionary median income of $34,445 (in 1994

7))

%+$"/&+&+ ,*"+!".+&+$/."#".0,

 ,*-.&/,+/#0".!'1/0&+$#,.&+#)0&,+%"

&+ ,*"!0&+0%&//" 0&,+."/"!,+*,+"5

&+ ,*"#.,*."$1).)5." "&2"!/,1. "/"#,."

04"/+!"4 )1!"-&0)$&+/+!0%"2)1",#

+,+ /%"+"#&0/
#!-*

	

Share of Aggregate Household Income,

by Quintile: 1974, 1984, and 1994

')*',

#!"+,

)*',



 
 


#%

)*',

(/+,

)*',


	 
 


  

	


	 
 	

Figure 4.

Poverty Rates, by Race and

Hispanic Origin: 1993 and 1994

(In percent)

White Black Asian and

Pacific

Islander

Hispanic

(of any

race)

1993

1994

12.2 11.7

33.1

30.6

15.3 14.6

30.6 30.7

-*-( ,"'+-+	

dollars). The South experienced a

2.9 percent increase in real median

household income from $29,169 in 1993

to $30,021 in 1994 (the first annual 

increase since 1986). Even with this 

increase, the South still had the lowest

median of the four regions in 1994. 

The median income for households 

was $34,926 in theNortheast; $32,505 

in the Midwest; and $34,452 in the

West.8

From 1993 to 1994, the real median

earnings of males ages 15 and older who

worked year-round, full-time declined

from $31,186 to $30,854. This was the

second consecutive year that real median

earnings for men declined. Median earnings for comparable females was $22,205

in 1994, unchanged from 1993.

In 1994, the share of aggregate

household income received by the

top quintile9 was 49.1 percent, up

from 43.5 percent in 1974 (but not

different from 1993). Since 1974, the

share of aggregate household income received by the four lower quintiles

has declined (figure 3).

Both the number and percentage

of poor persons dropped in 1994. 

The number of persons below 

the official government poverty level

dropped from 39.3 million in 1993 to

38.1 million in 1994. In addition, the

poverty rate decreased from 15.1 to 14.5

percent. This is the first time since

1983-84 that both the number and the 

percentage of poor persons declined from

one year to the next.

The number and percentage of

poor persons varied by race and

Hispanic origin. While the number

of poor Hispanics increased from

8.1 million in 1993 to 8.4 million in

1994, the number of poor Blacks

decreased from 10.9 to 10.2 million. 

The number of poor Whites and poor

Asians and Pacific Islanders, however,

showed no change (25.4 million and

974,000, respectively). The poverty 

rate decreased for Whites and Blacks,

8 The difference between the median household

incomes of the Northeast and West regions was not

statistically significant.

9 Households are ranked from lowest to highest

according to household income, then divided into

five equally-sized groups.

-,#'(,"'!+#!'# #',%0(*

#+)'#+

'+#'+'# #

+%'*+-*#'!,"#+)*#(#!-*


")(.*,0*,(**%,"#%1

*'-'*!.*#/#%00,0)

( &#%0.*%%,")(.*,0*,(*

,"+"#%*'/+
)*',#'


(/.*%&(+,,/(1,"#*+

	
)*',( *%,"#%*'

-'*!#'&#%#+&#',#'0

/(&'/#,"'("-+')*+',/*

)((*(&)*/#,"('%0	)*',

( (&)*%"#%*'#'&**#1

(-)%&#%#+

The homeownership rate is

unchanged in 1994.

'

)*',( (-)#

"(-+#'!-'#,+/*(/'*(-)#

-'"'!*(&,"*.#+	*,

""(&(/'*+"#)*,*'!*(&

%(/( )*',(*"(-+"(%*+

-'*!,("#!"( (-,

)*',(*"(-+"(%*+!+

,(



(*)*+('+!+
'

(%*,"*,/+

)*',

**#1(-)%&#%#+/*&-"

&(*%#$%0,((/',"#*(/'"(&+

,"'(,"*,0)+( &#%0(*'(' &#%0

"(-+"(%+""(&(/'*+"#)*,

 (*&**#1(-)%&#%#+#'
/+


)*',(&)*/#,"	)*',

 (*&%"(-+"(%*+'(/# 

10 The 1994 Black and Hispanic poverty rates

were not statistically different.

11 “Householder” refers to the person (or one

of the persons) who owns or rents this house

or apartment.

present) and 44 percent for female householders (no husband present).

In 1994, about 50 percent of oneperson households owned their own

homes. Among persons living alone, the

homeownership rate was 43 percent for

men and 55 percent for women.

There were 111 million housing

units in the United States in 1994; 

63 million were owner occupied; 

36 million were renter occupied, and 

12 million were vacant.

Although our homes are getting

older, they are in better condition

than in the past.

In 1993, the median age of the 

Nation’s housing units was 28 years, 

an increase of 6 years since 1973. In

1993, our housing units were more likely

to have complete kitchen facilities than in

1973 (99 versus 98 percent), complete

plumbing facilities (98 versus 96 percent), central heat (90 versus 85 percent),

and central air conditioning (44 versus 

17 percent). They were less likely to be

crowded (3 versus 6 percent having more

than one person per room), to have peeling paint (4 versus 5 percent), and to

have open cracks (5 versus 6 percent).

In 1973, 55 percent of occupied homes

were heated by piped gas, 25 percent by

fuel oil, and 10 percent by electricity. By

1993, gas still heated most homes (51 percent), but a higher percentage of homes

were heated by electricity (27 percent) than

by fuel oil (12 percent). The installation of

heat)-&)+#'&'0homes is the main

reason for this reversal.

Housing also has become less affordable. Median family income (in 1993
 ! 

 ! 

 " 

!5

" &/$02,&-2.'.,,&0%&

""! " 

#$1)*-(2.-		

"  

&-$+24'.00*3$2&"1&	

Figure 5a.

Median Family Income and Median Home Value for

Homeowners: 1973 and 1993

(In 1993 dollars) 	


	

$37,400

$36,500

$86,500

$78,400

	


	

1993

1973

1993

1973

1993

1973

$18,900

$23,400

$487

$433

Median family income

Median home value

Median family income

Median monthly gross rent

Figure 5b.

Median Family Income and Median Monthly

Gross Rent for Renters: 1973 and 1993

(In 1993 dollars)


&,.(0$/)*% 2$2&.'2)&$2*.-

dollars) of homeowners, for example, 

declined 2 percent to $36,500 from 1973

to 1993; at the same time, home values

rose 10 percent to $86,500.12 Renters

experienced the same patterns in their 

family incomes and monthly gross rents

(figure 5).

For further information, call (301):

Marital Status

Arlene Saluter 457-2465

Foreign-born population

Kristin Hansen 457-2454

Amara Bachu 457-2449

Geographical mobility

Kristin Hansen 457-2454

Health insurance 763-8576

Child care

Lynne Casper 457-2416

Child support 763-8576

Income 763-8576

Poverty 763-8576

Homeownership and vacancies

Robert Callis 763-8165

Housing changes

Jeanne Woodward 763-8553

General information on this report

Janice Valdisera 457-2429

Linda Kehm 457-2381

12 Family income is shown because data for

household income were not available from the

American Housing Survey in 1973.

Source and Accuracy of Estimates

Data presented here are from the 

Current Population Survey, the Survey 

of Income and Program Participation, 

and the American Housing Survey. The

survey data are subject to sampling variability as well as to survey design errors,

respondent classification and reporting 

errors, and data processing errors. The

Census Bureau has taken steps to minimize errors, and statistical statements

have been tested and meet Census 

Bureau statistical standards. Further 

information can be found in detailed 

reports.