Population articles
What is the income of a US household?
The median household income in the US was $84,800 in 2025. Household income is the total money received in a year — wages, pensions, investments, public assistance, and more — by everyone in a household over 15.
What is the US poverty rate?
The poverty rate was about 10.2% of the US population in 2025, the lowest level since the official poverty measure was created in the 1960s. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2025, 34.5 million people lived in poverty.
How many voters have a party affiliation?
As of November 2026, 42% of registered voters have declared a party affiliation—46.1 million Democrats and 39.4 million Republicans.
Where are authorized immigrants to the US coming from?
In 2022, the largest number of immigrants came from Mexico. Immigrants from Mexico made up 20.8% of all people who immigrated to the US in 2022. Authorized immigrants are those who came to the US through channels such as a visa, green card, or as a refugee or asylee.
How many refugees come to the US each year?
About 11,500 refugees came to the US in 2025. That's 89.1% fewer than the prior year.The US refugee system gives people fleeing persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a social group to resettle in the US. Unlike asylum seekers who apply for protection after arriving in the US or at its borders, refugees apply from outside the country. If approved, they undergo security screenings and health checks, and are then resettled in the US.
Just the Facts about the US population
Household size, racial demographics, the average age of an American: these stats are always changing. And who has a college degree? How many people are registered to vote? Here’s America by the numbers.
How to know a red or blue wave when you see one
The 2026 midterm elections are around the corner. How will it compare to recent midterms?
How many people have a disability in the US?
In 2024, about 45.8 million people living in the US had a disability. That’s the equivalent to 13.7% of the US population, or 1 in 7 people. In census data, a person with a disability is someone who reports difficulty with walking or climbing stairs, hearing, vision, self-care, cognition, or independent living.
What do rising mortgage rates mean?
Mortgage rates are at a three-year high. What does that mean for homebuyers?
What is the most common type of disability?
In 2024 the most common type of disability in the US was ambulatory difficulty — e.g., difficulty walking or climbing stairs. About 21M people in the US reported an ambulatory difficulty.
Is Congress representative of the American people?
Congress is older, more educated, and made up of a higher share of men than the US population.
How many people live in subsidized housing in the US?
In 2025, about 8.86 million people lived in subsidized housing. This was equivalent to about 2.0 people per unit. Subsidized housing options vary by location, ranging from high-rise or garden-style apartments to single-family dwellings, duplexes, and more. On average, residents in 2025 have lived in their units for 10 years and 3 months.
How does voter turnout in the US differ by state, age, sex, and race?
The past four decades show clear trends in voter turnout: older, white Americans are most likely to cast a ballot. But some states buck the trend.
How many people live in the US?
In 2025, there were about 341.8 million living in the US. That makes the US the third-most populous country in the world, home to 4.2% or roughly 1 in 24 people on the planet. The population count guides political representation and resource allocation.
How many DACA recipients are there?
There were about 455,200 DACA recipients at the end of March 2026 — about the same as the population of Vallejo, CA Metro Area. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program created in 2012 for people who came to the US as children and who do not have legal immigration status. People accepted into DACA and who maintain active status with the program are protected from deportation and are allowed to apply for work authorization, but do not receive legal immigration status or have a path to citizenship.
How many US passports are issued each year?
The US issued 27.3 million passports during fiscal year (FY) 2025, 11.6% more than the previous year. The total includes passport books and passport cards.
The number of Black Congresspeople has tripled since the 1980s
There are 66 Black members of the current Congress, equaling 12% of the legislative body.
How many people speak a language other than English at home in the US?
In 2024, about 74.1 million or 23% of people age 5 and older in the US spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish accounted for more than half. American Community Survey (ACS) data identifies 11 non-English languages that are the primary language in the homes of more than a million people.
Are AI data centers driving up your electric bill? A USAFacts deep dive.
Grab your favorite beverage and comfiest chair, because we’re going to learn some things.
What does the Social Security Administration (SSA) do?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for administering Social Security, a program that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to eligible people. Its functions include managing the distribution of monthly payments to beneficiaries, enrolling Medicare recipients, and overseeing the issuance of Social Security numbers and cards. It was established in 1935 as part of the Social Security Act.
What does the Census Bureau (CENSUS) do?
The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is a subdivision of the US Department of Commerce responsible for collecting and analyzing data about the population and economy of the United States. The agency conducts the decennial census, which provides data for government representation, allocation of federal funds, and policy making. It also conducts numerous other surveys on topics such as housing, business, and demographics. It was established in 1902.
What does the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) do?
The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) is a subdivision of the Department of Housing and Urban Development responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit discrimination in housing. The agency ensures equal access to housing and promotes inclusive communities through the administration of fair housing laws, public education, and outreach. It also investigates complaints of housing discrimination and works to eliminate discriminatory practices. It was established in 1968.
How many immigrants get green cards every year?
The US issued 1.32 million green cards during fiscal year (FY) 2025, 2.7% less than the previous year. That's the number of people who became lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the US, commonly known as green card holders. Green cards grant immigrants the right to live and work permanently in the US with a path toward citizenship. The total includes individuals who obtained green cards through family sponsorship, employment, refugee or asylum status, and other avenues.
Which states have the highest and lowest rates of homelessness?
New York and Oregon have the highest US homelessness rates. Over five years, rates rose in all but four states and Washington, DC.
Why does daylight saving time exist?
Daylight saving, which began as a wartime energy‑saving measure, starts on Sunday, March 8, and ends on Sunday, November 7, 2026.
How many homeless people are in the US? What does the data miss?
Of the 745,652 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025, white adults ages 35 to 44 represented the largest demographic group.
How do voting laws differ by state?
Voter registration, ability to vote by mail, and ID requirements to vote in-person vary by state.
Is the US population growing or shrinking?
It grew by 1.78 million people between 2024 and 2025, a 0.52% increase. That’s more than the population of Phoenix, Arizona. Between 2015 and 2025, it grew by 6.2%. Changes in population reflect things like shifting birth and death rates, immigration patterns, and even the overall health of the economy. The recent 0.52% increase was primarily driven by immigration to the US.
Semiquincentennial snapshot: the US at 250 years
Insights about the nation's population, households, education, employment, and income.
How many subsidized housing units are available in the US?
In 2025, about 5.13 million subsidized housing units were available in the US. Federally subsidized rental housing began with 1937’s US Housing Act, which created the United States Housing Authority and provided financial assistance to state and local governments for housing low-income people. Since then, the government has provided housing assistance to low-income renters through programs overseen by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
How long do people wait for subsidized housing in the US?
People waited two years and one month, on average, for subsidized housing in 2025. That’s a 7.4% decrease since 2024, when recipients spent 2 years and 3 months on waiting lists before moving in to subsidized housing.
Why don’t people vote?
Eighteen million registered voters didn't cast a ballot in 2024. What was their reason?
How many Americans are using AI — and how?
35% of American households are using AI to find information. 14% of people trust that information.
How many households in the US spend too much on housing?
About 42.5 million households were cost-burdened in 2024. That's 33% of all households. These households spent at least 30% of their total income on rent or mortgage payments and utilities. The Department of Housing and Urban Development considers households that spend more than 30% of their income on housing to be cost-burdened. Cost-burdened households may have less money for other necessities such as food, healthcare, or savings.
How many same-sex married households are in the US?
In 2024, 835,900 US households were led by couples in a same-sex marriage — 1.3% of all households headed by a married couple.
Which US cities have the largest homeless populations?
In 2025, over a quarter of people experiencing homelessness in the US were concentrated in two major cities: New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA.
What is the main reason people immigrate to the US via authorized channels?
45.3% immigrated for work in 2022. That’s around 1.7 times higher than the number that came for education, the next most common reason. Other reasons for immigration included family, safety, and various other factors.
How many people immigrate to the US via authorized channels?
About 2.6 million new immigrant arrivals in 2022. This was a 67.2% increase from the 1.5 million new immigrant arrivals in 2021.
What states are people moving to and from overall?
In 2024, Florida, Texas, and California gained the most people from other states, while California, Florida, and Texas lost the most residents. Higher population states tend to lead both as states of origin or destination.
How are Americans doing financially?
In 2025, nearly a third of US adults reported being worse off than in 2024, with 91% stating that price increases were their main financial concern.