Carolina Demographics
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“Even more diverse than millennials are the youngest Americans: those younger than 5 years old. In 2014, this group became majority-minority for the first time, with 50.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group. Reflecting these younger age groups, the population as a whole has become more racially and ethnically diverse in just the last decade, with the percentage minority climbing from 32.9 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2014.” -…
“Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today. Overall, millennials are more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (that is, a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white).” –…
The U.S. Women’s National Team advanced to its fourth World Cup final with last night’s 2-0 victory over Germany. On that team were six former players from UNC-Chapel Hill, the highest representation of any U.S. college. Four other universities—Pennsylvania State, Stanford, UCLA, and the University of Virginia—each have two players on the U.S. national team. These former Tar Heels are concentrated in the team’s defensive positions. None of the five forwards attended UNC, but two…
“How Millennial Are You?” asked a 2010 quiz from the Pew Research Center. We hear a lot about generations and generational difference, on topics ranging from grocery shopping to television viewing habits to the future of the suburbs. Many of these conversations center on Millennials and Baby Boomers for two reasons. Not only are these the two largest generations alive, they are currently at key points in their lives. The oldest of the Baby Boomers…
Ten cities have passed the million population mark according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 municipal population estimates. With San Jose entering these ranks, California now has three cities with a million or more residents (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose), tying Texas (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas). Among the ten largest cities, population growth trends vary widely. Chicago gained a mere 82 new residents between 2013 and 2014 according to the estimates, while…
A few months ago, I saw someone retweet a map with the title “Who houses more people – colleges or prisons?” In many Southern and Western states, the answer to this question was prisons. Shortly thereafter, the Washington Post published a piece on Wonkblog with the headline, “The U.S. has more jails than colleges. Here’s a map of where those prisoners live.” Taken together, these two headlines suggest that there may be more prisoners in…
“In 2011, the first of the baby boomers reached what used to be known as retirement age. And for the next 18 years, boomers will be turning 65 at a rate of about 8,000 a day. As this unique cohort grows older, it will likely transform the institutions of aging — just as it has done to other aspects of American life. Will boomers redefine this life stage, or will it redefine them? We’ll explore that question in…
Although marriage patterns in the United States have changed considerably over the past half-century, when placed within a larger global context there is still evidence that Americans value marriage. Compared with other industrialized countries, Americans have higher marriage rates and marry somewhat earlier. Marital disruption is higher in the United States compared with European nations. We see a pattern of marriage, divorce, and remarriage, or “marriage-go-round.” This pattern in the United States, along with various…
Quite frequently, North Carolina’s trends mirror national averages. Nationwide, 53% of U.S. counties lost population between 2010 and 2014. In North Carolina, 49% did. North Carolina differs slightly from the nation, however, in the county distribution of the underlying demographic processes driving population growth—or decline. In North Carolina counties it was more common for both demographic processes to move in tandem than it was nationwide. One-third of NC counties had population growth from both natural…
The map below highlights population change and components of change for North Carolina counties between 2010 and 2014. The dark teal shows counties with population growth from both natural increase (more births than deaths) and net in migration. With few exceptions—such as Watauga in the northwestern portion of the state—these counties are located within metropolitan regions. Counties with natural decrease, more deaths than births, are relatively older, and highlight rural/urban differences in the impacts of…
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