vitrine · US · room 13 of 13
The 2020s room
Data as of 2024 (decade ongoing — each fact states its own data year).
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 expensive connected present
What does the current room reveal when housing, time, and connection move together?
An editorial selection, not a synthetic family. Every stop opens the full specimen record.
$240,500 (2019) → $360,600 (2024)The pandemic housing surge: median home value 2019 vs 2024
A
Housing 31.3%, transportation 17.9%, food 13.5%, insurance/pensions 14.…Expenditure breakdown, 4-person families, 2024
A
Sleeping 9.04 hrs, working 3.13 hrs (men 3.56, women 2.73), household a…How Americans spend their day, 2024 (ATUS)
A
96%Adults who use the internet, 2025
A
era-graded wash · absent technology isn't drawn · every glyph opens its record
Docent tours stopping in this room: One paycheck · 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 exhibits65.3%A
Homeownership rate, 2024observed record
% of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied
Population measuredAll US households / occupied housing units (ACS 1-year national sample)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (data.census.gov). The rate is ±0.1%. Up from 55.0% in 1950. (Source re-pointed from census-ahs 2026-07-07: this is ACS data, not AHS.)
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (data.census.gov). The rate is ±0.1%. Up from 55.0% in 1950. (Source re-pointed from census-ahs 2026-07-07: this is ACS data, not AHS.)
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
Assumption: The composite family
Median 1,500 sq ft. 99.9% have complete bathroom. 89.3% public water, 80.9% public sewer. Median 5 rooms. 67.6% have garage/carport.A
Housing characteristics, 2023 (AHS)observed record
percent of 133.2M occupied units (AHS 2023 National)
Population measuredU.S. housing units (national sample)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Housing Survey (AHS)
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From American Housing Survey 2023 National tables (AHS Table Creator, generated 2026-07-06). Data parsed from Excel exports. Total occupied units: 133,231 thousand. Complete bathroom: 133,096K (99.9%). Public water: 119,015K (89.3%). Public sewer: 107,884K (80.9%). Garage or carport: 90,044K (67.6%). Median square footage: 1,500 (mean: 1,809). For comparison with 1950 Census of Housing: near-universal plumbing and electricity, dramatically larger homes (1950 median ~1,000 sq ft estimated).
Source note: Started 1973, biennial/annual. Tracks tenure, rooms, amenities (plumbing, kitchen, telephone, automobile in some years), housing costs. Table Creator: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html. Historical reports at HUDUser: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahs_1999.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From American Housing Survey 2023 National tables (AHS Table Creator, generated 2026-07-06). Data parsed from Excel exports. Total occupied units: 133,231 thousand. Complete bathroom: 133,096K (99.9%). Public water: 119,015K (89.3%). Public sewer: 107,884K (80.9%). Garage or carport: 90,044K (67.6%). Median square footage: 1,500 (mean: 1,809). For comparison with 1950 Census of Housing: near-universal plumbing and electricity, dramatically larger homes (1950 median ~1,000 sq ft estimated).
Source note: Started 1973, biennial/annual. Tracks tenure, rooms, amenities (plumbing, kitchen, telephone, automobile in some years), housing costs. Table Creator: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html. Historical reports at HUDUser: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahs_1999.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
2,146 sq ft (new construction)A
Median square footage of new single-family homes, 2024observed 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 (Characteristics of New Housing, annual data, released 2026-07-01). Median floor area of new single-family houses completed in 2024: 2,146 sq ft, down from a 2022 peak of 2,299 sq ft as builders responded to higher interest rates by building smaller homes. This is new construction only; the existing stock median is 1,500 sq ft (AHS 2023).
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.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From the Census Bureau's Survey of Construction (Characteristics of New Housing, annual data, released 2026-07-01). Median floor area of new single-family houses completed in 2024: 2,146 sq ft, down from a 2022 peak of 2,299 sq ft as builders responded to higher interest rates by building smaller homes. This is new construction only; the existing stock median is 1,500 sq ft (AHS 2023).
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.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
$360,600A
Median home value, 2024 (ACS)observed record
USD, nominal (median value of owner-occupied housing units)
Population measuredAll US households / occupied housing units (ACS 1-year national sample)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory employees, total private sector; 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 ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table B25077 (Median value of owner-occupied housing units), 2024. Margin of error: ±$618. Time series: $179,900 (2010), $181,200 (2014), $240,500 (2019), $360,600 (2024) — doubled in 14 years. For comparison: $7,354 in 1950 (Tier C).
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: One-time price
Affordability anchors: Production and nonsupervisory employees, total private sector; 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 ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table B25077 (Median value of owner-occupied housing units), 2024. Margin of error: ±$618. Time series: $179,900 (2010), $181,200 (2014), $240,500 (2019), $360,600 (2024) — doubled in 14 years. For comparison: $7,354 in 1950 (Tier C).
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: Rooms, not square feet
Computed affordability
≈ 11,972 hours of work
≈ 257.8% of annual income
Large ratio: inspect the wage population and anchor years in provenance before reading this as one household's timeline.
$240,500 (2019) → $360,600 (2024)A
The pandemic housing surge: median home value 2019 vs 2024observed record
USD, nominal (ACS B25077 median value of owner-occupied units)
Population measuredOwner-occupied housing units (ACS 1-year estimates)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
ACS Table B25077: Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Both endpoints transcribed from Census ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table B25077 (Median value of owner-occupied housing units). 2019: $240,500 (±$1,034). 2024: $360,600 (±$618). The increase far exceeds the prior decade's rate ($179,900 in 2010 → $240,500 in 2019). The surge reflects pandemic-era demand, low mortgage rates (2020-21), and supply constraints. The percentage change is not stated here — it would be cross-fact arithmetic; the two endpoints speak for themselves.
Source note: Median home value: 2010 $179,900, 2014 $181,200, 2019 $240,500, 2024 $360,600. Retrieved via Census Reporter API.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Both endpoints transcribed from Census ACS 1-Year Estimates, Table B25077 (Median value of owner-occupied housing units). 2019: $240,500 (±$1,034). 2024: $360,600 (±$618). The increase far exceeds the prior decade's rate ($179,900 in 2010 → $240,500 in 2019). The surge reflects pandemic-era demand, low mortgage rates (2020-21), and supply constraints. The percentage change is not stated here — it would be cross-fact arithmetic; the two endpoints speak for themselves.
Source note: Median home value: 2010 $179,900, 2014 $181,200, 2019 $240,500, 2024 $360,600. Retrieved via Census Reporter API.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$1,487/monthA
Median gross rent, 2024observed record
USD, nominal (median gross rent, specified renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent)
Population measuredRenter-occupied housing units paying cash rent (ACS 1-year estimates)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
ACS Table B25064: Median Gross Rent
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ACS Table B25064, 2024 1-year estimates (Census API). Up from $855 in 2010. The renter half of the housing story: rents rose faster than incomes in the 2020s. Arc: $602 (2000) → $855 (2010) → $1,097 (2019) → $1,487 (2024).
Source note: Median gross rent (USD/month): 2010 $855, 2015 $959, 2019 $1,097, 2022 $1,300, 2023 $1,406, 2024 $1,487. Retrieved via Census API (api.census.gov). Successor to the decennial Census of Housing gross rents series, which ends at 2000 ($602) — the long-form census question was replaced by the ACS.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ACS Table B25064, 2024 1-year estimates (Census API). Up from $855 in 2010. The renter half of the housing story: rents rose faster than incomes in the 2020s. Arc: $602 (2000) → $855 (2010) → $1,097 (2019) → $1,487 (2024).
Source note: Median gross rent (USD/month): 2010 $855, 2015 $959, 2019 $1,097, 2022 $1,300, 2023 $1,406, 2024 $1,487. Retrieved via Census API (api.census.gov). Successor to the decennial Census of Housing gross rents series, which ends at 2000 ($602) — the long-form census question was replaced by the ACS.
The budget
13 exhibitsHousing 31.3%, transportation 17.9%, food 13.5%, insurance/pensions 14.8%, healthcare 7.0%, entertainment 4.6%, apparel 2.5%, education 2.4%, cash contributions 2.0%A
Expenditure breakdown, 4-person families, 2024observed record
% of total annual expenditure
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: Computed from CEX Table 1400 (Size of CU, 2024). 4-person CUs: 16,718 thousand. Average annual expenditure: $109,622. Average income before taxes: $161,632. Expenditure = 68% of gross income. Compared to 1901: food dropped from 42.54% to 13.5%, apparel from 14.04% to 2.5%, while housing rose from 12.95% to 31.3% and transportation emerged as a major category (17.9%). Source: bls.gov/cex/tables.htm, file cu-size-2024.xlsx.
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: Computed from CEX Table 1400 (Size of CU, 2024). 4-person CUs: 16,718 thousand. Average annual expenditure: $109,622. Average income before taxes: $161,632. Expenditure = 68% of gross income. Compared to 1901: food dropped from 42.54% to 13.5%, apparel from 14.04% to 2.5%, while housing rose from 12.95% to 31.3% and transportation emerged as a major category (17.9%). Source: bls.gov/cex/tables.htm, file cu-size-2024.xlsx.
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
$105,800A
Median family income, all families, 2024observed record
USD per year, nominal, money income before tax
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 Table F-8 (All Races), row 10. CPS money income, as of March 2025 (2024 ASEC). This is the most recent available data.
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
Assumption: The affordability axis
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Table F-8 (All Races), row 10. CPS money income, as of March 2025 (2024 ASEC). This is the most recent available data.
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
Assumption: The affordability axis
$139,900A
Median family income, four-person families, 2024observed record
USD per year, nominal, money income before tax
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 Table F-8 (All Races), 'Families with Four People' section, row 259. The 4-person family median is higher than the all-family median because smaller families (2-person) pull the all-family median down.
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
Assumption: The affordability axis
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Annual figure
Curator note: From Table F-8 (All Races), 'Families with Four People' section, row 259. The 4-person family median is higher than the all-family median because smaller families (2-person) pull the all-family median down.
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
Assumption: The affordability axis
85,980,000A
Number of families in the United States, 2024observed 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 Table F-8, all families, row 10. CPS estimate as of March 2025.
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: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Table F-8, all families, row 10. CPS estimate as of March 2025.
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: Values are shown in period money
3.15A
Average family size, 2024observed 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 Table F-8, all families, row 10, column G. Down from 3.54 in 1950 — families are smaller.
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
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Table F-8, all families, row 10, column G. Down from 3.54 in 1950 — families are smaller.
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
$78,535A
Average annual household expenditures, 2024observed record
USD per consumer unit, 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 BLS CEX multi-year table (cu-all-multi-year-2021-2024.xlsx). All consumer units. Income before taxes: $104,207. Expenditure/income ratio: 75.4%. 135,760 thousand consumer units; 65% homeowners. After-tax income not published for 2024 (TAXSIM models discontinued).
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: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS CEX multi-year table (cu-all-multi-year-2021-2024.xlsx). All consumer units. Income before taxes: $104,207. Expenditure/income ratio: 75.4%. 135,760 thousand consumer units; 65% homeowners. After-tax income not published for 2024 (TAXSIM models discontinued).
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: Values are shown in period money
75.4% — expenditures $78,535 vs income $104,207A
Expenditure-to-income ratio, 2024observed record
% (total expenditures ÷ income before taxes)
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 BLS CEX multi-year table (cu-all-multi-year-2021-2024.xlsx). All consumer units. Total expenditures: $78,535. Income before taxes: $104,207. Ratio: 75.4%. The lowest ratio in the series — high-income households pulling the aggregate ratio down. The bottom quintile spends over 200% of income (see us-2010s-cex-quintile-q1-ratio for the 2012 benchmark).
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: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS CEX multi-year table (cu-all-multi-year-2021-2024.xlsx). All consumer units. Total expenditures: $78,535. Income before taxes: $104,207. Ratio: 75.4%. The lowest ratio in the series — high-income households pulling the aggregate ratio down. The bottom quintile spends over 200% of income (see us-2010s-cex-quintile-q1-ratio for the 2012 benchmark).
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: Values are shown in period money
10.6% (35.9 million people)A
Official poverty rate, 2024observed record
% of U.S. population below official poverty threshold
Population measuredU.S. resident population and families (CPS ASEC)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Poverty in the United States: 2024 (Current Population Reports P60-287)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census P-60 No. 287 (Sep 2025). Official poverty rate: 10.6% (down from 11.1% in 2023). 35.9M people in poverty. Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM): 12.9% (unchanged from 2023). For families: married-couple 3.5%, female-householder 18.6%. The official poverty threshold for a 4-person family with 2 children was ~$32,000 in 2024.
Source note: Official poverty rate 2024: 10.6% (35.9M people). SPM: 12.9%. Down from 11.1% official in 2023. For families: 7.0% poverty rate (married-couple 3.5%, female-householder 18.6%).
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Census P-60 No. 287 (Sep 2025). Official poverty rate: 10.6% (down from 11.1% in 2023). 35.9M people in poverty. Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM): 12.9% (unchanged from 2023). For families: married-couple 3.5%, female-householder 18.6%. The official poverty threshold for a 4-person family with 2 children was ~$32,000 in 2024.
Source note: Official poverty rate 2024: 10.6% (35.9M people). SPM: 12.9%. Down from 11.1% official in 2023. For families: 7.0% poverty rate (married-couple 3.5%, female-householder 18.6%).
Assumption: The composite family
The table
14 exhibits$5,278.6 billion (18.0% of GDP)A
Healthcare spending, 2024observed 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 (NHE24_Summary.csv). NHE: $5,278.6B. GDP: $29,298.0B. Per capita: $15,474. Healthcare now consumes nearly one-fifth of GDP. From 5% in 1960 to 18% in 2024 — healthcare's share of the economy tripled.
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 (NHE24_Summary.csv). NHE: $5,278.6B. GDP: $29,298.0B. Per capita: $15,474. Healthcare now consumes nearly one-fifth of GDP. From 5% in 1960 to 18% in 2024 — healthcare's share of the economy tripled.
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.
$15,474 per capita ($13,222 for personal health care)A
National health spending per person, 2024observed 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 (NHE24_Summary.csv). NHE per capita: $15,474. Personal Health Care per capita: $13,222. Population: 341M. From $146 (1960) to $15,474 (2024) — a 106x increase in nominal terms.
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 (NHE24_Summary.csv). NHE per capita: $15,474. Personal Health Care per capita: $13,222. Population: 341M. From $146 (1960) to $15,474 (2024) — a 106x increase in nominal terms.
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.
$1,118,000 million (21.2% of NHE)A
Medicare spending, 2024observed 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). Medicare: $1,118,000M of $5,278,588M total. Up from $7,672M in 1970 — a 146x increase in nominal terms. Medicare now covers ~22% 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 (NHE2024.csv). Medicare: $1,118,000M of $5,278,588M total. Up from $7,672M in 1970 — a 146x increase in nominal terms. Medicare now covers ~22% 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.
$931,692 million (17.6% of NHE); Federal $596,694M, State/Local $334,998MA
Medicaid spending, 2024observed 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). Medicaid total: $931,692M. Federal: $596,694M. State/Local: $334,998M. Up from $5,290M in 1970. Federal share grew from 53.7% (1970) to 64.0% (2024).
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). Medicaid total: $931,692M. Federal: $596,694M. State/Local: $334,998M. Up from $5,290M in 1970. Federal share grew from 53.7% (1970) to 64.0% (2024).
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.
$466,968 million (8.8% of NHE)A
Prescription drug spending, 2024observed 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: $466,968M of $5,278,588M total. Up from $2,676M in 1960 — a 174x increase. The 2000s saw the largest jump ($122B→$253B) after Medicare Part D (2006).
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: $466,968M of $5,278,588M total. Up from $2,676M in 1960 — a 174x increase. The 2000s saw the largest jump ($122B→$253B) after Medicare Part D (2006).
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.
157.6 per 100,000A
Heart disease age-adjusted death rate, 2024observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, final 2024 data)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2026 · Tier A
Full record
NCHS Data Brief No. 548: Mortality in the United States, 2024
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. Down 73% from the 1950 peak of 588.8. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary increase (2019: 161.5 → 2021: ~173), but rates have since declined below pre-pandemic levels.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. Down 73% from the 1950 peak of 588.8. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a temporary increase (2019: 161.5 → 2021: ~173), but rates have since declined below pre-pandemic levels.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
139.4 per 100,000A
Cancer age-adjusted death rate, 2024observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, final 2024 data)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2026 · Tier A
Full record
NCHS Data Brief No. 548: Mortality in the United States, 2024
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026). Down 35% from the 1990 peak. Immunotherapy (checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T) has transformed treatment of melanoma, lung, and other cancers.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026). Down 35% from the 1990 peak. Immunotherapy (checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T) has transformed treatment of melanoma, lung, and other cancers.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
38.6 per 100,000A
Stroke age-adjusted death rate, 2024observed record
age-adjusted deaths per 100,000 population
Population measuredU.S. resident population (death certificates, final 2024 data)
Source recordNational Center for Health Statistics (CDC) · 2026 · Tier A
Full record
NCHS Data Brief No. 548: Mortality in the United States, 2024
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026). Down 79% from the 1950 rate of 180.7. Driven by hypertension control, statins, clot-busting drugs (tPA, 1996), and mechanical thrombectomy.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
National Center for Health Statistics (CDC), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCHS Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026). Down 79% from the 1950 rate of 180.7. Driven by hypertension control, statins, clot-busting drugs (tPA, 1996), and mechanical thrombectomy.
Source note: Final 2024 mortality data. Age-adjusted death rates: Heart disease 157.6, Cancer 139.4, Stroke 38.6 per 100,000. Life expectancy 79.0 years.
Assumption: The composite family
70.5%A
Cancer 5-year relative survival rate, 2016-2022observed record
% surviving 5 years after diagnosis (relative survival, SEER)
Population measuredPatients diagnosed with cancer (all sites) in SEER registry areas
Source recordNational Cancer Institute (NIH) · 2026 · Tier A
Full record
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Cancer of Any Site
National Cancer Institute (NIH), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCI SEER Cancer Stat Facts (seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html). Up from 48.9% in 1975-1979 — a 44% relative improvement. ACS Facts & Figures 2025 reports 69% for 2014-2020 diagnoses (all races).
Source note: 5-year relative survival 70.5% for 2016-2022 diagnoses. Updated annually.
Assumption: The composite family
National Cancer Institute (NIH), 2026 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From NCI SEER Cancer Stat Facts (seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html). Up from 48.9% in 1975-1979 — a 44% relative improvement. ACS Facts & Figures 2025 reports 69% for 2014-2020 diagnoses (all races).
Source note: 5-year relative survival 70.5% for 2016-2022 diagnoses. Updated annually.
Assumption: The composite family
Bread $1.91/lb, ground beef $5.58/lb, bacon $6.92/lb, eggs $4.15/doz, lettuce $1.71/lb, bananas $0.62/lbA
Retail food prices, December 2024observed record
USD, nominal, BLS average price survey (APU series, December 2024)
Population measuredDepends on series (CPI: all urban consumers; food prices: urban consumers)
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
BLS Public Data API v2
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS Public Data API v2, series APU0000702111 (bread, white, pan, per lb), APU0000703111 (ground chuck, 100% beef, per lb), APU0000704111 (bacon, sliced, per lb), APU0000708111 (eggs, grade A, large, per doz), APU0000712211 (lettuce, iceberg, per lb), APU0000711211 (bananas, per lb). Values are December 2024 monthly averages, verified via BLS API catalog endpoint. CORRECTION 2026-07-08: the previous version of this fact had mismatched labels — APU0000712211 was labeled 'bread' but is actually lettuce; APU0000702111 was labeled 'flour' but is actually bread; APU0000703111 was labeled 'round steak' but is actually ground chuck; APU0000704111 was labeled 'milk' but is actually bacon; APU0000708111 was labeled 'potatoes' but is actually eggs; APU0000711211 was labeled 'coffee' but is actually bananas. The note claiming 'eggs, butter, bananas, sugar returned N/A' was also wrong — eggs and bananas both returned valid data. For comparison with 1950: bread 14.3¢→$1.91/lb (13.4x), ground beef ~93.6¢→$5.58/lb (6.0x), eggs 60.4¢→$4.15/doz (6.9x).
Source note: Direct API access to BLS time series. Used for: average food prices (APU series), CPI-U (CUUR0000SA0), wage and hours data. API key registered. Food price series (APU) available from ~1970s onward — no 1950 data. Rate limit: 100 queries/day for registered users.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS Public Data API v2, series APU0000702111 (bread, white, pan, per lb), APU0000703111 (ground chuck, 100% beef, per lb), APU0000704111 (bacon, sliced, per lb), APU0000708111 (eggs, grade A, large, per doz), APU0000712211 (lettuce, iceberg, per lb), APU0000711211 (bananas, per lb). Values are December 2024 monthly averages, verified via BLS API catalog endpoint. CORRECTION 2026-07-08: the previous version of this fact had mismatched labels — APU0000712211 was labeled 'bread' but is actually lettuce; APU0000702111 was labeled 'flour' but is actually bread; APU0000703111 was labeled 'round steak' but is actually ground chuck; APU0000704111 was labeled 'milk' but is actually bacon; APU0000708111 was labeled 'potatoes' but is actually eggs; APU0000711211 was labeled 'coffee' but is actually bananas. The note claiming 'eggs, butter, bananas, sugar returned N/A' was also wrong — eggs and bananas both returned valid data. For comparison with 1950: bread 14.3¢→$1.91/lb (13.4x), ground beef ~93.6¢→$5.58/lb (6.0x), eggs 60.4¢→$4.15/doz (6.9x).
Source note: Direct API access to BLS time series. Used for: average food prices (APU series), CPI-U (CUUR0000SA0), wage and hours data. API key registered. Food price series (APU) available from ~1970s onward — no 1950 data. Rate limit: 100 queries/day for registered users.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
890 cigarettes per adult per yearA
Adult per capita cigarette consumption, 2020observed record
cigarettes per adult (≥18 years) per year
Population measuredU.S. adults ≥18 years (per capita consumption based on taxable removals)
Source recordCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Adult Tobacco Consumption in the U.S., 2000-Present
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC Adult Tobacco Consumption dataset (data.cdc.gov). Consumption fell below 1,000 for the first time since the 1930s. By 2023 it had declined further to 678 per adult.
Source note: Dataset on data.cdc.gov. Annual per capita cigarette consumption 2000-2023 based on Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) taxable removals data and Census adult population estimates. Downloads as CSV via Socrata API.
Assumption: The composite family
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From CDC Adult Tobacco Consumption dataset (data.cdc.gov). Consumption fell below 1,000 for the first time since the 1930s. By 2023 it had declined further to 678 per adult.
Source note: Dataset on data.cdc.gov. Annual per capita cigarette consumption 2000-2023 based on Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) taxable removals data and Census adult population estimates. Downloads as CSV via Socrata API.
Assumption: The composite family
12.5% of adults smoked (14.0% of men, 11.0% of women)A
Adult cigarette smoking prevalence, 2020observed 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). Smoking prevalence fell below 15% for the first time. By 2025, preliminary CDC data showed 9.1% — the lowest ever recorded. The gap between male and female smoking continued to narrow.
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). Smoking prevalence fell below 15% for the first time. By 2025, preliminary CDC data showed 9.1% — the lowest ever recorded. The gap between male and female smoking continued to narrow.
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
11 exhibits40.7A
Average weekly hours, manufacturing production workers, 2024observed record
hours per week
Population measuredProduction and nonsupervisory employees in manufacturing
Source recordFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Average Weekly Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Manufacturing (AWHMAN)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Annual average computed from FRED AWHMAN monthly data (12 observations for 2024, averaged). Remarkably similar to 1950 (40.5 hours). Note: this measures manufacturing only; the service-sector average is lower.
Source note: Coverage: Jan 1939–present, monthly. BLS source code: CES3000000006. CSV API: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=AWHMAN. 1950 annual average: 40.5 hours. 2024 annual average: 40.7 hours.
Assumption: The composite family
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Annual average computed from FRED AWHMAN monthly data (12 observations for 2024, averaged). Remarkably similar to 1950 (40.5 hours). Note: this measures manufacturing only; the service-sector average is lower.
Source note: Coverage: Jan 1939–present, monthly. BLS source code: CES3000000006. CSV API: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=AWHMAN. 1950 annual average: 40.5 hours. 2024 annual average: 40.7 hours.
Assumption: The composite family
$30.12A
Average hourly earnings, all private-sector production workers, 2024observed record
USD per hour, nominal
Population measuredProduction and nonsupervisory employees, total private sector
Source recordFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private (AHETPI)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: Annual average computed from FRED AHETPI monthly data (12 observations for 2024, averaged). BLS Current Employment Statistics. Note: AHETPI covers all private-sector production/nonsupervisory employees, not just manufacturing (unlike the 1950 CES3000000008 series). The 1964 AHETPI value was $2.50.
Source note: Average (not median) hourly earnings. Coverage: 1964-present, monthly. BLS source code: CES0500000008. Useful for work-buys panel as proxy for median worker purchasing power.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Basis: Hourly rate
Curator note: Annual average computed from FRED AHETPI monthly data (12 observations for 2024, averaged). BLS Current Employment Statistics. Note: AHETPI covers all private-sector production/nonsupervisory employees, not just manufacturing (unlike the 1950 CES3000000008 series). The 1964 AHETPI value was $2.50.
Source note: Average (not median) hourly earnings. Coverage: 1964-present, monthly. BLS source code: CES0500000008. Useful for work-buys panel as proxy for median worker purchasing power.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: The wage anchor changes across the span
Sleeping 9.04 hrs, working 3.13 hrs (men 3.56, women 2.73), household activities 2.01 hrs (men 1.67, women 2.34)A
How Americans spend their day, 2024 (ATUS)observed record
hours per day, civilian population (annual average)
Population measuredCivilian noninstitutionalized population age 15+
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Time Use Survey (ATUS)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS American Time Use Survey, Table A-1 (2024 annual averages), a1-2024.pdf. Text layer extracted directly via pypdf — no OCR needed. 'Working' = 3.13 hrs (the narrower detailed activity; 'Working and work-related activities' = 3.43 hrs). 'Sleeping' = 9.04 hrs. 'Household activities' = 2.01 hrs (includes housework, food prep, lawn/garden). The 2025 table (a1-2025.pdf) also exists but is not used: the room's income/wage anchors are 2024, and a 2025 time-use fact would sit ahead of every comparison denominator.
Source note: Started 2003, annual. Covers work hours, commute time, daily activities. Primary source for the 'day' panel from 2000s onward. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Tables used: 2010 annual averages (a1_2010.pdf, a2_2010.pdf) for the 2010s room; 2024 annual averages (a1-2024.pdf) for the 2020s room. The survey year in fact labels identifies which annual average is cited.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS American Time Use Survey, Table A-1 (2024 annual averages), a1-2024.pdf. Text layer extracted directly via pypdf — no OCR needed. 'Working' = 3.13 hrs (the narrower detailed activity; 'Working and work-related activities' = 3.43 hrs). 'Sleeping' = 9.04 hrs. 'Household activities' = 2.01 hrs (includes housework, food prep, lawn/garden). The 2025 table (a1-2025.pdf) also exists but is not used: the room's income/wage anchors are 2024, and a 2025 time-use fact would sit ahead of every comparison denominator.
Source note: Started 2003, annual. Covers work hours, commute time, daily activities. Primary source for the 'day' panel from 2000s onward. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Tables used: 2010 annual averages (a1_2010.pdf, a2_2010.pdf) for the 2010s room; 2024 annual averages (a1-2024.pdf) for the 2020s room. The survey year in fact labels identifies which annual average is cited.
Assumption: The composite family
76.5 male, 81.4 female (79.0 total)A
Life expectancy at birth, 2024observed 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 Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. Male: 76.5 (up 0.7 from 75.8 in 2023). Female: 81.4 (up 0.3 from 81.1 in 2023). Total 79.0 (up 0.4 from 78.6 in 2023). The 2020-21 COVID decline (78.8 -> 76.1) has fully recovered and exceeded the pre-pandemic level. For cross-decade comparison: 1900-02: 48.2M/51.1F; 1939-41: 62.8M/67.3F; 1949-51: 66.3M/72.0F; 1960: 66.6M/73.1F (white).
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 Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. Male: 76.5 (up 0.7 from 75.8 in 2023). Female: 81.4 (up 0.3 from 81.1 in 2023). Total 79.0 (up 0.4 from 78.6 in 2023). The 2020-21 COVID decline (78.8 -> 76.1) has fully recovered and exceeded the pre-pandemic level. For cross-decade comparison: 1900-02: 48.2M/51.1F; 1939-41: 62.8M/67.3F; 1949-51: 66.3M/72.0F; 1960: 66.6M/73.1F (white).
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
5.525 per 1,000 live births (552.5 per 100,000)A
Infant mortality rate, 2024observed record
deaths before 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 Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. 2024 rate: 552.5 infant deaths per 100,000 live births (5.525 per 1,000) — not significantly different from 2023 (560.2 per 100,000 = 5.602 per 1,000). For cross-decade comparison: 1900: ~100 per 1,000; 1915: 99.9; 1997: 7.2. The century-long decline exceeds 90% — one of the greatest public health achievements. Persistent racial disparities: Black infant mortality is ~2x the national average.
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 Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026), final 2024 mortality data. 2024 rate: 552.5 infant deaths per 100,000 live births (5.525 per 1,000) — not significantly different from 2023 (560.2 per 100,000 = 5.602 per 1,000). For cross-decade comparison: 1900: ~100 per 1,000; 1915: 99.9; 1997: 7.2. The century-long decline exceeds 90% — one of the greatest public health achievements. Persistent racial disparities: Black infant mortality is ~2x the national average.
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
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
Home-production hours: Ramey endpoint vs ATUS (concept splice)observed record
hours per week vs hours per day — not directly comparable
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: Concept splice (Plan 004 Measure guard): Ramey measures unpaid home production (food prep, cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, management) for prime-age women and men separately, ages 18-64, in hours/week. ATUS (us-2020s-time-use, source bls-atus, 2024 annual averages) measures 'household activities' for all adults 15+ in hrs/day, without gender breakdown in the headline figure. The two series are NOT directly comparable: (1) different activity definitions (Ramey's 'home production' is broader than ATUS 'household activities'), (2) different populations (prime-age vs all-adult), (3) different units (weekly vs daily). When plotted on the same axis, this splice must carry a caveat banner. The Ramey series is the thesis spine (women's hours falling); ATUS is the modern anchor point.
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: Concept splice (Plan 004 Measure guard): Ramey measures unpaid home production (food prep, cleaning, clothing care, childcare, purchasing, management) for prime-age women and men separately, ages 18-64, in hours/week. ATUS (us-2020s-time-use, source bls-atus, 2024 annual averages) measures 'household activities' for all adults 15+ in hrs/day, without gender breakdown in the headline figure. The two series are NOT directly comparable: (1) different activity definitions (Ramey's 'home production' is broader than ATUS 'household activities'), (2) different populations (prime-age vs all-adult), (3) different units (weekly vs daily). When plotted on the same axis, this splice must carry a caveat banner. The Ramey series is the thesis spine (women's hours falling); ATUS is the modern anchor point.
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
Men: 30.2, Women: 28.4A
Median age at first marriage, 2023observed 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. Men crossed 30 for the first time in the series — up from 22.8 in 1950. Women at 28.4, up from 20.3. The composite four-person family now forms 8 years later than at mid-century. Same-sex marriages included starting 2019. This is why the 2020s room notes the median household is no longer this family — the four-person married-couple household with young children is no longer the statistical norm.
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. Men crossed 30 for the first time in the series — up from 22.8 in 1950. Women at 28.4, up from 20.3. The composite four-person family now forms 8 years later than at mid-century. Same-sex marriages included starting 2019. This is why the 2020s room notes the median household is no longer this family — the four-person married-couple household with young children is no longer the statistical norm.
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.
56.9%A
Married women's labor force participation, 2021observed record
% of married women (spouse present) in the civilian labor force
Population measuredU.S. civilian noninstitutional population 16+, by sex and marital status (CPS annual averages)
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2022 · Tier A
Full record
Women in the Labor Force: A Databook
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2022 edition, Report 1080), covering 2021 annual averages. CPS annual averages. Down from 57.9% (2016) and 61.1% (2000 peak). The long-term decline from the 2000 peak reflects demographic aging (more married women past retirement age) and structural shifts. From 5.6% (1900) to 61.1% (2000 peak) to 56.9% (2021) — the arc of married women's labor force participation across 120 years.
Source note: BLS periodic report compiling CPS labor force data for women by marital status, age, race, parental status, and occupation. The databook's Table 4/5 series show 'married women, spouse present' labor force participation rates. Editions: 2017 (Report 1063, covers 2016 data), 2022 (Report 1080, covers 2021 data). The underlying data is from the CPS (same as statab-lfpr-marital), but the databook is the primary publication for post-2009 marital-status LFPR figures.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS Women in the Labor Force: A Databook (2022 edition, Report 1080), covering 2021 annual averages. CPS annual averages. Down from 57.9% (2016) and 61.1% (2000 peak). The long-term decline from the 2000 peak reflects demographic aging (more married women past retirement age) and structural shifts. From 5.6% (1900) to 61.1% (2000 peak) to 56.9% (2021) — the arc of married women's labor force participation across 120 years.
Source note: BLS periodic report compiling CPS labor force data for women by marital status, age, race, parental status, and occupation. The databook's Table 4/5 series show 'married women, spouse present' labor force participation rates. Editions: 2017 (Report 1063, covers 2016 data), 2022 (Report 1080, covers 2021 data). The underlying data is from the CPS (same as statab-lfpr-marital), but the databook is the primary publication for post-2009 marital-status LFPR figures.
HS grad or more: 91.4%, Bachelor's or more: 38.7%, Less than 9th grade: 3.5%A
Educational attainment, 2024observed record
% of population 25+ (all races, both sexes)
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. CPS ASEC 2024. HS graduation above 91%. Less-than-9th-grade at 3.5% — down from 60% in 1940. Bachelor's or more approaching 39% — nearly 4 in 10 adults have a college degree, up from 1 in 20 in 1940. 2020 ACS data quality affected by COVID-19 data collection disruptions.
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. CPS ASEC 2024. HS graduation above 91%. Less-than-9th-grade at 3.5% — down from 60% in 1940. Bachelor's or more approaching 39% — nearly 4 in 10 adults have a college degree, up from 1 in 20 in 1940. 2020 ACS data quality affected by COVID-19 data collection disruptions.
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.
$192,900 (192.9 thousand, 2022 dollars)A
Median family net worth, 2022observed record
median net worth, all families (SCF)
Population measuredU.S. families (survey sample, ~6,500 families per wave)
Source recordBoard of Governors of the Federal Reserve System · 2022 · Tier A
Full record
Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2022 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From SCF 2022 Bulletin (scf23.pdf, October 2023, Table 2). 2022 survey, in 2022 dollars. Up 37% from 2019 ($141,100 in 2022 dollars) — the largest 3-year increase in SCF history. Driven by surging home values and stock market gains. This is the highest median family net worth in the SCF series. Note: 2022 dollars, not directly comparable to 2016-dollar SCF Chartbook figures for earlier years.
Source note: Triennial survey of U.S. family finances. Provides median and mean net worth by income quintile, age, family structure. Full asset/liability composition: home equity, vehicles, financial assets (deposits, stocks, retirement accounts), business equity, and debt (mortgage, credit cards, installment loans). Survey years: 1983, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022. Interactive tables at federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/table/. Tier A (official survey).
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2022 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From SCF 2022 Bulletin (scf23.pdf, October 2023, Table 2). 2022 survey, in 2022 dollars. Up 37% from 2019 ($141,100 in 2022 dollars) — the largest 3-year increase in SCF history. Driven by surging home values and stock market gains. This is the highest median family net worth in the SCF series. Note: 2022 dollars, not directly comparable to 2016-dollar SCF Chartbook figures for earlier years.
Source note: Triennial survey of U.S. family finances. Provides median and mean net worth by income quintile, age, family structure. Full asset/liability composition: home equity, vehicles, financial assets (deposits, stocks, retirement accounts), business equity, and debt (mortgage, credit cards, installment loans). Survey years: 1983, 1989, 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022. Interactive tables at federalreserve.gov/econres/scf/dataviz/scf/table/. Tier A (official survey).
≈ $1,225.88A
Implied average weekly earnings, 2024computed exhibit
USD per week, nominal (computed: hourly rate x weekly hours)
MethodComputed by vitrine · product
ConfidenceTier A · weakest input governs
Open derivation
Computed by vitrine (product) — never authored by hand:
Numerator: $30.12 — Average hourly earnings, all private-sector production workers, 2024 A
Multiplier: 40.7 — Average weekly hours, manufacturing production workers, 2024 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Computed: average hourly earnings ($30.12) x average weekly hours for manufacturing (40.7) = $1,225.88. Note: this mixes all-private-sector wages with manufacturing hours — a slight inconsistency. The actual all-private-sector weekly hours series (AWHAETP) would be more consistent but starts in 2006.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Numerator: $30.12 — Average hourly earnings, all private-sector production workers, 2024 A
Multiplier: 40.7 — Average weekly hours, manufacturing production workers, 2024 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Computed: average hourly earnings ($30.12) x average weekly hours for manufacturing (40.7) = $1,225.88. Note: this mixes all-private-sector wages with manufacturing hours — a slight inconsistency. The actual all-private-sector weekly hours series (AWHAETP) would be more consistent but starts in 2006.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
What had arrived
7 exhibits96%A
Adults who use the internet, 2025observed record
% of U.S. adults who use the internet (at least occasionally)
Population measuredU.S. adults (survey samples)
Source recordPew Research Center · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Pew Research Center: Internet & Broadband Fact Sheet
Pew Research Center, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Pew Research Center Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet, data extracted from embedded JSON (survey data through June 2025). Up from 52% in 2000 (first Pew measurement). By community type (2024): Urban 96%, Suburban 98%, Rural 95%. By age (2025): 18-29: 99%, 30-49: 99%, 50-64: 96%, 65+: 90%.
Source note: Pew's Internet & Technology program tracks internet, broadband, and smartphone adoption via periodic surveys. Compiles time-series adoption percentages. Coverage: ~2000-present. Pew 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
Pew Research Center, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Pew Research Center Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet, data extracted from embedded JSON (survey data through June 2025). Up from 52% in 2000 (first Pew measurement). By community type (2024): Urban 96%, Suburban 98%, Rural 95%. By age (2025): 18-29: 99%, 30-49: 99%, 50-64: 96%, 65+: 90%.
Source note: Pew's Internet & Technology program tracks internet, broadband, and smartphone adoption via periodic surveys. Compiles time-series adoption percentages. Coverage: ~2000-present. Pew 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
78%A
Adults with home broadband, 2025observed record
% of U.S. adults with home broadband subscription
Population measuredU.S. adults (survey samples)
Source recordPew Research Center · 2025 · Tier A
Full record
Pew Research Center: Internet & Broadband Fact Sheet
Pew Research Center, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Pew Research Center Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet, data extracted from embedded JSON (survey June 2025). Down from 80% in 2023 — broadband adoption has plateaued. By race (2025): White 81%, Black 71%, Hispanic 68%, Asian 86%. The gap between internet use (96%) and home broadband (78%) reflects mobile-only access.
Source note: Pew's Internet & Technology program tracks internet, broadband, and smartphone adoption via periodic surveys. Compiles time-series adoption percentages. Coverage: ~2000-present. Pew 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
Pew Research Center, 2025 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From Pew Research Center Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet, data extracted from embedded JSON (survey June 2025). Down from 80% in 2023 — broadband adoption has plateaued. By race (2025): White 81%, Black 71%, Hispanic 68%, Asian 86%. The gap between internet use (96%) and home broadband (78%) reflects mobile-only access.
Source note: Pew's Internet & Technology program tracks internet, broadband, and smartphone adoption via periodic surveys. Compiles time-series adoption percentages. Coverage: ~2000-present. Pew 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser.
Assumption: The composite family
Cell phone 92.7%, landline 20.1%, garage/carport 67.6%A
Phone service and vehicle access, 2023 (AHS)observed record
percent of 133.2M occupied units
Population measuredU.S. housing units (national sample)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Housing Survey (AHS)
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From AHS 2023 National Table 2 (Rooms, Size, and Amenities). Cell phone available: 123,462K (92.7%). Landline available: 26,749K (20.1%) — landline has become a secondary channel. Garage or carport: 90,044K (67.6%). No complete bathroom: only 135K units (0.1%). For comparison with 1950: telephone was not asked in the 1950 Census (added 1960); automobile was also not asked (added 1960). The 1950 Census did ask about radio (95.6%), TV (12.3%), refrigerator (80.0%).
Source note: Started 1973, biennial/annual. Tracks tenure, rooms, amenities (plumbing, kitchen, telephone, automobile in some years), housing costs. Table Creator: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html. Historical reports at HUDUser: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahs_1999.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Census Bureau (sponsored by HUD), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From AHS 2023 National Table 2 (Rooms, Size, and Amenities). Cell phone available: 123,462K (92.7%). Landline available: 26,749K (20.1%) — landline has become a secondary channel. Garage or carport: 90,044K (67.6%). No complete bathroom: only 135K units (0.1%). For comparison with 1950: telephone was not asked in the 1950 Census (added 1960); automobile was also not asked (added 1960). The 1950 Census did ask about radio (95.6%), TV (12.3%), refrigerator (80.0%).
Source note: Started 1973, biennial/annual. Tracks tenure, rooms, amenities (plumbing, kitchen, telephone, automobile in some years), housing costs. Table Creator: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/interactive/ahstablecreator.html. Historical reports at HUDUser: https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahs/ahs_1999.pdf
Assumption: The composite family
91.5% (8.5% with no vehicle)A
Households with at least one vehicle, 2023observed record
% of occupied households
Population measuredAll occupied housing units in the United States
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2023 · Tier A
Full record
ACS Table B25045: Tenure by Vehicles Available by Age of Householder
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ACS Table B25045 (latest 5-year estimates via Census Reporter). 132.7M households total. No vehicle: 11.3M (8.5%). Owner-occupied no-vehicle: 2.88M (3.3% of owners). Renter-occupied no-vehicle: 8.43M (18.3% of renters). Vehicle access tracks tenure and income — car-free households are concentrated in dense urban areas and among renters.
Source note: Retrieved via Census Reporter API. 132.7M households: 91.5% with 1+ vehicles, 8.5% with no vehicle. Owner no-vehicle: 2.88M (3.3% of owners). Renter no-vehicle: 8.43M (18.3% of renters).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From ACS Table B25045 (latest 5-year estimates via Census Reporter). 132.7M households total. No vehicle: 11.3M (8.5%). Owner-occupied no-vehicle: 2.88M (3.3% of owners). Renter-occupied no-vehicle: 8.43M (18.3% of renters). Vehicle access tracks tenure and income — car-free households are concentrated in dense urban areas and among renters.
Source note: Retrieved via Census Reporter API. 132.7M households: 91.5% with 1+ vehicles, 8.5% with no vehicle. Owner no-vehicle: 2.88M (3.3% of owners). Renter no-vehicle: 8.43M (18.3% of renters).
88% (two-thirds central AC)A
Households using air conditioning, 2020observed record
% of households
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 2020 RECS (EIA). 88% of US households use AC. Two-thirds use central AC or central heat pump as main AC equipment. By region: Midwest 92%, South 93%, Northeast lower (older housing stock). In 1960, only 18.8% of households had AC — the diffusion arc is one of the steepest material improvements in the museum.
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 2020 RECS (EIA). 88% of US households use AC. Two-thirds use central AC or central heat pump as main AC equipment. By region: Midwest 92%, South 93%, Northeast lower (older housing stock). In 1960, only 18.8% of households had AC — the diffusion arc is one of the steepest material improvements in the museum.
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.
Natural gas 47%, electricity 42%, other 11%A
Primary heating fuel, 2024observed record
% of households by primary space heating fuel
Population measuredAll US households / occupied housing units (ACS 1-year national sample)
Source recordU.S. Census Bureau · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From 2024 ACS 1-year estimates, Table B25040 (House Heating Fuel). Natural gas: 47% (down from 49% in 2010). Electricity: 42% (up sharply, gaining on gas). Other: propane, fuel oil, wood. (Source re-pointed from eia-recs 2026-07-07: the figures are ACS, not RECS.) The shift from coal to gas to electricity is a century-long arc: in 1940 coal was dominant, by 1950 gas and oil were replacing it, by 2020s electricity is gaining. Fuel oil heating is now <5% nationally but persists in older Northeast housing stock.
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From 2024 ACS 1-year estimates, Table B25040 (House Heating Fuel). Natural gas: 47% (down from 49% in 2010). Electricity: 42% (up sharply, gaining on gas). Other: propane, fuel oil, wood. (Source re-pointed from eia-recs 2026-07-07: the figures are ACS, not RECS.) The shift from coal to gas to electricity is a century-long arc: in 1940 coal was dominant, by 1950 gas and oil were replacing it, by 2020s electricity is gaining. Fuel oil heating is now <5% nationally but persists in older Northeast housing stock.
Source note: Annual survey replacing the decennial long form (2005→). Used here for homeownership rate, median home value (B25077), house heating fuel (B25040). Distinct from the AHS (census-ahs): different sample, different sponsor, different questionnaire — do not conflate the two.
72.8% of population watched TV on an average day (2024), down from 78.8% in 2003A
Percent of population watching TV, 2024observed record
% of population watching TV on an average day
Population measuredCivilian noninstitutionalized population age 15+
Source recordU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
American Time Use Survey (ATUS)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS American Time Use Survey, Table A-1 (2024 annual averages). The decline from 78.8% (2003) to 72.8% (2024) reflects cord-cutting and the shift to streaming and online video. Average daily TV watching time declined from 2.58 hrs (2003) to 2.60 hrs (2024), having peaked at 2.82 hrs in 2009. By 2017, ~411 million mobile wireless connections existed (FCC 18-181).
Source note: Started 2003, annual. Covers work hours, commute time, daily activities. Primary source for the 'day' panel from 2000s onward. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Tables used: 2010 annual averages (a1_2010.pdf, a2_2010.pdf) for the 2010s room; 2024 annual averages (a1-2024.pdf) for the 2020s room. The survey year in fact labels identifies which annual average is cited.
Assumption: The composite family
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From BLS American Time Use Survey, Table A-1 (2024 annual averages). The decline from 78.8% (2003) to 72.8% (2024) reflects cord-cutting and the shift to streaming and online video. Average daily TV watching time declined from 2.58 hrs (2003) to 2.60 hrs (2024), having peaked at 2.82 hrs in 2009. By 2017, ~411 million mobile wireless connections existed (FCC 18-181).
Source note: Started 2003, annual. Covers work hours, commute time, daily activities. Primary source for the 'day' panel from 2000s onward. BLS 403-blocks automated requests — URL valid, access via browser. Tables used: 2010 annual averages (a1_2010.pdf, a2_2010.pdf) for the 2010s room; 2024 annual averages (a1-2024.pdf) for the 2020s room. The survey year in fact labels identifies which annual average is cited.
Assumption: The composite family
A day's work buys
7 exhibits313.7A
Consumer Price Index, 2024observed record
CPI-U, 1982-84=100, annual average
Population measuredAll Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items
Source recordFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average (CPIAUCNS)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FRED CPIAUCNS (not seasonally adjusted). Annual average of 12 monthly observations for 2024.
Source note: Not seasonally adjusted. Coverage: 1913-present, monthly. Use for deflation and real-wage calculations across all decades.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: From FRED CPIAUCNS (not seasonally adjusted). Annual average of 12 monthly observations for 2024.
Source note: Not seasonally adjusted. Coverage: 1913-present, monthly. Use for deflation and real-wage calculations across all decades.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$1,225.88/week — a full year of it (×52) ≈ 60% of median family incomeA
What a week of work bought, 2024observed record
weekly earnings vs annual median family income
Population measuredProduction and nonsupervisory employees, total private sector
Source recordFederal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics) · 2024 · Tier A
Full record
Average Hourly Earnings of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees, Total Private (AHETPI)
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: hourly earnings ($30.12) × weekly hours (40.7) = $1,225.88/week (all-private production/nonsupervisory wages × manufacturing hours, FRED AHETPI + AWHMAN). × 52 = $63,746, which is 60.2% of the all-family median income ($105,800, Census F-8). A partial recovery from the 2000s trough, driven by wage growth in the post-pandemic labor market. But still far below the single-earner era (1940s: 92%, 1960s: 95%). Compare 2010: 55%. Note: mixes all-private wages with manufacturing hours — see us-2020s-weekly-earnings note.
Source note: Average (not median) hourly earnings. Coverage: 1964-present, monthly. BLS source code: CES0500000008. Useful for work-buys panel as proxy for median worker purchasing power.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (source: BLS Current Employment Statistics), 2024 · source
Confidence: A — Official series
Curator note: Computed: hourly earnings ($30.12) × weekly hours (40.7) = $1,225.88/week (all-private production/nonsupervisory wages × manufacturing hours, FRED AHETPI + AWHMAN). × 52 = $63,746, which is 60.2% of the all-family median income ($105,800, Census F-8). A partial recovery from the 2000s trough, driven by wage growth in the post-pandemic labor market. But still far below the single-earner era (1940s: 92%, 1960s: 95%). Compare 2010: 55%. Note: mixes all-private wages with manufacturing hours — see us-2020s-weekly-earnings note.
Source note: Average (not median) hourly earnings. Coverage: 1964-present, monthly. BLS source code: CES0500000008. Useful for work-buys panel as proxy for median worker purchasing power.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
$27,366A
Average new car transaction price, 2020observed 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 employees, total private sector; 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 — last published year). The BEA notes: 'The average price for cars increased from 2019 to 2020.' Post-2020 prices are not available in this series; industry sources (NADA, KBB) report average new car prices exceeding $47,000 by 2023, but those figures include SUVs and trucks. Population: all new passenger cars sold in the US.
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 employees, total private sector; 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 — last published year). The BEA notes: 'The average price for cars increased from 2019 to 2020.' Post-2020 prices are not available in this series; industry sources (NADA, KBB) report average new car prices exceeding $47,000 by 2023, but those figures include SUVs and trucks. Population: all new passenger cars sold in the US.
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
≈ 909 hours of work
≈ 19.6% of annual income
≈ 13.02A
Purchasing power: 1950 vs 2024computed exhibit
CPI-U ratio (313.7 / 24.1)
MethodComputed by vitrine · quantity_ratio
ConfidenceTier A · weakest input governs
Open derivation
Computed by vitrine (quantity_ratio) — never authored by hand:
Numerator: 313.7 — Consumer Price Index, 2024 A
Denominator: 24.1 — Consumer Price Index, 1950 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Same computation as the 1950s room: 2024 CPI (313.7) / 1950 CPI (24.1) = 13.02. The median family income rose from $3,319 to $105,800 — a factor of 31.9, far exceeding inflation (13.0x). Real median family income approximately tripled. Cross-room derived fact: denominator is in the 1950s room.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Numerator: 313.7 — Consumer Price Index, 2024 A
Denominator: 24.1 — Consumer Price Index, 1950 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Same computation as the 1950s room: 2024 CPI (313.7) / 1950 CPI (24.1) = 13.02. The median family income rose from $3,319 to $105,800 — a factor of 31.9, far exceeding inflation (13.0x). Real median family income approximately tripled. Cross-room derived fact: denominator is in the 1950s room.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
≈ 2.58A
Median home value as years of median family income, 2024computed exhibit
years of four-person median family income
MethodComputed by vitrine · ratio
ConfidenceTier A · weakest input governs
Open derivation
Computed by vitrine (ratio) — never authored by hand:
Numerator: $360,600 — Median home value, 2024 (ACS) A
Denominator: $139,900 — Median family income, four-person families, 2024 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Both inputs Tier A (ACS B25077 home value; Census F-8 four-person income). Modestly above the 1950 ratio (see us-1950s-home-as-income-years) — but the composition shifted: mortgage rates, property taxes, and home size all changed, so 'years of income' understates the difference in monthly carrying cost. An earlier hand-authored version used a ~$420,000 home value from a secondary source; the ACS figure is lower.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Why hours, not budget share
Numerator: $360,600 — Median home value, 2024 (ACS) A
Denominator: $139,900 — Median family income, four-person families, 2024 A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: Both inputs Tier A (ACS B25077 home value; Census F-8 four-person income). Modestly above the 1950 ratio (see us-1950s-home-as-income-years) — but the composition shifted: mortgage rates, property taxes, and home size all changed, so 'years of income' understates the difference in monthly carrying cost. An earlier hand-authored version used a ~$420,000 home value from a secondary source; the ACS figure is lower.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: The affordability axis
Assumption: Why hours, not budget share
≈ 3.0A
Real median family income growth, 1950-2024computed exhibit
real (CPI-adjusted) median family income
MethodComputed by vitrine · ratio
ConfidenceTier A · weakest input governs
Open derivation
Computed by vitrine (ratio) — never authored by hand:
Numerator: $105,800 — Median family income, all families, 2024 A
Denominator: $35,290 — All-family median income, 1950 (in 2024 dollars) A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: From Table F-8's own 2024-dollar column (C-CPI-U-RS adjusted): 1950 all-family median = $35,290 in 2024 dollars vs 2024 median = $105,800, a factor of 3.0. Alternative deflator: using raw CPI-U (CPIAUCNS, 13.02x per us-2020s-purchasing-power-comparison) gives $3,319 x 13.02 = $43,236, a factor of 2.4x — CPI-U-RS corrects known overstatement of early inflation, so the published 3.0x is primary. Cross-room derived fact: denominator is in the 1950s room. CORRECTION 2026-07-07: this fact previously displayed '3.1x ($25,633 -> $79,490)', figures traceable to no source in the registry.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Numerator: $105,800 — Median family income, all families, 2024 A
Denominator: $35,290 — All-family median income, 1950 (in 2024 dollars) A
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: From Table F-8's own 2024-dollar column (C-CPI-U-RS adjusted): 1950 all-family median = $35,290 in 2024 dollars vs 2024 median = $105,800, a factor of 3.0. Alternative deflator: using raw CPI-U (CPIAUCNS, 13.02x per us-2020s-purchasing-power-comparison) gives $3,319 x 13.02 = $43,236, a factor of 2.4x — CPI-U-RS corrects known overstatement of early inflation, so the published 3.0x is primary. Cross-room derived fact: denominator is in the 1950s room. CORRECTION 2026-07-07: this fact previously displayed '3.1x ($25,633 -> $79,490)', figures traceable to no source in the registry.
Assumption: The composite family
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
≈ $32,981A
Average new car transaction price, 2024 (CPI-inflated estimate)computed exhibit
USD, nominal (estimated from 2020 BEA base x new-vehicles CPI)
MethodComputed by vitrine · inflate
ConfidenceTier A · weakest input governs
Open derivation
Computed by vitrine (inflate) — never authored by hand:
Numerator: $27,366 — Average new car transaction price, 2020 A
Inflation series: cpi-new-vehicles (2020 → 2024)
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: The BEA transaction-price series ends in 2020. This estimate inflates the 2020 base ($27,366) to 2024 using the BLS CPI for new vehicles (CUUR0000SETA01): 147.600 (2020) -> 177.886 (2024). The result excludes pickups/vans/SUVs, so it sits well below the ~$47,000 industry all-vehicle average.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: CPI inflation of a base-year price
Numerator: $27,366 — Average new car transaction price, 2020 A
Inflation series: cpi-new-vehicles (2020 → 2024)
Confidence: A — Official series, the weakest input tier
Curator note: The BEA transaction-price series ends in 2020. This estimate inflates the 2020 base ($27,366) to 2024 using the BLS CPI for new vehicles (CUUR0000SETA01): 147.600 (2020) -> 177.886 (2024). The result excludes pickups/vans/SUVs, so it sits well below the ~$47,000 industry all-vehicle average.
Assumption: Values are shown in period money
Assumption: CPI inflation of a base-year price
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.