vitrine · US · room 8 of 13
The 1970s room
The composite family. Each room is a statistical composite, assembled from separate distributions with separate sources. The family at the median income did not also have the median house, the median car, and the median diet. No single family described here ever existed; each fact tells you, in its provenance drawer, which real population it was measured from.
Curator's route · 4 sourced exhibits
The budget changes shape
What happens when the house grows while time and spending are redistributed?
An editorial selection, not a synthetic family. Every stop opens the full specimen record.
Housing 26.0%, transportation 17.6%, food 17.1%, insurance/pensions 8.7…Expenditure breakdown, 4-person families, 1972-73
A
1,525 sq ft (new construction)Median square footage of new single-family homes, 1973
A
32.1Women's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975
C
Food $2,089/yr (17.1% of expenditure). Food at home $1,543 (74% of food…Food basket and expenditure breakdown, 1972-73 (CEX)
A
era-graded wash · absent technology isn't drawn · every glyph opens its record
Docent tours stopping in this room: The work that moved
The complete room
All six ledgers, including the curator's route above and the records around it. Value, tier, measured population, and source on every line.
The home
6 exhibits62.9%A
Homeownership rate, 1970observed record
% of occupied dwelling units (owner-occupied)
Population measuredAll U.S. occupied housing units (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Homeownership Rate by State: 1900 to 2000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau decennial time series (owner.pdf). Up from 61.9% in 1960.
Source note: Time series of homeownership rates from 1900 to 2000 by state and nationally. 1950 national rate: 55.0%. 1940: 43.6%. 1960: 61.9%. Also see companion table: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/ownerchar.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau decennial time series (owner.pdf). Up from 61.9% in 1960.
Source note: Time series of homeownership rates from 1900 to 2000 by state and nationally. 1950 national rate: 55.0%. 1940: 43.6%. 1960: 61.9%. Also see companion table: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/census-housing-tables/ownerchar.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
$17,000A
Median value of owner-occupied homes, 1970observed record
USD, nominal
Population measuredOwner-occupied housing units, median value (decennial census, nominal/unadjusted dollars), U.S. and by state
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values (Unadjusted)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables (values-unadj.txt). Up from $11,900 in 1960. By 1980: $47,200 — the inflation of the 1970s hit housing hard.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables (values-unadj.txt). Up from $11,900 in 1960. By 1980: $47,200 — the inflation of the 1970s hit housing hard.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Computed affordability
≈ 5,263 hours of work
≈ 152.2% of annual income
Large ratio: inspect the wage population and anchor years in provenance before reading this as one household's timeline.
94% of homes had complete plumbing (6% lacked)A
Complete plumbing facilities, 1970observed record
% of occupied housing units
Population measuredAll occupied housing units in the United States (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Plumbing
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Plumbing. Down from 17% lacking in 1960 to 6% lacking in 1970. By 1980: ~3% lacked.
Source note: Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. Lacked complete plumbing (US row of plumbing-tab.txt, verified 2026-07-07): 1940 45.3%, 1950 35.5%, 1960 16.8%, 1970 6.9%, 1980 2.7%, 1990 1.1%. Exact data file: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/coh-plumbing/plumbing-tab.txt. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Plumbing. Down from 17% lacking in 1960 to 6% lacking in 1970. By 1980: ~3% lacked.
Source note: Complete plumbing = hot and cold piped water + flush toilet + bathtub/shower for exclusive use. Lacked complete plumbing (US row of plumbing-tab.txt, verified 2026-07-07): 1940 45.3%, 1950 35.5%, 1960 16.8%, 1970 6.9%, 1980 2.7%, 1990 1.1%. Exact data file: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/tables/time-series/coh-plumbing/plumbing-tab.txt. The 1940 Census of Housing was the first to ask about plumbing.
Utility gas 55%, fuel oil/kerosene 26%, electricity 8%, bottled/LP gas 6%, coal 3%, wood 1%A
House heating fuel, 1970observed record
% of occupied housing units reporting heating fuel
Population measuredOccupied housing units reporting heating fuel (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: House Heating Fuel
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing. Gas was now the majority heating fuel at 55%. Coal was nearly eliminated at 3% (down from 55% in 1940). Electricity was rising (7.7%, up from 1.8% in 1960). Source: fuels1970.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Heating fuel data from 1940-1980 decennial census. Files: fuels1940.txt through fuels1980.txt at www2.census.gov. Coal dominated 1940 (55%), gas overtook by 1960 (43%), electricity rose from 0.7% (1950) to 18.4% (1980).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing. Gas was now the majority heating fuel at 55%. Coal was nearly eliminated at 3% (down from 55% in 1940). Electricity was rising (7.7%, up from 1.8% in 1960). Source: fuels1970.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Heating fuel data from 1940-1980 decennial census. Files: fuels1940.txt through fuels1980.txt at www2.census.gov. Coal dominated 1940 (55%), gas overtook by 1960 (43%), electricity rose from 0.7% (1950) to 18.4% (1980).
1,525 sq ft (new construction)A
Median square footage of new single-family homes, 1973observed record
median square feet of floor area, new single-family houses completed
Population measuredNew single-family houses completed in the United States
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Characteristics of New Single-Family Houses Completed (Census C-25 / Series H-150)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (C-25 annual report, Series H-150). 1973 is the first year of data. New-construction median was 1,525 sq ft — this is NOT the median of all existing homes (which would be smaller, as older stock persists). By 1980: 1,595 sq ft. The 2020s room shows 1,500 sq ft for the existing stock (AHS 2023) — new homes grew 60% from 1973 to 2024, but the existing stock median is lower because older, smaller homes remain.
Source note: Annual data on median square feet of floor area in new single-family houses completed, from the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). Data available 1973-present. The C-25 annual reports (c25ann2003.pdf through c25ann2017.pdf) and H-150 reports (h150-73A.pdf through h150-89.pdf) are archived in vitrine-research/20-census-construction/. They contain the historical table 'Median and Average Square Feet of Floor Area in New Single-Family Houses Completed.' Pre-1999 reports use Series H-150 designation. Note: this measures NEW construction only, not the existing housing stock — the AHS measures the entire stock and yields lower medians because older, smaller homes remain in the inventory.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (C-25 annual report, Series H-150). 1973 is the first year of data. New-construction median was 1,525 sq ft — this is NOT the median of all existing homes (which would be smaller, as older stock persists). By 1980: 1,595 sq ft. The 2020s room shows 1,500 sq ft for the existing stock (AHS 2023) — new homes grew 60% from 1973 to 2024, but the existing stock median is lower because older, smaller homes remain.
Source note: Annual data on median square feet of floor area in new single-family houses completed, from the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (SOC). Data available 1973-present. The C-25 annual reports (c25ann2003.pdf through c25ann2017.pdf) and H-150 reports (h150-73A.pdf through h150-89.pdf) are archived in vitrine-research/20-census-construction/. They contain the historical table 'Median and Average Square Feet of Floor Area in New Single-Family Houses Completed.' Pre-1999 reports use Series H-150 designation. Note: this measures NEW construction only, not the existing housing stock — the AHS measures the entire stock and yields lower medians because older, smaller homes remain in the inventory.
$108/monthA
Median gross rent, 1970observed record
USD, nominal (median gross rent, specified renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent)
Population measuredAll specified renter-occupied housing units in the United States paying cash rent
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Gross Rents
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Gross Rents (grossrents-unadj.txt). Up from $71 in 1960. In 2000 dollars: $415/month.
Source note: National and state median gross rent from the Census of Housing, 1940-2000. Files: grossrents-unadj.txt (nominal), grossrents-adj.txt (CPI-U-RS adjusted to 2000 dollars). Cross-verified against NHGIS national-level data (1980: $199 contract rent STF1, $243 gross rent STF4Hb; 1990: $447 FA4001 STF4b). URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: the registered direct-PDF link (www2.census.gov .../housing/grossrents.pdf) 404s; repointed at the table's landing page, which links the same files.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Housing Tables: Gross Rents (grossrents-unadj.txt). Up from $71 in 1960. In 2000 dollars: $415/month.
Source note: National and state median gross rent from the Census of Housing, 1940-2000. Files: grossrents-unadj.txt (nominal), grossrents-adj.txt (CPI-U-RS adjusted to 2000 dollars). Cross-verified against NHGIS national-level data (1980: $199 contract rent STF1, $243 gross rent STF4Hb; 1990: $447 FA4001 STF4b). URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: the registered direct-PDF link (www2.census.gov .../housing/grossrents.pdf) 404s; repointed at the table's landing page, which links the same files.
The budget
8 exhibits$9,867A
Median family income, all families, 1970observed record
USD per year, nominal
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. All families: 52,230 thousand, median $9,867 ($66,700 in 2024 dollars). The 1970s would see stagflation: nominal incomes rose but real purchasing power stagnated.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. All families: 52,230 thousand, median $9,867 ($66,700 in 2024 dollars). The 1970s would see stagflation: nominal incomes rose but real purchasing power stagnated.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$11,170A
Median family income, four-person families, 1970observed record
USD per year, nominal
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Census F-8. 4-person families: median $11,170 ($75,490 in 2024 dollars). Average family size: 3.57.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Getting to a family of four
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Census F-8. 4-person families: median $11,170 ($75,490 in 2024 dollars). Average family size: 3.57.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Getting to a family of four
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
52,230,000A
Number of families in the United States, 1970observed record
families
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
3.57A
Average family size, 1970observed record
persons per family
Population measuredAll US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Income Table F-8: Families by Size and Median and Mean Income (All Races)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. Declining from 3.64 in 1947. By 1980: 3.27.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census F-8. Declining from 3.64 in 1947. By 1980: 3.27.
Source note: Excel file (f08ar = All Races). The 4-person-family section is the primary source for the museum's family-of-four medians. Coverage window starts at 1947 — verify the 4-person column covers the full window. CORRECTION 2026-07-13: this source was registered with the f08a.xlsx URL, which is the ASIAN-families table (sections 'Asian Alone or in Combination'/'Asian Alone', 2002-2020 only); every transcribed value re-verified against the fetched f08ar.xlsx (All Families 2024 row 10: $105,800 median/$144,500 mean; 1950 row 86: $3,319 current/$35,290 in 2024$; Four People 2024 row 259: $139,900). Race variants: f08w (White), f08b (Black), f08h (Hispanic), f08wnh (White not Hispanic), f08a (Asian).
12.6% (25.5 million people in poverty)A
Official poverty rate, 1970observed record
% of all people below official poverty level
Population measuredAll U.S. population (official poverty measure, CPS ASEC)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Poverty Tables (Census API: histpov2)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Poverty Tables (API: histpov2). Official poverty rate: 12.6%. Family poverty: 10.9%. Down sharply from 22.4% (1959) — War on Poverty programs (Medicaid, food stamps, expanded Social Security) and economic growth cut poverty nearly in half.
Source note: Official poverty rate from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), accessed via Census API endpoint histpov2. Covers 1959-present. PCTPOV = percentage of all people below poverty level. PCTFAMPOV = percentage of people in families below poverty level. The official poverty measure uses pre-tax money income vs. poverty thresholds by family size and age. Data starts 1959 (first year of official poverty measure).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Historical Poverty Tables (API: histpov2). Official poverty rate: 12.6%. Family poverty: 10.9%. Down sharply from 22.4% (1959) — War on Poverty programs (Medicaid, food stamps, expanded Social Security) and economic growth cut poverty nearly in half.
Source note: Official poverty rate from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), accessed via Census API endpoint histpov2. Covers 1959-present. PCTPOV = percentage of all people below poverty level. PCTFAMPOV = percentage of people in families below poverty level. The official poverty measure uses pre-tax money income vs. poverty thresholds by family size and age. Data starts 1959 (first year of official poverty measure).
The table
13 exhibits$74.1 billion (6.9% of GDP)A
Healthcare spending, 1970observed record
USD billions, nominal; NHE as % of GDP
Population measuredUS resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
Source recordCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 01. NHE: $74.1B. GDP: $1,073.3B. Per capita: $353. Medicare (enacted 1965) and Medicaid were now operational — health spending nearly tripled in a decade.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 01. NHE: $74.1B. GDP: $1,073.3B. Per capita: $353. Medicare (enacted 1965) and Medicaid were now operational — health spending nearly tripled in a decade.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
$353 per capita ($297 for personal health care)A
National health spending per person, 1970observed record
USD per person, nominal
Population measuredUS resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
Source recordCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 01. NHE per capita: $353. Personal Health Care per capita: $297. Population: 210M.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 01. NHE per capita: $353. Personal Health Care per capita: $297. Population: 210M.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
$7,672 million (10.4% of NHE)A
Medicare spending, 1970observed record
USD millions, nominal
Population measuredUS resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
Source recordCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02. Medicare: $7,672M. Medicare did not exist before 1966 (enacted 1965). By 1970 it already accounted for over 10% of all health spending.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02. Medicare: $7,672M. Medicare did not exist before 1966 (enacted 1965). By 1970 it already accounted for over 10% of all health spending.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
$5,290 million (7.1% of NHE); Federal $2,842M, State/Local $2,447MA
Medicaid spending, 1970observed record
USD millions, nominal
Population measuredUS resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
Source recordCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02. Medicaid (Title XIX): $5,290M total. Federal share: $2,842M. State/Local share: $2,447M. Medicaid did not exist before 1966.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02. Medicaid (Title XIX): $5,290M total. Federal share: $2,842M. State/Local share: $2,447M. Medicaid did not exist before 1966.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
$5,497 million (7.4% of NHE)A
Prescription drug spending, 1970observed record
USD millions, nominal
Population measuredUS resident population and total national health spending (all payers)
Source recordCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA)
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02 (NHE2024.csv). Prescription drugs: $5,497M of $74,077M total.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Office of the Actuary, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CMS NHE Table 02 (NHE2024.csv). Prescription drugs: $5,497M of $74,077M total.
Source note: CMS NHE tables cover calendar years 1960-2024. Table 01: aggregate amounts, per capita, percent of GDP. Table 02: by type of service and source of funds. Dollar amounts in current (nominal) dollars. Updated annually. Source files: NHE24_Summary.csv, NHE2024.csv. URL CORRECTION 2026-07-28: CMS changed the page slug from statistics-trends-reports to statistics-trends-and-reports (old URL 404s); content re-verified as the NHE data page.
492.7 per 100,000A
Heart disease age-adjusted death rate, 1970observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, all causes)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death, 1900-2018
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. The decline is underway — down 16% from the 1950 peak. Coronary care units, CPR, and new blood pressure medications were beginning to have impact.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. The decline is underway — down 16% from the 1950 peak. Coronary care units, CPR, and new blood pressure medications were beginning to have impact.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
198.6 per 100,000A
Cancer age-adjusted death rate, 1970observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, all causes)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death, 1900-2018
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. Cancer mortality continued to rise. The National Cancer Act of 1971 declared the 'War on Cancer.' Combination chemotherapy was proving effective for some cancers.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. Cancer mortality continued to rise. The National Cancer Act of 1971 declared the 'War on Cancer.' Combination chemotherapy was proving effective for some cancers.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
147.7 per 100,000A
Stroke age-adjusted death rate, 1970observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, all causes)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Age-adjusted Death Rates for Selected Major Causes of Death, 1900-2018
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. The decline began with the introduction of effective blood pressure medications. The VA Cooperative Study (1967-1970) proved hypertension treatment saved lives.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NCHS. The decline began with the introduction of effective blood pressure medications. The VA Cooperative Study (1967-1970) proved hypertension treatment saved lives.
Source note: Covers 1900-2018 for 5 causes: Heart Disease, Cancer, Stroke, Accidents, Influenza/Pneumonia. Rates for 1900-1998 from NCHS Historical Data; 1999-2018 calculated using 2000 U.S. standard population. Citation: Bastian B, Tejada Vera B, Arias E, et al. Mortality trends in the United States, 1900-2018. NCHS. 2020.
Assumption: The composite family
48.9%A
Cancer 5-year relative survival rate, 1975-1979observed record
% surviving 5 years after diagnosis (relative survival, SEER 9)
Population measuredPatients diagnosed with cancer in SEER 9 registry areas (San Francisco, Connecticut, Detroit, Hawaii, Iowa, New Mexico, Seattle, Utah, Atlanta), all races, both sexes
Source recordNational Cancer Institute (NIH), Surveillance Research Program · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2017, Table 2.9: All Cancer Sites — Relative Survival by Year of Diagnosis
National Cancer Institute (NIH), Surveillance Research Program, 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCI SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2017, Table 2.9. All races, both sexes, all cancer sites. SEER 9 registries cover ~10% of US population.
Source note: 5-year relative survival rates by year of diagnosis, 1975-2016. SEER 9 registries cover ~10% of US population. Ederer II method.
Assumption: The composite family
National Cancer Institute (NIH), Surveillance Research Program, 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCI SEER Cancer Statistics Review 1975-2017, Table 2.9. All races, both sexes, all cancer sites. SEER 9 registries cover ~10% of US population.
Source note: 5-year relative survival rates by year of diagnosis, 1975-2016. SEER 9 registries cover ~10% of US population. Ederer II method.
Assumption: The composite family
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.A
Food basket and expenditure breakdown, 1972-73 (CEX)observed record
USD per family per year, nominal
Population measuredConsumer units (households) in the civilian noninstitutionalized population
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1972-73 CEX, Bulletin 1992, Table 2. 10,668 thousand 4-person families. Food at home share: 74%, food away: 26%. Beef was the largest single food item at $242/yr. Source: BLS Bulletin 1992, accessed via FRASER.
Source note: Continuous since 1980 (Interview + Diary surveys). Earlier surveys: 1960-61, 1972-73. Historical predecessors date to Commissioner of Labor surveys. FRASER has 1980-81 and 1982-83 reports. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Income vs consumption
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1972-73 CEX, Bulletin 1992, Table 2. 10,668 thousand 4-person families. Food at home share: 74%, food away: 26%. Beef was the largest single food item at $242/yr. Source: BLS Bulletin 1992, accessed via FRASER.
Source note: Continuous since 1980 (Interview + Diary surveys). Earlier surveys: 1960-61, 1972-73. Historical predecessors date to Commissioner of Labor surveys. FRASER has 1980-81 and 1982-83 reports. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Income vs consumption
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Bread 23.9¢/lb, round steak 133¢/lb, milk 65.5¢/qt, potatoes 9.0¢/lb, eggs 57.3¢/dozA
Retail food prices, April 1970observed record
retail food prices (cents per pound/quart/dozen, April 1970)
Population measuredU.S. urban households, retail food prices collected by BLS in 51-56 cities
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS) · 1970 · Tier A
Full record
Statistical Abstract of the United States: Average Retail Prices of Selected Foods
U.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS), 1970 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From 1970 Statistical Abstract Table 530 (BLS data, April 1970 — most recent available). Milk is per quart, delivered. By April 1970, food inflation was accelerating: bread up 18% from 1960, round steak up 26%, milk up 152% (from 26.0¢ to 65.5¢/qt). The 1970s would bring double-digit food price inflation, especially after the 1973-74 oil shock and Soviet grain purchases.
Source note: Table 530 in the 1970 Statistical Abstract (91st edition). Data originally from BLS Retail Food Prices by Cities. Prices in cents per pound unless otherwise indicated. Covers 1950-1970 (April). Milk in cents per quart (delivered). Eggs in cents per dozen. Coffee in cents per 10 oz. Cross-checked against BLS Bulletin 1055 for 1950 values — exact match.
U.S. Census Bureau (data from BLS), 1970 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From 1970 Statistical Abstract Table 530 (BLS data, April 1970 — most recent available). Milk is per quart, delivered. By April 1970, food inflation was accelerating: bread up 18% from 1960, round steak up 26%, milk up 152% (from 26.0¢ to 65.5¢/qt). The 1970s would bring double-digit food price inflation, especially after the 1973-74 oil shock and Soviet grain purchases.
Source note: Table 530 in the 1970 Statistical Abstract (91st edition). Data originally from BLS Retail Food Prices by Cities. Prices in cents per pound unless otherwise indicated. Covers 1950-1970 (April). Milk in cents per quart (delivered). Eggs in cents per dozen. Coffee in cents per 10 oz. Cross-checked against BLS Bulletin 1055 for 1950 values — exact match.
3,985 cigarettes per adult per yearA
Adult per capita cigarette consumption, 1970observed record
cigarettes per adult (≥18 years) per year
Population measuredU.S. adults ≥18 years (NHIS) and total U.S. cigarette consumption (USDA)
Source recordCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 1994 · Tier A
Full record
Surveillance for Selected Tobacco-Use Behaviors -- United States, 1900-1994
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1994 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3, Table 1. Consumption had declined from the 1963 peak of 4,345 but remained high. The 1971 broadcast ad ban and 1972 health warning labels were early tobacco control measures.
Source note: MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3. Table 1: per capita cigarette consumption 1900-1994 from USDA Economic Research Service (based on BATF tax data, imports, Census population). Table 2: adult smoking prevalence 1965-1991 from NHIS. Per capita = cigarettes per adult ≥18 per year.
Assumption: The composite family
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1994 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3, Table 1. Consumption had declined from the 1963 peak of 4,345 but remained high. The 1971 broadcast ad ban and 1972 health warning labels were early tobacco control measures.
Source note: MMWR Surveillance Summary Vol. 43 No. SS-3. Table 1: per capita cigarette consumption 1900-1994 from USDA Economic Research Service (based on BATF tax data, imports, Census population). Table 2: adult smoking prevalence 1965-1991 from NHIS. Per capita = cigarettes per adult ≥18 per year.
Assumption: The composite family
37.4% of adults smoked (44.1% of men, 31.5% of women)A
Adult cigarette smoking prevalence, 1970observed record
% of adults ≥18 who currently smoke (NHIS)
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutionalized adults ≥18 years (NHIS household interview survey)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Health Interview Survey: Adult Cigarette Smoking Prevalence, 1965-2022
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NHIS (compiled by American Lung Association). Down from 42.4% in 1965. Men's smoking declined faster than women's during this period.
Source note: NHIS data 1965-2022. Pre-1997 from published NCHS Series 10 reports; 1997-2022 from ALA analysis of NHIS public-use files using SPSS. Current smoker defined as smoked ≥100 cigarettes and currently smoking every day or some days. 2025 preliminary: 9.1% (CDC FastStats). Survey redesign in 1997 means pre/post may not be directly comparable.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC NHIS (compiled by American Lung Association). Down from 42.4% in 1965. Men's smoking declined faster than women's during this period.
Source note: NHIS data 1965-2022. Pre-1997 from published NCHS Series 10 reports; 1997-2022 from ALA analysis of NHIS public-use files using SPSS. Current smoker defined as smoked ≥100 cigarettes and currently smoking every day or some days. 2025 preliminary: 9.1% (CDC FastStats). Survey redesign in 1997 means pre/post may not be directly comparable.
Assumption: The composite family
The day
10 exhibits67.1 male, 74.8 female (70.8 total, all races)A
Life expectancy at birth, 1970observed record
years
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Vital Statistics System: Life Tables and Infant Mortality
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS National Vital Statistics System (all races). Up from 66.6/73.1 in 1960. The white-only figure from Historical Statistics Vol 1 was 68.0/75.6 — the all-races figure is lower due to lower nonwhite life expectancy.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS National Vital Statistics System (all races). Up from 66.6/73.1 in 1960. The white-only figure from Historical Statistics Vol 1 was 68.0/75.6 — the all-races figure is lower due to lower nonwhite life expectancy.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
$8,150A
Average annual earnings, manufacturing, 1970observed record
USD per year, nominal (full-time equivalent)
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 740. Up from $3,302 in 1950. Manufacturing was still a major employer, but the 1970s would begin the long decline of US manufacturing employment.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 740. Up from $3,302 in 1950. Manufacturing was still a major employer, but the 1970s would begin the long decline of US manufacturing employment.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$3.23A
Average hourly earnings, production/nonsupervisory workers, 1970observed record
USD per hour, nominal
Population measuredProduction and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls
Source recordU.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics · 1985 · Tier A
Full record
Employment, Hours, and Earnings, United States, 1909-84, Volume II: Establishment Survey Data
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: From BLS Bulletin 1312-12, Vol. II, p. 287, 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' 1970 annual average: $3.23. Predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Source note: BLS benchmark publication. Volume II (Establishment Survey Data), page 287: 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' Annual averages: 1947: $1.131, 1948: $1.225, 1949: $1.275, 1950: $1.335, 1960: $2.09, 1970: $3.23. Digitized by FRASER. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1985 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: From BLS Bulletin 1312-12, Vol. II, p. 287, 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' 1970 annual average: $3.23. Predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Source note: BLS benchmark publication. Volume II (Establishment Survey Data), page 287: 'Average Hourly Earnings of Production or Nonsupervisory Workers on Private Nonagricultural Payrolls, TOTAL PRIVATE, in Current Dollars.' Annual averages: 1947: $1.131, 1948: $1.225, 1949: $1.275, 1950: $1.335, 1960: $2.09, 1970: $3.23. Digitized by FRASER. This is the predecessor series to FRED AHETPI (which begins 1964).
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
32.1C
Women's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975observed record
hours per week, prime-age women (ages 18–64)
Population measuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
Source recordCambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History) · 2009 · Tier C
Full record
Time Spent in Home Production in the Twentieth-Century United States: New Estimates from Old Data
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 6A, 'All Prime-Age Women' column. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS surveys from 1965. Includes food prep, house cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, and household management. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated. Draft version (NBER w13985) has identical values. Splice caveat: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS (2020s room) measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept change that must caveat when plotted together.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 6A, 'All Prime-Age Women' column. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS surveys from 1965. Includes food prep, house cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, and household management. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated. Draft version (NBER w13985) has identical values. Splice caveat: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS (2020s room) measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept change that must caveat when plotted together.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
12.1C
Men's weekly unpaid home-production hours, 1975observed record
hours per week, prime-age men (ages 18–64)
Population measuredPrime-age women and men, ages 18–64 (benchmark years 1900–2005); also all-ages per-capita and per-household aggregates
Source recordCambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History) · 2009 · Tier C
Full record
Time Spent in Home Production in the Twentieth-Century United States: New Estimates from Old Data
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 7, 'All Prime-Age Men' column. Early estimates from Purnell Act studies and Lundberg et al. (1934); 1965+ from AHTUS/BLS. Men's hours rose 13 hrs/week across the century (3.9→16.8), partially offsetting women's decline. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
Cambridge University Press (Journal of Economic History), 2009 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Ramey (2009) Table 7, 'All Prime-Age Men' column. Early estimates from Purnell Act studies and Lundberg et al. (1934); 1965+ from AHTUS/BLS. Men's hours rose 13 hrs/week across the century (3.9→16.8), partially offsetting women's decline. Numbers in italics in source = partially extrapolated.
Source note: Valerie A. Ramey, JEconHist 69(1), March 2009, pp. 1–47. Reconstruction from historical time-diary studies (Purnell Act studies 1920s, Wilson 1929, USDA 1944) linked to AHTUS/BLS modern surveys. Draft version: NBER Working Paper w13985 (May 2008, 63pp) — data tables are numerically identical to the published version; differences are prose tightening and table reformatting (5→5A/5B, etc.). Tier C (period-survey reconstruction). Key tables: Table 5A (nonemployed women), Table 6A (all women, prime-age), Table 7 (men, prime-age), Table 8A (all ages), Table 3 (component breakdown). Note: Ramey does not use the 1992-94 survey (missing data), so no 1990s benchmark. Splice point to ATUS: Ramey measures women-specific home production ages 18-64; ATUS measures all-adult household activities age 15+ — a concept splice that must caveat (Plan 004 Measure guard).
Assumption: The composite family
20.0 per 1,000 live birthsA
Infant mortality rate, 1970observed record
deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
National Vital Statistics System: Life Tables and Infant Mortality
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS, Health, United States, 2016, Table 11. All races. Neonatal: 15.1; postneonatal: 4.9. The 1970s saw the steepest decade decline (37%, from 20.0 to 12.6) driven by neonatal medicine advances and regionalization of perinatal services.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS, Health, United States, 2016, Table 11. All races. Neonatal: 15.1; postneonatal: 4.9. The 1970s saw the steepest decade decline (37%, from 20.0 to 12.6) driven by neonatal medicine advances and regionalization of perinatal services.
Source note: NCHS publishes annual life tables via the National Vital Statistics Reports series. Life expectancy at birth (all races): 1960: 69.7 total / 66.6M / 73.1F; 1970: 70.8 / 67.1M / 74.8F; 1980: 73.7 / 70.0M / 77.5F; 1990: 75.4 / 71.8M / 78.8F; 2000: 77.0 / 74.3M / 79.7F; 2010: 78.7 / 76.2M / 81.0F; 2023: 78.4 / 75.8M / 81.1F (Data Brief No. 521). 2024 provisional: 79.0 / 76.5M / 81.4F. Infant mortality rates (all races, per 1,000 live births) from Health, United States, 2016, Table 11: 1950: 29.2; 1960: 26.0; 1970: 20.0; 1980: 12.6; 1990: 9.2; 2000: 6.9; 2010: 6.1; 2015: 5.9. URL for infant mortality table: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2016/011.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
40.8%A
Married women's labor force participation, 1970observed record
% of married women (husband present) in the civilian labor force
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 63-74. With children under 6: 30.3% (1970). With children 6-17 only: 30.2%. No children under 18: 30.5%. Crossed 40% — two in five married women were in the labor force. From 5.6% (1900) to 40.8% (1970), married women's LFPR increased more than sevenfold across seven decades. The single-earner family was no longer the norm.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 1, Series D 63-74. With children under 6: 30.3% (1970). With children 6-17 only: 30.2%. No children under 18: 30.5%. Crossed 40% — two in five married women were in the labor force. From 5.6% (1900) to 40.8% (1970), married women's LFPR increased more than sevenfold across seven decades. The single-earner family was no longer the norm.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Men: 23.2, Women: 20.8A
Median age at first marriage, 1970observed record
years (median age at first marriage)
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population (CPS/decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2023 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Table MS-2: Median Age at First Marriage
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table MS-2. CPS ASEC. Marriage ages began rising from the mid-century low. By 1980: 24.7/22.0 — the beginning of a multi-decade increase that would push both past 28 by the 2020s.
Source note: Table MS-2: Median age at first marriage by sex, 1890 to present. Decennial census data 1890-2000; CPS data for intervening years and 2010+. File: ms2-median-age-first-marriage.xls. The median age at first marriage declined from ~26 (men) / ~22 (women) in 1890 to a mid-century low of ~22.5 / 20.3 in 1956, then rose steadily to ~30+ / ~28+ by 2023.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table MS-2. CPS ASEC. Marriage ages began rising from the mid-century low. By 1980: 24.7/22.0 — the beginning of a multi-decade increase that would push both past 28 by the 2020s.
Source note: Table MS-2: Median age at first marriage by sex, 1890 to present. Decennial census data 1890-2000; CPS data for intervening years and 2010+. File: ms2-median-age-first-marriage.xls. The median age at first marriage declined from ~26 (men) / ~22 (women) in 1890 to a mid-century low of ~22.5 / 20.3 in 1956, then rose steadily to ~30+ / ~28+ by 2023.
HS grad or more: 55.2%, Bachelor's or more: 11.0%, Less than 9th grade: 27.7%. Median school years: 12.2.A
Educational attainment, 1970observed record
% of population 25+ (all races, both sexes); median years completed
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 25 and over (CPS/ACS)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Census Historical Tables: Educational Attainment (Table A-1/A-2)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table A-1. Decennial census. HS graduation crossed 50% — the majority of adults now had a diploma. Less-than-9th-grade fell below 30%. Median school years: 12.2 — just past high school. Bachelor's or more crossed 11%.
Source note: Table A-1: Years of school completed by age and sex (1940-present). Table A-2: Percent of population 25+ with specified years of school completed (high school graduate or more, bachelor's degree or more). 1940-2000 data from decennial census; 2001+ from CPS ASEC. Data series updated annually. Files: taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx, taba-2-pct-high-school.xlsx. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment.html deep link now redirects to the generic /data/tables.html landing (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the Educational Attainment topic page, which links the A-1/A-2 time-series tables.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Table A-1. Decennial census. HS graduation crossed 50% — the majority of adults now had a diploma. Less-than-9th-grade fell below 30%. Median school years: 12.2 — just past high school. Bachelor's or more crossed 11%.
Source note: Table A-1: Years of school completed by age and sex (1940-present). Table A-2: Percent of population 25+ with specified years of school completed (high school graduate or more, bachelor's degree or more). 1940-2000 data from decennial census; 2001+ from CPS ASEC. Data series updated annually. Files: taba-1-educational-attainment.xlsx, taba-2-pct-high-school.xlsx. URL CORRECTION 2026-08-14: the old /data/tables/time-series/demo/educational-attainment.html deep link now redirects to the generic /data/tables.html landing (caught by the redirect advisory); repointed at the Educational Attainment topic page, which links the A-1/A-2 time-series tables.
$3,876 billionA
Household sector net worth, 1970observed record
aggregate net worth, households + nonprofit organizations, current dollars
Population measuredU.S. households and nonprofit organizations (aggregate, sector-level)
Source recordBoard of Governors of the Federal Reserve System · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Federal Reserve Z.1 Financial Accounts of the United States (Flow of Funds)
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FRED TNWBSHNO (Fed Z.1 Table B.101.h, Q4 1970). Total assets: $4,354B. Total liabilities: $479B. Net worth: $3,876B. Up from $2,091B in 1960. Liabilities grew to 11% of assets — mortgage debt expanding as homeownership rose. Aggregate — NOT median. From 1945 ($592B Goldsmith / $807B Z.1) to 1970 ($3,876B), household wealth grew 5x in 25 years.
Source note: Table B.101.h: Balance Sheet of Households and Nonprofit Organizations. Quarterly from Q4 1945. Assets include: real estate, consumer durables, deposits, corporate equities, mutual fund shares, pension fund reserves, life insurance reserves. Liabilities include: home mortgages, consumer credit. Net worth = assets minus liabilities. Aggregate sector-level data (NOT median). Available on FRED as TNWBSHNO (net worth), TABSHNO (assets), TLBSHNO (liabilities). Tier A (official series).
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FRED TNWBSHNO (Fed Z.1 Table B.101.h, Q4 1970). Total assets: $4,354B. Total liabilities: $479B. Net worth: $3,876B. Up from $2,091B in 1960. Liabilities grew to 11% of assets — mortgage debt expanding as homeownership rose. Aggregate — NOT median. From 1945 ($592B Goldsmith / $807B Z.1) to 1970 ($3,876B), household wealth grew 5x in 25 years.
Source note: Table B.101.h: Balance Sheet of Households and Nonprofit Organizations. Quarterly from Q4 1945. Assets include: real estate, consumer durables, deposits, corporate equities, mutual fund shares, pension fund reserves, life insurance reserves. Liabilities include: home mortgages, consumer credit. Net worth = assets minus liabilities. Aggregate sector-level data (NOT median). Available on FRED as TNWBSHNO (net worth), TABSHNO (assets), TLBSHNO (liabilities). Tier A (official series).
What had arrived
5 exhibits90.5%A
Households with telephone, 1970observed record
% of households with telephone
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 2, Series R 3. 120,218 thousand total phones (583.4 per 1,000 population). Up from 78.3% in 1960. Telephone was nearly universal by 1970.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Historical Statistics Vol 2, Series R 3. 120,218 thousand total phones (583.4 per 1,000 population). Up from 78.3% in 1960. Telephone was nearly universal by 1970.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
87.0% (13.0% without telephone)A
Telephone in housing unit, 1970observed record
% of occupied housing units with telephone
Population measuredOccupied housing units (decennial census)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones. Note: this figure (87.0%) differs from the Historical Statistics Vol 2 figure (90.5%) because the Census measures 'telephone in unit' (housing units) while Hist Stats measures 'households with telephone.' Up from 78.5% (1960), reaching 92.9% by 1980. Source: phone-tab.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Telephone in unit: 1960 78.5%, 1970 87.0%, 1980 92.9%, 1990 94.8%. Note: 1970 Census figure (87.0%) differs from Historical Statistics Vol 2 (90.5%) due to population definition (housing units vs households).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1970 Census of Housing, Historical Census of Housing Tables: Telephones. Note: this figure (87.0%) differs from the Historical Statistics Vol 2 figure (90.5%) because the Census measures 'telephone in unit' (housing units) while Hist Stats measures 'households with telephone.' Up from 78.5% (1960), reaching 92.9% by 1980. Source: phone-tab.txt, www2.census.gov.
Source note: Telephone in unit: 1960 78.5%, 1970 87.0%, 1980 92.9%, 1990 94.8%. Note: 1970 Census figure (87.0%) differs from Historical Statistics Vol 2 (90.5%) due to population definition (housing units vs households).
23% of households had central ACA
Air conditioning, 1978 (first RECS)observed record
% of households with central air-conditioning equipment
Population measuredU.S. housing units (sampled)
Source recordU.S. Energy Information Administration · 2020 · Tier A
Full record
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1978 RECS — the first Residential Energy Consumption Survey. 23% of households had central AC. Total AC (including window/wall units) was 56% (23% central + 33% window/wall); 44% had no AC. Verified via EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 2.6 ('Household End Uses: Fuel Types, Appliances, and Electronics, Selected Years, 1978-2009'), which republishes the 1978 RECS data with explicit source attribution: '1978 and 1979 — EIA, Form EIA-84, RECS.' Available at https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/xls/stb0206.xls. Trajectory: 17% central AC (1973 AHS) → 23% (1978 RECS) → 27% (1980 RECS) → 44% (1993 AHS). By 1993, total AC reached 68%. The 1978 RECS is the closest available data point for the decade.
Source note: Started 1978, triennial/quadrennial. Tracks appliance ownership (refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning) and housing characteristics. AC diffusion: 1993 RECS 68%, 2009 RECS 87%, 2015 RECS 87%. Useful for diffusion and home panels as complement to AHS.
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the 1978 RECS — the first Residential Energy Consumption Survey. 23% of households had central AC. Total AC (including window/wall units) was 56% (23% central + 33% window/wall); 44% had no AC. Verified via EIA Annual Energy Review, Table 2.6 ('Household End Uses: Fuel Types, Appliances, and Electronics, Selected Years, 1978-2009'), which republishes the 1978 RECS data with explicit source attribution: '1978 and 1979 — EIA, Form EIA-84, RECS.' Available at https://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/xls/stb0206.xls. Trajectory: 17% central AC (1973 AHS) → 23% (1978 RECS) → 27% (1980 RECS) → 44% (1993 AHS). By 1993, total AC reached 68%. The 1978 RECS is the closest available data point for the decade.
Source note: Started 1978, triennial/quadrennial. Tracks appliance ownership (refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning) and housing characteristics. AC diffusion: 1993 RECS 68%, 2009 RECS 87%, 2015 RECS 87%. Useful for diffusion and home panels as complement to AHS.
82.5% (17.5% with no vehicle)A
Households with at least one vehicle, 1970observed record
% of occupied housing units with 1+ vehicles
Population measuredAll U.S. occupied housing units
Source recordU.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Share of Households by Vehicles Available: 1960-2023 (BTS Figure 2-7)
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BTS Figure 2-7 (Census Bureau decennial census, 1970). 17.5% had no vehicle, 47.7% had one, 29.3% had two, 5.5% had three or more. The CEX 1972-73 (Bulletin 1992, Table 1) reports a complementary figure: 80.1% of families had at least one automobile (avg 1.3 per family) — the difference reflects source (Census housing units vs CEX families) and timing (1970 vs 1972-73). This fact uses the BTS/Census figure for series consistency with other decades. By 1980: 87.1%. Population: all occupied housing units.
Source note: Data compiled by BTS from U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Census (1960-2000) and American Community Survey (2010-2023). Table B08201 (Household Size by Vehicles Available). Excel file: F2-7 Share of Household by Vehicle Available.xlsx. Figures verified against the Census Bureau source data. The 1960-2000 data are from the decennial census long form; 2010+ from ACS. The concept is consistent across the span: '% of occupied housing units with N vehicles available.'
U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BTS Figure 2-7 (Census Bureau decennial census, 1970). 17.5% had no vehicle, 47.7% had one, 29.3% had two, 5.5% had three or more. The CEX 1972-73 (Bulletin 1992, Table 1) reports a complementary figure: 80.1% of families had at least one automobile (avg 1.3 per family) — the difference reflects source (Census housing units vs CEX families) and timing (1970 vs 1972-73). This fact uses the BTS/Census figure for series consistency with other decades. By 1980: 87.1%. Population: all occupied housing units.
Source note: Data compiled by BTS from U.S. Census Bureau Decennial Census (1960-2000) and American Community Survey (2010-2023). Table B08201 (Household Size by Vehicles Available). Excel file: F2-7 Share of Household by Vehicle Available.xlsx. Figures verified against the Census Bureau source data. The 1960-2000 data are from the decennial census long form; 2010+ from ACS. The concept is consistent across the span: '% of occupied housing units with N vehicles available.'
Refrigerator 99.7%, color TV (NA in 1978), clothes washer 70.5%, clothes dryer 45.0%, dishwasher 34.6%, microwave 7.8%, freezer 35.2%A
Household appliance ownership, 1978observed record
% of households with each appliance
Population measuredU.S. occupied housing units
Source recordU.S. Energy Information Administration · 1988 · Tier A
Full record
EIA Annual Energy Review: Household Appliances (Table 8.3 / Table 2.6)
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 1988 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From EIA Annual Energy Review 1988, Table 8.3 (republished in Census Bureau, USSR/USA Statistical Abstract 1990). Data sourced from RECS (Form EIA-84). 1978 is the first RECS survey. Refrigerator was already universal (99.7%). The microwave oven was just beginning its diffusion (7.8%). Compare 1960s: TV 91.4%, refrigerator 84.7%, washing machine 70.0%. The 1970s saw refrigerator reach saturation; color TV data starts in 1980 (82.1%).
Source note: Appliance ownership data (% of households with each appliance) from the EIA Annual Energy Review. Data for 1978-1987 sourced from RECS (Form EIA-84). Table republished in the Census Bureau's 'Statistical Abstract: USSR and USA 1990' (1991), Table 8.3. Covers: color/B&W TV, clothes washer, clothes dryer, microwave oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning (central + room), gas appliances, VCRs. Data are consistent with RECS microdata.
U.S. Energy Information Administration, 1988 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From EIA Annual Energy Review 1988, Table 8.3 (republished in Census Bureau, USSR/USA Statistical Abstract 1990). Data sourced from RECS (Form EIA-84). 1978 is the first RECS survey. Refrigerator was already universal (99.7%). The microwave oven was just beginning its diffusion (7.8%). Compare 1960s: TV 91.4%, refrigerator 84.7%, washing machine 70.0%. The 1970s saw refrigerator reach saturation; color TV data starts in 1980 (82.1%).
Source note: Appliance ownership data (% of households with each appliance) from the EIA Annual Energy Review. Data for 1978-1987 sourced from RECS (Form EIA-84). Table republished in the Census Bureau's 'Statistical Abstract: USSR and USA 1990' (1991), Table 8.3. Covers: color/B&W TV, clothes washer, clothes dryer, microwave oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning (central + room), gas appliances, VCRs. Data are consistent with RECS microdata.
A day's work buys
4 exhibits1.72 years ($17,000 home vs $9,867 income)C
Median home value as years of median family income, 1970observed record
years of median family income (nominal)
Population measuredOwner-occupied housing units, median value (decennial census, nominal/unadjusted dollars), U.S. and by state
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2000 · Tier C
Full record
Historical Census of Housing Tables: Home Values (Unadjusted)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Computed: 1970 median home value ($17,000) / 1970 median family income ($9,867). Up from 0.97 in 1947. The 1970s inflation would push this ratio higher.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 · source
Confidence: C — Reconstructed from period surveys
Curator note: Computed: 1970 median home value ($17,000) / 1970 median family income ($9,867). Up from 0.97 in 1947. The 1970s inflation would push this ratio higher.
Source note: Median value of owner-occupied homes, unadjusted (nominal) dollars, decennial 1940-2000. National medians: 1940 $2,938; 1950 $7,354; 1960 $11,900; 1970 $17,000; 1980 $47,200; 1990 $79,100; 2000 $119,600. Companion to the Census homeownership history table (census-homeownership-historical); distinct table (values, not rates). Modern values (2010+) come from ACS B25077 (census-acs-homevalue).
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
CPI 38.8 (1970) → 313.7 (2024) = 8.1x. $1 in 1970 = $8.09 in 2024. Real median family income grew 1.33x.A
Consumer Price Index and purchasing power, 1970observed record
CPI-U (1982-84=100), annual average
Population measuredAll Urban Consumers (CPI-U)
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: CPI from BLS series CUUR0000SA0 (confirmed via BLS API). 1970: 38.8. 2024: 313.7. Ratio: 8.09x. Nominal median family income: $9,867 (1970) → $105,800 (2024) = 10.7x. Real growth: 10.7/8.1 = 1.33x. For comparison: 1960-2024 real growth was 1.77x, and 1950-2024 was 3.1x — the 1970s-2020s saw the slowest real income growth of the postwar era.
Source note: BLS CPI homepage. Historical data and supplemental files at https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Historical article: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/article/one-hundred-years-of-price-change-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-american-inflation-experience.htm
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: CPI from BLS series CUUR0000SA0 (confirmed via BLS API). 1970: 38.8. 2024: 313.7. Ratio: 8.09x. Nominal median family income: $9,867 (1970) → $105,800 (2024) = 10.7x. Real growth: 10.7/8.1 = 1.33x. For comparison: 1960-2024 real growth was 1.77x, and 1950-2024 was 3.1x — the 1970s-2020s saw the slowest real income growth of the postwar era.
Source note: BLS CPI homepage. Historical data and supplemental files at https://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Historical article: https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2014/article/one-hundred-years-of-price-change-the-consumer-price-index-and-the-american-inflation-experience.htm
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
$156.73/week — a full year of it (×52) ≈ 83% of median family incomeA
What a week of manufacturing work bought, 1970observed record
weekly manufacturing earnings vs annual median family income
Population measuredVarious national aggregates (depends on table)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 1975 · Tier A
Full record
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 (Bicentennial Edition)
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: manufacturing FTE annual earnings ($8,150, Historical Statistics Series D740) ÷ 52 = $156.73/week. × 52 = $8,150, which is 82.6% of the all-family median income ($9,867, Census F-8). Still above 80% — the single manufacturing wage could nearly support a family. But this is the last decade it would do so. Compare 1960: 95%, 1980: 60%. Source: same D740 series as 1940s and 1960s.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 1975 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: manufacturing FTE annual earnings ($8,150, Historical Statistics Series D740) ÷ 52 = $156.73/week. × 52 = $8,150, which is 82.6% of the all-family median income ($9,867, Census F-8). Still above 80% — the single manufacturing wage could nearly support a family. But this is the last decade it would do so. Compare 1960: 95%, 1980: 60%. Source: same D740 series as 1940s and 1960s.
Source note: Free on Internet Archive. Contains population, labor, prices, housing, and diffusion series spanning colonial times to 1970. Essential for pre-1940 decades where no dedicated survey exists. Predecessor to the Millennial Edition.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$3,543A
Average new car transaction price, 1970observed record
USD, nominal (average transaction price, domestic + import)
Population measuredAll new passenger cars sold in the United States (domestic and import), excluding pickups, vans, and SUVs
Source recordU.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2021 · Tier A
Full record
Average Transaction Price per New Car (Domestic and Import), 1970-2020
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2021 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From BEA Average Transaction Price per New Car (ORNL TEDB Table 11.13, Edition 40). Measures the average price consumers actually paid (not wholesale/list). Covers domestic + import passenger cars, excluding pickups, vans, and SUVs. Cross-check: CEX 1972-73 implies ~$3,552 average net outlay per new vehicle purchase ($440.41 annual expenditure / 12.4% reporting), closely matching the BEA figure. The Historical Statistics wholesale average for 1970 was ~$2,214 — the ~60% markup to transaction price reflects dealer margin, options, and taxes.
Source note: Compiled in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table 11.13. Data are based on an average car and do not include prices for pickups, vans, or sport utility vehicles. Annual average transaction prices in current dollars. Total (domestic + import) current-dollar prices: 1970 $3,543, 1980 $7,557, 1990 $15,033, 2000 $21,030, 2010 $24,907, 2020 $27,366.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2021 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonagricultural payrolls; All US families by family size (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7+ persons), CPS money income
Denominators measure: hours axis: average hourly earnings; income axis: total money income
Curator note: From BEA Average Transaction Price per New Car (ORNL TEDB Table 11.13, Edition 40). Measures the average price consumers actually paid (not wholesale/list). Covers domestic + import passenger cars, excluding pickups, vans, and SUVs. Cross-check: CEX 1972-73 implies ~$3,552 average net outlay per new vehicle purchase ($440.41 annual expenditure / 12.4% reporting), closely matching the BEA figure. The Historical Statistics wholesale average for 1970 was ~$2,214 — the ~60% markup to transaction price reflects dealer margin, options, and taxes.
Source note: Compiled in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 40, Table 11.13. Data are based on an average car and do not include prices for pickups, vans, or sport utility vehicles. Annual average transaction prices in current dollars. Total (domestic + import) current-dollar prices: 1970 $3,543, 1980 $7,557, 1990 $15,033, 2000 $21,030, 2010 $24,907, 2020 $27,366.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Computed affordability
≈ 1,097 hours of work
≈ 31.7% of annual income
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
Reading the atlas
Provenance is in the scan-line: every exhibit's row names its value, confidence tier, the population actually measured, and the source record. Chart points and stage glyphs open the same record.
Rising series draw in petrol, falling in ember. Absent technology isn't drawn — a bare house says more than ghosts.