| Characteristic |
Total |
Male |
Female |
| 1990 |
2000 |
2005 |
2006 |
1990 |
2000 |
2005 |
2006 |
1990 |
2000 |
2005 |
2006 |
|
Total1 (million)
|
29.6
|
32.6
|
35.2
|
35.5
|
12.3
|
13.9
|
15.1
|
15.2
|
17.2
|
18.7
|
20.0
|
20.3
|
|
Percent distribution
|
|
Marital status:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Single |
4.6% |
3.9% |
4.1% |
3.6% |
4.2% |
4.2% |
4.4% |
3.8% |
4.9% |
3.6% |
3.9% |
3.6% |
| Married |
56.1 |
57.2 |
57.7 |
57.8 |
76.5 |
75.2 |
74.9 |
75.0 |
41.4 |
43.8 |
44.7 |
44.9 |
| Spouse present |
54.1 |
54.6 |
54.8 |
54.7 |
74.2 |
72.6 |
71.7 |
71.9 |
39.7 |
41.3 |
42.0 |
41.9 |
| Spouse absent |
2.0 |
2.6 |
2.9 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
1.7 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
3.0 |
| Widowed |
34.2 |
32.1 |
30.3 |
29.9 |
14.2 |
14.4 |
13.7 |
13.1 |
48.6 |
45.3 |
42.9 |
42.4 |
| Divorced |
5.0 |
6.7 |
7.9 |
8.7 |
5.0 |
6.1 |
7.0 |
8.1 |
5.1 |
7.2 |
8.5 |
9.1 |
|
Years of school completed:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 8 years or fewer |
28.5 |
16.7 |
13.4 |
13.0 |
30.0 |
17.8 |
13.2 |
13.0 |
27.5 |
15.9 |
13.5 |
12.9 |
| 1 to 3 years of high school1 |
16.1 |
13.8 |
12.7 |
11.9 |
15.7 |
12.7 |
11.9 |
11.0 |
16.4 |
14.7 |
13.3 |
12.5 |
| 4 years of high school2 |
32.9 |
35.9 |
36.3 |
36.7 |
29.0 |
30.4 |
31.6 |
32.9 |
35.6 |
39.9 |
39.9 |
39.5 |
| 1 to 3 years of college3 |
10.9 |
18.0 |
18.7 |
19.0 |
10.8 |
17.8 |
18.4 |
17.4 |
11.0 |
18.2 |
19.0 |
20.2 |
| 4 years or more of college4 |
11.6 |
15.6 |
18.9 |
19.5 |
14.5 |
21.4 |
24.9 |
25.6 |
9.5 |
11.4 |
14.3 |
14.9 |
|
Labor force participation5:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Employed |
11.5 |
12.4 |
14.5 |
15.0 |
15.9 |
16.9 |
19.1 |
19.8 |
8.4 |
9.1 |
11.1 |
11.4 |
| Unemployed |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
| Not in labor force |
88.1 |
87.2 |
84.9 |
84.6 |
83.6 |
82.5 |
80.2 |
79.7 |
91.3 |
90.6 |
88.5 |
88.3 |
|
Persons below poverty level6:
|
11.4 |
9.7 |
9.8 |
10.1 |
7.8 |
6.9 |
7.0 |
7.3 |
13.9 |
11.8 |
11.9 |
12.3 |
NOTES: n.a. = not available.
1. Represents those who completed 9th to
12th grade, but have no high school diploma.
2. High school graduate.
3. Some college or associate
degree.
4. Bachelor's or advanced degree.
5. Annual averages of monthly figures
(from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings,
January issues. Data beginning 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000
not directly comparable with earlier years).
6. Poverty status based on income in
preceding year.
Source: Except as noted, U.S. Bureau of the
Census, Current Population Reports. From Statistical Abstract
of the United States 2008.
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
