vitrinethe median family's century

vitrine · the corridors · an atlas in four plates

An atlas of ordinary life

The rooms hold snapshots; the plates follow change. Its exhibits are arranged around four questions rather than one long register of charts. Every mark still opens the sourced record behind it, and every silence in the record remains visible.

Open selectivelyEach plate begins with one chart open. The rest stay folded until chosen.
Inspect the evidenceEvery plotted point opens its source, population, year, and confidence tier.
Read the silenceA broken line or empty decade is a documented gap, not an invitation to interpolate.

Plate I · 7 exhibits

The household

Who made up the family, and how long did life last?

Population records describe the household from the outside: its size, its prevalence, and the health conditions surrounding it. The gaps show where the national series had not yet learned to count.

Life expectancy at birthyears (all races, both sexes) 7 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Decades before the 1960s published white-only male/female life tables with no all-races total — the placard carries the sexed figures and the chart renders the gap rather than a spliced concept.
050100years (all races, both sexes)1900sLife expectancy at birth, 1900-02: 48.2 years (white male), 51.1 years (white female) — see the placardgap1910sLife expectancy at birth, 1909-11: 50.2 male, 53.6 female (white) — see the placardgap1920sLife expectancy at birth, 1919-21: 56.3 male, 58.5 female (white) — see the placardgap1930sLife expectancy at birth, 1929-31: 59.1 male, 62.7 female (white) — see the placardgap1940sLife expectancy at birth, 1939-41 and 1949-51: 1939-41: 62.8 male, 67.3 female | 1949-51: 66.3 male, 72.0 female — see the placardgap1960sLife expectancy at birth, 1960: 66.6 male, 73.1 female (69.7 total, all races) — Tier A69.7A1970sLife expectancy at birth, 1970: 67.1 male, 74.8 female (70.8 total, all races) — Tier A70.8A1980sLife expectancy at birth, 1980: 70.0 male, 77.5 female (73.7 total, all races) — Tier A73.7A1990sLife expectancy at birth, 1990: 71.8 male, 78.8 female (75.4 total, all races) — Tier A75.4A2000sLife expectancy at birth, 2000: 74.3 male, 79.7 female (77.0 total, all races) — Tier A77A2010sLife expectancy at birth, 2010: 76.2 male, 81.0 female (78.7 total, all races) — Tier A78.7A2020sLife expectancy at birth, 2024: 76.5 male, 81.4 female (79.0 total) — Tier A79A
Infant mortalitydeaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births 9 of 13 rooms charted
060120deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live birthsno data1900sInfant mortality rate, 1900: ~100 per 1,000 live births — Tier A100A1950sInfant mortality rate, 1950: 29.2 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA1960sInfant mortality rate, 1960: 26.0 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA1970sInfant mortality rate, 1970: 20.0 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA1980sInfant mortality rate, 1980: 12.6 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA1990sInfant mortality rate, 1990: 9.2 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA2000sInfant mortality rate, 2000: 6.9 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA2010sInfant mortality rate, 2010: 6.1 per 1,000 live births — Tier AA2020sInfant mortality rate, 2024: 5.525 per 1,000 live births (552.5 per 100,000) — Tier A5.525A
The mortality revolution: heart disease, cancer, strokeage-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population 9 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Three trajectories on one axis: heart disease peaked early and fell steadily; cancer rose for decades before turning; stroke fell dramatically throughout. Cancer survival is charted separately (different unit and source family).
Heart diseaseCancerStrokeage-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population04008001940sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1940: 558.5 per 100,000 — Tier A558.5ACancer age-adjusted death rate, 1940: 187.8 per 100,000 — Tier A187.8A1950sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1950: 588.8 per 100,000 — Tier AACancer age-adjusted death rate, 1950: 193.9 per 100,000 — Tier AAStroke age-adjusted death rate, 1950: 180.7 per 100,000 — Tier AA1960sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1960: 559.0 per 100,000 — Tier AA1970sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1970: 492.7 per 100,000 — Tier AACancer age-adjusted death rate, 1970: 198.6 per 100,000 — Tier AAStroke age-adjusted death rate, 1970: 147.7 per 100,000 — Tier AA1980sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1980: 412.1 per 100,000 — Tier AA1990sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1990: 321.8 per 100,000 — Tier AACancer age-adjusted death rate, 1990: 216.0 per 100,000 — Tier AA2000sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 2000: 257.6 per 100,000 — Tier AA2010sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 2010: 179.1 per 100,000 — Tier AACancer age-adjusted death rate, 2010: 172.8 per 100,000 — Tier AA2020sHeart disease age-adjusted death rate, 2024: 157.6 per 100,000 — Tier A157.6ACancer age-adjusted death rate, 2024: 139.4 per 100,000 — Tier A139.4AStroke age-adjusted death rate, 2024: 38.6 per 100,000 — Tier A38.6A
Cancer 5-year relative survival% surviving 5 years after diagnosis (SEER) 7 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Different source family (SEER/NCI, not CDC NCHS) and different unit (% surviving, not deaths per 100,000) — not grouped with the mortality arcs.
04080% surviving 5 years after diagnosis (SEER)1960sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, early 1960s: 39% (White population) — Tier D39D1970sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 1975-1979: 48.9% — Tier A48.9A1980sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 1980-1984: 50.2% — Tier A50.2A1990sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 1990-1994: 60.4% — Tier A60.4A2000sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 2000: 66.0% — Tier A66A2010sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 2011: 69.7% — Tier A69.7A2020sCancer 5-year relative survival rate, 2016-2022: 70.5% — Tier A70.5A
People in poverty% below the official poverty line 7 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The official poverty series begins in 1959 — earlier decades have no line.
012.525% below the official poverty line1960sOfficial poverty rate, 1960: 22.2% (39.9 million people in poverty) — Tier A22.2A1970sOfficial poverty rate, 1970: 12.6% (25.5 million people in poverty) — Tier A12.6A1980sOfficial poverty rate, 1980: 13.0% (29.3 million people in poverty) — Tier A13A1990sOfficial poverty rate, 1990: 13.5% (33.6 million people in poverty) — Tier A13.5A2000sOfficial poverty rate, 2000: 11.3% (31.5 million people in poverty) — Tier A11.3A2010sOfficial poverty rate, 2010: 15.1% (46.2 million people in poverty) — Tier A15.1A2020sOfficial poverty rate, 2024: 10.6% (35.9 million people) — Tier A10.6A
Average family sizepersons per family 10 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The 1900s datum (5.31) is from the 1901 BLS wage-earner survey — 0.7 persons above the Census 1900 national average of 4.61; the survey over-sampled larger families, not by design.
⚠ The 1940s point is 1947 (first postwar CPS tabulation), not 1940. The 1960s uptick (3.7 vs 3.54 in 1950) reflects the baby boom's peak family-composition effect.
036persons per familyno data1900sAverage family size, 1901: 5.31 — Tier A5.31A1940sAverage family size, 1947: 3.64 — Tier AA1950sAverage family size, 1950: 3.54 — Tier AA1960sAverage family size, 1960: 3.7 — Tier AA1970sAverage family size, 1970: 3.57 — Tier AA1980sAverage family size, 1980: 3.27 — Tier AA1990sAverage family size, 1990: 3.18 — Tier AA2000sAverage family size, 2000: 3.14 — Tier A3.14A2010sAverage family size, 2010: 3.14 — Tier A3.14A2020sAverage family size, 2024: 3.15 — Tier A3.15A
Number of familiesfamilies in the United States 9 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ CPS/F-8 counts all families (related persons living together). The 1940s point is 1947 — the first postwar CPS tabulation.
050,000,000100,000,000families in the United States1940sNumber of families in the United States, 1947: 37,240,000 — Tier A37,240,000A1950sNumber of families in the United States, 1950: 39,930,000 — Tier AA1960sNumber of families in the United States, 1960: 45,540,000 — Tier AA1970sNumber of families in the United States, 1970: 52,230,000 — Tier AA1980sNumber of families in the United States, 1980: 60,310,000 — Tier AA1990sNumber of families in the United States, 1990: 66,320,000 — Tier AA2000sNumber of families in the United States, 2000: 73,780,000 — Tier AA2010sNumber of families in the United States, 2010: 79,560,000 — Tier AA2020sNumber of families in the United States, 2024: 85,980,000 — Tier A85,980,000A

Plate II · 6 exhibits

The threshold

When did shelter become infrastructure?

Tenure, plumbing, cooling, mobility, and floor area entered the record on different clocks. Read together, they show a house becoming a bundle of systems rather than a single possession.

Homeownership% of occupied housing units owner-occupied 13 of 13 rooms charted
04080% of occupied housing units owner-occupied1900sHomeownership rate, 1900s: ~46.5% (national, all households) — Tier A46.5A1910sHomeownership rate, 1910: 45.9% — Tier AA1920sHomeownership rate, 1920: 45.6% — Tier AA1930sHomeownership rate, 1930: 47.8% — Tier AA1940sHomeownership rate, 1940: 43.6% — Tier A43.6A1950sHomeownership rate, 1950: 55.0% — Tier AA1960sHomeownership rate, 1960: 61.9% — Tier AA1970sHomeownership rate, 1970: 62.9% — Tier AA1980sHomeownership rate, 1980: 64.4% — Tier AA1990sHomeownership rate, 1990: 64.2% — Tier AA2000sHomeownership rate, 2000: 66.2% — Tier A66.2A2010sHomeownership rate, 2010: 65.1% — Tier AA2020sHomeownership rate, 2024: 65.3% — Tier A65.3A
Complete plumbing% of homes with complete plumbing 7 of 13 rooms charted
060120% of homes with complete plumbing1940sComplete plumbing facilities, 1940: 54.7% of homes had complete plumbing (45.3% lacked) — Tier A54.7A1950sComplete plumbing facilities, 1950: 64.5% of homes had complete plumbing (35.5% lacked) — Tier A64.5A1960sComplete plumbing facilities, 1960: 83.2% of homes had complete plumbing (16.8% lacked) — Tier A83.2A1970sComplete plumbing facilities, 1970: 94% of homes had complete plumbing (6% lacked) — Tier A94A1980sComplete plumbing facilities, 1980: 97.3% of homes had complete plumbing (2.7% lacked) — Tier A2.7A1990sComplete plumbing facilities, 1990: 98.9% of homes had complete plumbing (1.1% lacked) — Tier A1.1A2000sComplete plumbing facilities, 2000: ~99.5% of homes had complete plumbing (~0.5% lacked) — Tier A99.5A
Air conditioning% of households with AC 6 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The 1980s source bridges 1978 central-AC and 1993 total-AC figures — no single-decade datum, so the decade renders as a gap.
050100% of households with AC1960sAir conditioning, 1960-61: 18.8% of households had air conditioning — Tier A18.8A1970sAir conditioning, 1978 (first RECS): 23% of households had central AC — Tier A23A1980sAir conditioning, 1980s: Central AC 23% (1978 RECS) → total AC 68% (1993 RECS) — see the placardgap1990sHomes with air conditioning, 1993 (RECS): 68% — Tier A68A2000sAir conditioning, 2009 (RECS): 87% of homes had AC (61% central AC) — Tier A87A2010sAir conditioning, 2015 (RECS): 87% of homes had AC (64% central AC) — Tier A87A2020sHouseholds using air conditioning, 2020: 88% (two-thirds central AC) — Tier A88A
Vehicle at home% of households with a vehicle 7 of 13 rooms charted
050100% of households with a vehicle1960sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 1960: 78.5% (21.5% with no vehicle); avg 1.1 vehicles per household — Tier A78.5A1970sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 1970: 82.5% (17.5% with no vehicle) — Tier A82.5A1980sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 1980: 87.1% (12.9% with no vehicle); avg 1.7 vehicles per household — Tier A87.1A1990sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 1990: 88.5% (11.5% with no vehicle); avg 1.8 vehicles per household — Tier A88.5A2000sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 2000: 89.7% (10.3% with no vehicle); avg 1.9 vehicles per household — Tier A89.7A2010sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 2010: 90.9% (9.1% with no vehicle); avg 2.0 vehicles per household — Tier A90.9A2020sHouseholds with at least one vehicle, 2023: 91.5% (8.5% with no vehicle) — Tier A91.5A
Median home sizemedian sq ft, new single-family houses completed 6 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ 1970s–2020s: median square feet of new single-family houses completed (Census C-25/H-150 / Characteristics of New Housing). The 2020s point is 2024; the series is conceptually consistent across the whole span.
01,2502,500median sq ft, new single-family houses completed1970sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 1973: 1,525 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A1,525A1980sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 1980: 1,595 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A1,595A1990sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 1990: 1,905 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A1,905A2000sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 2000: 2,057 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A2,057A2010sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 2010: 2,169 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A2,169A2020sMedian square footage of new single-family homes, 2024: 2,146 sq ft (new construction) — Tier A2,146A
Median gross rentUSD/month, nominal (specified renter-occupied units) 7 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Nominal dollars — the CPI arc and affordability dashboard provide deflation context. No 2010s or 2020s point: Census Historical Housing Tables end at 2000; ACS rent data (Table B25064) would extend the arc in a future curation pass.
0400800USD/month, nominal (specified renter-occupied units)1940sMedian gross rent, 1940: $27/month — Tier A27A1950sMedian gross rent, 1950: $42/month — Tier A42A1960sMedian gross rent, 1960: $71/month — Tier A71A1970sMedian gross rent, 1970: $108/month — Tier A108A1980sMedian gross rent, 1980: $243/month — Tier A243A1990sMedian gross rent, 1990: $447/month — Tier A447A2000sMedian gross rent, 2000: $602/month — Tier A602A

Plate III · 6 exhibits

Signals into the home

How did the outside world cross the walls?

Broadcast, voice, cable, computing, and networks arrived in waves. Short series remain short: an absent line is not filled from a later technology with a similar name.

Radio% of households 1 of 13 rooms charted
050100% of households’20sRadio and automobile, 1920s: Radio: commercial broadcasting began 1920, ~40% of households by 1930. Automobile: ~26M registrations by 1930. — see the placardgap’30sRadio and automobile, 1930s: Radio: ~40% of households (1930), ~80% by 1940. Automobile: ~26.7M registrations (1930). — see the placardgap’50sHouseholds with radio, 1950: 95.6% — Tier A95.6A
Television% of households 3 of 13 rooms charted
050100% of households’40sTelevision diffusion, 1940s: ~1% of households (1948), negligible before 1947 — Tier A1A’50sHouseholds with television, 1950: 12.3% — Tier A12.3A’60sTelevision in the home, 1960-61: 91.4% of households had TV — Tier A91.4A
Household landline telephone% of households 5 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The 1900s source combines several technologies in one headline percentage, so its 5% is not plotted as a telephone datum.
⚠ 1910s–1930s sources counted telephones per 1,000 population, not households — those decades render as gaps rather than a unit splice.
050100% of households1900sTechnology diffusion: telephone, automobile, electricity (~1900): Telephone: 9.2 per 1,000 population (1898), ~5% of households. Automobile: <1% (registration incomplete pre-1910). Electricity: <5% of homes (urban only). Radio: not yet commercial. — see the placardgap1910sTelephone diffusion, 1910s: ~13 per 1,000 population (1915) — see the placardgap1920sTelephone diffusion, 1920s: ~33 per 1,000 population (1925) — see the placardgap1930sTelephone diffusion, 1930s: ~41 per 1,000 population (1935) — see the placardgap1940sHouseholds with telephone, 1944-1950: 45.1% (1944) → 61.8% (1950) — see the placardgap1950sTelephone and automobile adoption, 1950: Telephone: 61.8% of households (280.9 per 1,000 population). Automobile: registration data available but not asked in 1950 Census. — Tier A61.8A1960sTelephone diffusion, 1960s: 78.3% of households had telephone — Tier A78.3A1970sHouseholds with telephone, 1970: 90.5% — Tier A90.5A1980sTelephone in housing unit, 1980: 92.9% (7.1% without telephone) — Tier A92.9A1990sHousing units with telephone, 1990: 94.8% — Tier A94.8A2020sPhone service and vehicle access, 2023 (AHS): Cell phone 92.7%, landline 20.1%, garage/carport 67.6% — see the placardgap
Cable television% of households with TV 3 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The 2010s source reports subscriber counts amid cord-cutting, not a share.
04080% of households with TV1980sCable TV, 1988-1989: More than 52 million cable customers (50.5% penetration, 1988) — Tier C50.5C1990sHouseholds with cable TV, 1992: 59.3% of TV households (55.2M subscribers) — Tier A59.3A2000sHouseholds with cable TV, 2006: 65.3 million basic cable subscribers (~59% of TV households) — Tier A59A2010sCable TV, 2015 (FCC): 53.2 million cable subscribers (declining). Total MVPD: 99.4 million. Cord-cutting began 2013. — see the placardgap
Home computer% of households 1 of 13 rooms charted
02040% of households’80sHousehold computer ownership, 1980s: 8.2% (1984) → 15.0% (1989) — see the placardgap’90sHouseholds with a computer, 1997 (Census CPS): 36.6% — Tier A36.6A
Internet at home% of households 1 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ 1990s–2010s sources report within-decade ranges; the placards carry them and the chart renders the gaps.
050100% of households1990sHouseholds with internet access, 1997-1998: ~18% (1997) → ~26% (1998) — see the placardgap2000sInternet and broadband adoption, 2000s: Internet: 46% (2000) → 79% (2009). Broadband: ~5% (2000) → 63% (2009). — see the placardgap2010sInternet and broadband, 2010s: Internet: 79% (2009) → 90% (2019). Broadband: 63% (2009) → 73% (2019). — see the placardgap2020sAdults who use the internet, 2025: 96% — Tier A96A

Plate IV · 11 exhibits

The household economy

Where did the family's time and money go?

Paid hours, unpaid production, prices, and the food budget expose the work behind the room. This wing also holds the computed affordability exhibits: ratios made at build time, never authored as facts.

Affordability over timeFive annual ratios trace housing, cars, wages, food, and real pay through recessions and shocks. Enter the annual gallery →
A median home · in hours of workPrice ÷ the room's wage anchor · computed at build 9 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Price and anchor years differ by more than 3 years in: 1940s — the hours axis is not strictly inflation-free there.
07,50015,000hours of work to afford1940sMedian value of owner-occupied single-family homes, 1940: $2,938 ≈ 2,600 hours of work — Tier A2,600A1950sMedian home value, 1950: $7,354 ≈ 5,571 hours of work — Tier AA1960sMedian value of owner-occupied homes, 1960: $11,900 ≈ 5,694 hours of work — Tier AA1970sMedian value of owner-occupied homes, 1970: $17,000 ≈ 5,263 hours of work — Tier AA1980sMedian value of owner-occupied homes, 1980: $47,200 ≈ 6,891 hours of work — Tier AA1990sMedian value of owner-occupied homes, 1990: $79,100 ≈ 7,755 hours of work — Tier AA2000sMedian value of owner-occupied homes, 2000: $119,600 ≈ 8,537 hours of work — Tier AA2010sMedian home value, 2010: $179,900 ≈ 9,444 hours of work — Tier AA2020sMedian home value, 2024 (ACS): $360,600 ≈ 11,972 hours of work — Tier A11972.1A

Tier letters carry the weakest input. The ratio is computed, never authored as a fact.

A new car · in hours of workPrice ÷ the room's wage anchor · computed at build 13 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Pre-1970 car prices are wholesale averages; 1970+ are BEA transaction prices — the jump at 1970 partly reflects the methodology change, not only real price change.
⚠ Share-of-income mixes income concepts across decades (family income (period cost-of-living survey), total money income); a step between points may reflect the concept change, not affordability.
⚠ Price and anchor years differ by more than 3 years in: 1900s, 1940s, 2020s — the hours axis is not strictly inflation-free there.
02,5005,000hours of work to afford1900sNew automobile price, 1901–1904: $650 (Oldsmobile Curved Dash, best-selling) to $750 (Ford Model A) ≈ 2,600 hours of work — Tier C2,600C1910sAverage new car price, 1910: ~$1,188 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 4,569 hours of work — Tier A4569.2A1920sAverage new car price, 1920: ~$949 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 1,725 hours of work — Tier AA1930sAverage new car price, 1930: ~$590 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 1,073 hours of work — Tier AA1940sAverage new car price, 1940: ~$638 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 565 hours of work — Tier A564.6A1950sAverage new car price, 1950: ~$1,295 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 981 hours of work — Tier AA1960sAverage new car price, 1960: ~$1,822 (average wholesale, computed from factory sales) ≈ 872 hours of work — Tier AA1970sAverage new car transaction price, 1970: $3,543 ≈ 1,097 hours of work — Tier AA1980sAverage new car transaction price, 1980: $7,557 ≈ 1,103 hours of work — Tier AA1990sAverage new car transaction price, 1990: $15,033 ≈ 1,474 hours of work — Tier AA2000sAverage new car transaction price, 2000: $21,030 ≈ 1,501 hours of work — Tier AA2010sAverage new car transaction price, 2010: $24,907 ≈ 1,307 hours of work — Tier AA2020sAverage new car transaction price, 2020: $27,366 ≈ 909 hours of work — Tier A908.6A

Tier letters carry the weakest input. The ratio is computed, never authored as a fact.

Budget compositionShare of household expenditure · fixed categories 7 rooms charted
⚠ Survey populations differ across the century — 1901 wage-earner families vs modern consumer units; each bar links to its placard, which names who was measured.
’00srent: 12.95% — 1900s (rent 12.95%)12.95clothing: 14.04% — 1900s (clothing 14.04%)14.04food: 42.54% — 1900s (food 42.54%)42.54other: 30.47% — 1900s (fuel & light 5.25% + furniture 3.42% + tobacco 1.42% + liquor/sickness/amusements 14.51% + misc 5.87%)30.47rent 12.95% · clothing 14.04% · food 42.54% · other 30.47%’70shousing: 26% — 1970s (housing 26%)26apparel: 6.4% — 1970s (apparel 6.4%)6.4food: 17.1% — 1970s (food 17.1%)17.1healthcare: 5.3% — 1970s (healthcare 5.3%)5.3transportation: 17.6% — 1970s (transportation 17.6%)17.6other: 21.7% — 1970s (insurance/pensions 8.7% + entertainment 7.8% + cash contributions 3.7% + education 1.5%)21.7housing 26% · apparel 6.4% · food 17.1% · healthcare 5.3% · transportation 17.6% · other 21.7%’80shousing: 29.5% — 1980s (housing 29.5%)29.5apparel: 6% — 1980s (apparel 6%)6food: 15% — 1980s (food 15%)15healthcare: 4.1% — 1980s (healthcare 4.1%)transportation: 20.6% — 1980s (transportation 20.6%)20.6other: 19.2% — 1980s (insurance/pensions 9.8% + entertainment 5.3% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 1.5%)19.2housing 29.5% · apparel 6% · food 15% · healthcare 4.1% · transportation 20.6% · other 19.2%’90shousing: 31.3% — 1990s (housing 31.3%)31.3apparel: 5.7% — 1990s (apparel 5.7%)5.7food: 15% — 1990s (food 15%)15healthcare: 4.3% — 1990s (healthcare 4.3%)transportation: 18.7% — 1990s (transportation 18.7%)18.7other: 20% — 1990s (insurance/pensions 10.1% + entertainment 6% + cash contributions 2.1% + education 1.8%)20housing 31.3% · apparel 5.7% · food 15% · healthcare 4.3% · transportation 18.7% · other 20%’00shousing: 32.3% — 2000s (housing 32.3%)32.3apparel: 4.6% — 2000s (apparel 4.6%)4.6food: 13.9% — 2000s (food 13.9%)13.9healthcare: 4.5% — 2000s (healthcare 4.5%)4.5transportation: 18.6% — 2000s (transportation 18.6%)18.6other: 22.2% — 2000s (insurance/pensions 12.1% + entertainment 5.1% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 2.4%)22.2housing 32.3% · apparel 4.6% · food 13.9% · healthcare 4.5% · transportation 18.6% · other 22.2%’10shousing: 33% — 2010s (housing 33%)33apparel: 3.6% — 2010s (apparel 3.6%)food: 14% — 2010s (food 14%)14healthcare: 5.8% — 2010s (healthcare 5.8%)5.8transportation: 18.3% — 2010s (transportation 18.3%)18.3other: 21.7% — 2010s (insurance/pensions 11.6% + entertainment 5.1% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 2.4%)21.7housing 33% · apparel 3.6% · food 14% · healthcare 5.8% · transportation 18.3% · other 21.7%’20shousing: 31.3% — 2020s (housing 31.3%)31.3apparel: 2.5% — 2020s (apparel 2.5%)food: 13.5% — 2020s (food 13.5%)13.5healthcare: 7% — 2020s (healthcare 7%)7transportation: 17.9% — 2020s (transportation 17.9%)17.9other: 23.8% — 2020s (insurance/pensions 14.8% + entertainment 4.6% + education 2.4% + cash contributions 2%)23.8housing 31.3% · apparel 2.5% · food 13.5% · healthcare 7% · transportation 17.9% · other 23.8%
Inspect the folded categories
1900s
housing: rent 12.95%
apparel: clothing 14.04%
food: food 42.54%
other: fuel & light 5.25% + furniture 3.42% + tobacco 1.42% + liquor/sickness/amusements 14.51% + misc 5.87%
1970s
housing: housing 26.0%
apparel: apparel 6.4%
food: food 17.1%
health: healthcare 5.3%
transport: transportation 17.6%
other: insurance/pensions 8.7% + entertainment 7.8% + cash contributions 3.7% + education 1.5%
1980s
housing: housing 29.5%
apparel: apparel 6.0%
food: food 15.0%
health: healthcare 4.1%
transport: transportation 20.6%
other: insurance/pensions 9.8% + entertainment 5.3% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 1.5%
1990s
housing: housing 31.3%
apparel: apparel 5.7%
food: food 15.0%
health: healthcare 4.3%
transport: transportation 18.7%
other: insurance/pensions 10.1% + entertainment 6.0% + cash contributions 2.1% + education 1.8%
2000s
housing: housing 32.3%
apparel: apparel 4.6%
food: food 13.9%
health: healthcare 4.5%
transport: transportation 18.6%
other: insurance/pensions 12.1% + entertainment 5.1% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 2.4%
2010s
housing: housing 33.0%
apparel: apparel 3.6%
food: food 14.0%
health: healthcare 5.8%
transport: transportation 18.3%
other: insurance/pensions 11.6% + entertainment 5.1% + cash contributions 2.6% + education 2.4%
2020s
housing: housing 31.3%
apparel: apparel 2.5%
food: food 13.5%
health: healthcare 7.0%
transport: transportation 17.9%
other: insurance/pensions 14.8% + entertainment 4.6% + education 2.4% + cash contributions 2.0%
Unpaid home production, women and menhours per week, prime-age adults (Ramey series) 10 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ From 2010s onward the source is ATUS (all adults 15+, hrs/day, narrower 'household activities'), not Ramey (prime-age women 18-64, hrs/week, broader 'home production') — a concept splice. ATUS facts remain available in their rooms, but render as linked gaps on this weekly axis rather than as a false decline.
WomenMenhours per week, prime-age adults (Ramey series)025501900sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1900: 46.8 — Tier C46.8CMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1900: 3.9 — Tier C3.9C1910sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1910: 45.6 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1910: 4.0 — Tier CC1920sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1920: 44.5 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1920: 3.9 — Tier CC1930sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1930: 43.2 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1930: 6.0 — Tier CC1940sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1940: 41.9 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1940: 7.7 — Tier CC1950sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1950: 41.5 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1950: 9.0 — Tier CC1960sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1965: 40.9 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1965: 11.2 — Tier CC1970sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975: 32.1 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975: 12.1 — Tier CC1980sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1985: 28.4 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1985: 13.9 — Tier CC1990sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1990s: not comparable on this axis; no reliable record accessible onlineDMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1990s: not comparable on this axis; no reliable record accessible onlineD2000sWomen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 2005: 29.3 — Tier CCMen's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 2005: 16.8 — Tier CC2010sWomen's household-activity hours, 2010 (ATUS): not comparable on this axis; 2.14 hrs/dayAMen's household-activity hours, 2010 (ATUS): not comparable on this axis; 1.42 hrs/dayA2020sHome-production hours: Ramey endpoint vs ATUS (concept splice): not comparable on this axis; Ramey 2005: women 29.3, men 16.8 hrs/week (ages 18–64) → ATUS 2024: household activities 2.01 hrs/day, all adults 15+CHome-production hours: Ramey endpoint vs ATUS (concept splice): not comparable on this axis; Ramey 2005: women 29.3, men 16.8 hrs/week (ages 18–64) → ATUS 2024: household activities 2.01 hrs/day, all adults 15+C
Weekly hours, manufacturinghours per week, production workers 3 of 13 rooms charted
04080hours per week, production workersno datano data1900sAverage weekly hours, manufacturing, 1900: 59.0 — Tier A59A1950sAverage weekly hours, manufacturing production workers, 1950: 40.5 — Tier A40.5A2020sAverage weekly hours, manufacturing production workers, 2024: 40.7 — Tier A40.7A
Food's share of spending% of household expenditure 9 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Populations differ across the century — 1901 wage-earner families vs modern consumer units; every placard names who was measured.
⚠ The 1950s point is the nearest available survey (CEX 1960–61), stated plainly rather than back-cast.
02550% of household expenditureno data1900sFood as share of family expenditure, 1901: 42.54% — Tier A42.54A1950sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 1960-61 (CEX): Food $1,309/yr (24.3% of expenditure), housing $1,594 (29.6%), food away from home $274, local telephone $69/yr. Total expenditure: $5,393. — Tier AA1960sFood expenditure and basket, 1960-61: Food $1,309/yr (24.3% of expenditure). Food away from home $274 (20.9% of food). Local telephone $69/yr. — Tier AA1970sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 1972-73 (CEX): Food $2,089/yr (17.1% of expenditure). Food at home $1,543 (74% of food), food away from home $546 (26%). Key items: beef $242, bakery $139, fresh milk $130, pork $134, poultry $69, other meats $61, fish $40, eggs $37, cereals $46. Total expenditure: $12,226. — Tier AA1980sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 1985 (CEX): Food $4,706/yr (15.0% of expenditure). Food at home $2,900 (62% of food), food away from home $1,806 (38%). Key items: meats/poultry/fish/eggs $832, cereals/bakery $410, dairy $404, fruits/vegetables $425, beef $290, fresh milk $202. Total expenditure: $31,408. — Tier AA1990sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 1996 (CEX): Food $6,535/yr (15.0% of expenditure). Food at home $4,046 (62% of food), food away from home $2,489 (38%). Key items: meats/poultry/fish/eggs $1,064, cereals/bakery $658, fruits/vegetables $638, dairy $448, beef $319. Total expenditure: $43,670. — Tier AA2000sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 2005 (CEX): Food $8,622/yr (13.9% of expenditure). Food at home $4,846 (56% of food), food away from home $3,776 (44%). Key items: meats/poultry/fish/eggs $1,140, fruits/vegetables $780, cereals/bakery $666, dairy $556, beef $344. Total expenditure: $62,215. — Tier AA2010sFood basket and expenditure breakdown, 2013 (CEX): Food $9,588/yr (14.0% of expenditure). Food at home $5,794 (60% of food), food away from home $3,794 (40%). Key items: meats/poultry/fish/eggs $1,237, fruits/vegetables $1,066, cereals/bakery $822, dairy $615, beef $318. Total expenditure: $68,299. — Tier AA2020sFood expenditure share, 2024 (CEX Table 1400): Food 13.5% of expenditure for 4-person families (~$14,800 of $109,622/yr). Down from 42.54% in 1901. — Tier A13.5A
Apparel's share of spending% of total expenditures 6 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Population changes mid-series: 1970s–1990s are 4-person CUs (CEX Table 4), 2000s–2020s are all consumer units (multi-year tables). Every placard names the measured population.
048% of total expenditures1970sApparel share of household budget, 1972-73: 6.4% of total expenditures — Tier A6.4A1980sApparel share of household budget, 1985: 6.0% of total expenditures — Tier A6A1990sApparel share of household budget, 1996: 5.7% of total expenditures — Tier A5.7A2000sApparel share of household budget, 2000: 4.9% of total expenditures ($1,856) — Tier A4.9A2010sApparel share of household budget, 2012: 3.4% of total expenditures ($1,736) — Tier A3.4A2020sApparel share of household budget, 2024: 2.5% of total expenditures — Tier A2.5A
Expenditure-to-income ratio% (total expenditures ÷ income before taxes, all CUs) 5 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ The aggregate ratio hides inequality — the bottom quintile spent 221.8% of income in 2012 (see us-2010s-cex-quintile-q1-ratio). The falling aggregate reflects high-income households pulling the ratio down, not broad-based affordability improvement.
050100% (total expenditures ÷ income before taxes, all CUs)1980sExpenditure-to-income ratio, 1985: 93.5% — expenditures $23,490 vs income $25,127 — Tier A93.5A1990sExpenditure-to-income ratio, 1996: 88.9% — expenditures $33,797 vs income $38,014 — Tier A88.9A2000sExpenditure-to-income ratio, 2000: 85.2% — expenditures $38,045 vs income $44,649 — Tier A85.2A2010sExpenditure-to-income ratio, 2012: 78.4% — expenditures $51,442 vs income $65,596 — Tier A78.4A2020sExpenditure-to-income ratio, 2024: 75.4% — expenditures $78,535 vs income $104,207 — Tier A75.4A
Healthcare cost transformation: spending rose, direct payment fell% (share of GDP / share of NHE) 7 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Two complementary halves of one story: national healthcare spending rose from 5% to 18% of GDP while the out-of-pocket share fell from 47% to 10.5%. Insurance and public programs shifted costs from direct payment to third-party payment.
NHE as % of GDPOut-of-pocket % of NHE% (share of GDP / share of NHE)025501960sHealthcare spending, 1960: $27.1 billion (5.0% of GDP) — Tier A5AOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 1960: 47.1% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier A47.1A1970sHealthcare spending, 1970: $74.1 billion (6.9% of GDP) — Tier AAOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 1970: 32.7% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier AA1980sHealthcare spending, 1980: $253.2 billion (8.9% of GDP) — Tier AAOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 1980: 21.8% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier AA1990sHealthcare spending, 1990: $718.7 billion (12.1% of GDP) — Tier AAOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 1990: 18.6% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier AA2000sHealthcare spending, 2000: $1,365.2 billion (13.3% of GDP) — Tier AAOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 2000: 14.5% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier AA2010sHealthcare spending, 2010: $2,588.7 billion (17.2% of GDP) — Tier AAOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 2010: 11.7% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier AA2020sHealthcare spending, 2024: $5,278.6 billion (18.0% of GDP) — Tier A18AOut-of-pocket share of health spending, 2024: 10.5% of national health expenditures paid out of pocket — Tier A10.5A
Healthcare share of household budget% of total expenditures (CEX, consumer units) 5 of 13 rooms charted
⚠ Different population from the NHE arcs (consumer units, not national health spending) and different concept (family budget share, not GDP share). The trend is the same direction.
0510% of total expenditures (CEX, consumer units)1980sHealthcare share of household budget, 1985: 4.7% of total expenditures ($1,108) — Tier A4.7A1990sHealthcare share of household budget, 1996: 5.2% of total expenditures ($1,770) — Tier A5.2A2000sHealthcare share of household budget, 2000: 5.4% of total expenditures ($2,066) — Tier A5.4A2010sHealthcare share of household budget, 2012: 6.9% of total expenditures ($3,556) — Tier A6.9A2020sHealthcare share of household budget, 2024: 7.9% of total expenditures ($6,197) — Tier A7.9A
Consumer Price IndexCPI-U level, 1982–84 = 100 112 annual observations
0200400CPI-U level, 1982–84 = 10019201930194019501960197019801990200020102020Consumer Price Index, 1950: 24.1 — Tier A24.1AConsumer Price Index and purchasing power, 1970: CPI 38.8 (1970) → 313.7 (2024) = 8.1x. $1 in 1970 = $8.09 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.33x. — Tier A38.8AConsumer Price Index and purchasing power, 1980: CPI 82.4 (1980) → 313.7 (2024) = 3.8x. $1 in 1980 = $3.81 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.32x. — Tier A82.4AConsumer Price Index and purchasing power, 1990: CPI 130.7 (1990) → 313.7 (2024) = 2.4x. $1 in 1990 = $2.40 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.25x. — Tier A130.7AConsumer Price Index and purchasing power, 2000: CPI 172.2 (2000) → 313.7 (2024) = 1.8x. $1 in 2000 = $1.82 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.14x. — Tier A172.2AConsumer Price Index and purchasing power, 2010: CPI 218.1 (2010) → 313.7 (2024) = 1.4x. $1 in 2010 = $1.44 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.22x. — Tier A218.1AConsumer Price Index, 2024: 313.7 — Tier A313.7A

The study table

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1900s ↔ 1950s1950s ↔ 2020s1900s ↔ 2020s
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Confidence & flags

A — official statistical series
B — official microdata, computed by this project
C — reconstructed from period surveys
D — scholarly estimate
Gap — no reliable record; shown as the gap it is

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