Population articles
Just the Facts about the US population, demographics, and geography
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 many people are in the US military?
As of December 2025, the US military consisted of 2.81 million people worldwide, including 2.10 million military personnel and 715,212 civilians. With the most recent numbers, the military is slightly greater than the population of Chicago, the country's third-largest city. These forces are spread across six main service branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force – all tasked to protect and serve the US. Of those military members, the Department of Defense (DOD) listed nearly 1.33 million people as active-duty troops, and 770,118 as National Guard or reserves.
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 every 24 people on the planet. The population count guides political representation and resource allocation.
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 Chicago. 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.
Are groceries more expensive than last year?
Grocery store food prices increased 2.1% from January 2025 to January 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s less than the increases for utility gas (9.8%), electricity (6.3%), medical services (3.9%), and shelter (3.0%), but more than new vehicles (0.4%), transportation services (1.3%), apparel (1.7%), and gasoline (-7.5%). A 2.1% increase is 0.1 percentage points above the 2% of the Federal Reserve’s inflation target, which aims to foster stable economic development.
How many households in the US spend too much on housing?
About 42.5 million 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.
What is infrastructure and what does the government have to do with it?
The federal government has a long history of investing in infrastructure — facilities, structures, and utilities intended for long-term use —at least as far back as 1806 when Congress authorized the construction of the first highway built entirely with federal money. In the decades since, federal, state, and local governments have spent trillions of dollars on the networks and facilities the country needs to function. Infrastructure includes transportation systems such as bridges, highways, and railways, as well as energy assets like power plants and electric grids. It can also include drinking water and wastewater systems, broadband access, and public buildings like schools. Funding for building and maintaining it comes from the government, the private sector, or a combination.How much does the US spend on infrastructure annually? In 2020, government at all levels, and the private sector spent a combined $865 billion on infrastructure, the highest sum since infrastructure spending tracking began in 1947. The federal government spent $15.9 billion, or 1.8% of all infrastructure spending. State and local governments spent $300.6 billion, 34.8% of the total. The remaining 63.4% of funding came from the private sector.
Why does daylight saving time exist?
The ritual of changing the clocks twice a year to get more daylight has been in place for more than 50 years. But debates in state legislatures and Congress show that there’s interest in stopping the process. When does daylight saving time start and end? In 2026, daylight saving time starts on Sunday, March 8, and will end on Sunday, November 1. It will begin again on Sunday, March 14, 2027, and run through Sunday, November 7, 2027.
How do voting laws differ by state?
For many of us, “voting” conjures an image of people going to a ballot box on Election Day, but the way voters submit ballots varies from state to state. Some have in-person voting, others have mail-in ballots. Some states allow early voting, and others have day-of voting only.While the Constitution and Congress establish certain election rules, most elections are run by counties, so state and local governments also create their own voting laws.What are the voter registration methods and timelines in each state?Most states provide at least two of three registration options: online registration, mail-in registration, and in-person registration. The requirements and timelines for each vary by state. One state, North Dakota, doesn’t require voter registration at all. Twenty-one states and Washington, DC, allow same-day in-person registration. Two of these states — Hawaii and Vermont — allow same-day online registration as well. Vermont is also the only state that accepts mail-in registrations received by or on Election Day. The other 28 states require would-be voters to register anywhere from one to 30+ days in advance.
How many people receive SNAP benefits in the US every month?
About 42.1 million people during fiscal year (FY) 2025. That’s 12.3% of the US population. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is determined based on household income levels. SNAP, once known as the Food Stamp program, is administered by the Department of Agriculture providing food assistance to low-income individuals.
What is the US poverty rate?
About 10.6% of the population as of 2024. 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 2024, 35.9 million people lived in poverty.
How many subsidized housing units are available in the United States?
There were about 5.1 million in 2023, of which around 13% were unoccupied and available to rent. 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 many people speak Spanish at home?
About 44.9 million people, or 1 out of every 7 people age 5 and up. Spanish is the most-common non-English language used in the US by far, with more than 12 times the number of speakers than the next most common language, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese).
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.
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 people immigrate to the US via authorized channels each year?
About 2.6 million in 2022. This is a 67.2% increase from the 1.5 million new immigrant arrivals in 2021.
What percent of jobs in the US are held by immigrants?
About 17.9% of jobs in 2023. Immigrants are defined as foreign-born residents, including those who became US citizens, are authorized to work in the US, or are undocumented residents.
How many people live in subsidized housing in the United States?
About 9.05 million people in 2023, or 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 2023 had lived in their units for ten years and two months.
How many asylum applications does the US receive?
Around 945K applications in 2023. The US asylum system helps resettle people who fear persecution if they return to their home country. Unlike refugees who apply for protection before arriving in the US or at its borders, asylum seekers apply after they are already in the US.
What is the homeownership rate in the US?
About 65.6% in 2024. That means about 2 in 3 households owned their home while the remainder rented.