CB12-FF.06 

 Feb. 22, 2012 

PDF version 

*Special Edition* 

42nd Earth Day: April 22, 2012 

April 22, 2012, marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day ― a day intended to inspire awareness 

and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment. The day came from reaction to a massive 

oil spill in waters near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1969. In honor of Earth Day ― and Earth Week 

(April 16-22) ― this edition of Profile America Facts for Features includes examples of Census 

Bureau statistics pertaining to energy and the environment. 

Collecting Waste 

$1.6 billion 

Estimated revenue for “hazardous waste treatment – radioactive waste” in 2010 for U.S. 

employer firms was up 36.0 percent from 2009. 

Source: 2010 Service Annual Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/services/sas/data_summary56.html> 

$715 million 

Estimated revenue for “residential nonhazardous recyclable collection services” in 2010 for U.S. 

employer firms was up 26.5 percent from 2009. 

Source: 2010 Service Annual Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/services/sas/data_summary56.html> 

$2.5 billion 

Estimated revenue for “building remediation services ― asbestos contamination” in 2010 for 

U.S. employer firms was up 22.8 percent from 2009. 

Source: 2010 Service Annual Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/services/sas/data_summary56.html> 

Heating and Cooling the Home 

2.2 million 

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by wood in 2010, which 

is less than 2 percent of all homes. 

Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey five-year estimates, Table B25040. 

<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml> 
38,010 

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by solar energy in 2010. 

Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey five-year estimates, Table B25040. 

<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml> 

57.0 million 

Estimated number of occupied housing units across the country heated by utility gas in 2010, 

which is about half of all homes. 

Source: 2006-2010 American Community Survey five-year estimates, Table B25040. 

<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml> 

88% 

Estimated percent of newly built single-family homes across the country with air-conditioning in 

2010. In 1974, it was 48 percent. 

Source: 2010 Characteristics of New Housing 

<http://www.census.gov/const/C25Ann/sftotalac.pdf> 

Commuting to Work 

25.3 minutes 

Estimated average time for workers 16 years and older across the country spent getting to work 

in 2010, up from 25.1 minutes in 2009. 

Source: 2010 American Community Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb11-

158.html> 

31.8 minutes 

Estimated average time for workers 16 years and older in Maryland spent getting to work in 

2010, the longest commute time in the nation. 

Source: 2010 American Community Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb11-

158.html> 

16.1 minutes 

Estimated average time workers 16 years and older in North Dakota spent getting to work in 

2010, the shortest commute time in the nation. 

Source: 2010 American Community Survey 

<http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb11-

158.html> 
Working in the Nuclear and Forestry Fields 

41,502 

Number of workers employed in nuclear electric power generation across the U.S. in 2009. They 

had an average salary of $110,355. 

Source: 2009 County Business Patterns 

<http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/cbpnaic/cbpsect.pl> 

53,003 

Number of workers employed in forestry and logging across the U.S. in 2009. They had an 

average salary of $35,127. 

Source: 2009 County Business Patterns 

<http://censtats.census.gov/cgi-bin/cbpnaic/cbpsect.pl> 

Building a House 

2,392 square feet 

The average size of a single-family house built in 2010, down from 2,438 square feet in 2009. 

Source: 2010 Characteristics of New Housing 

<http://www.census.gov/construction/chars/highlights.html> 

$272,900 

The average sales price of a new single-family home in 2010, up from $270,900 in 2009 but 

down from $313,600 in 2007. 

Source: 2010 Characteristics of New Housing 

<http://www.census.gov/construction/chars/highlights.html> 

9,000 

The number of multifamily buildings built across the U.S. in 2010. Of these, 62 percent had at 

least five units. 

Source: 2010 Characteristics of New Housing 

<http://www.census.gov/construction/chars/highlights.html> 

Watching Nature’s Fury 

36.8 million 

The 2010 Census population (as of April 1, 2010) of the coastal portion of states stretching from 

North Carolina to Texas ― the area most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Approximately 

12 percent of the nation’s population live in these areas. 

Source: 2010 Census 

<http://factfinder2.census.gov> 
15 

The number of hurricanes to hit Florida’s Monroe County from 1960 to 2008, the most in the 

country. The 2010 population of 73,090 was down 8.2 percent from 2000. Lafourche Parish in 

Louisiana and Carteret County in North Carolina have each seen 14 hurricanes from 1960 to 

2008. Lafourche’s population has risen 7.1 percent over the past decade while Carteret’s 

population has risen 11.9 percent. 

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Services Center 

<http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastall.shtml> 

U.S. Census Bureau State and County QuickFacts 

<http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html> 

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Profile America 

Facts for Features series: 

African-American History Month (February) 

Super Bowl 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14) 

Women’s History Month (March) 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ 

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) 

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) 

Older Americans Month (May) 

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) 

Mother’s Day 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1) 

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4) 

Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act 

 (July 26) 

Back to School (August) 

Labor Day 

Grandparents Day 

Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) 

Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Halloween (Oct. 31) 

American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month 

 (November) 

Veterans Day (Nov. 11) 

Thanksgiving Day 

The Holiday Season (December) 

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Profile America Facts for Features are customarily released about two months 

before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be 

directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or email: 

<PIO@census.gov>.