Educational Attainment Lags in the South
In 2000, high school dropouts were concentrated in the South. In three states — Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi — more than one in four people ages 25 and older did not graduate from high school. There were also four states — California, Kentucky, Texas, and West Virginia — where more than 10 percent of residents ages 25 and older dropped out of school before the ninth grade. (AmeriStat, October 2002)

2001 Census Bureau Estimates Confirm 1990s Trends, Bring Surprises
As of July 1, 2001, the U.S. population numbered 284.8 million people, up by nearly 3.4 million (1.2 percent) from the total in the 2000 Census. The U.S. Census Bureau reported this increase in its first set of post-2000 estimates for states and counties. The estimates show the continuation of established patterns of growth and decline, along with some unusual results. (AmeriStat, October 2002)

Men Remain Primary Population With HIV in North America
In the U.S. and Canada, men account for the vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS and for an estimated 70 percent of new infections. (October 2002)

Appalachia Distinct But Not Monolithic (PDF: 969KB)
Data from the 2000 Census show that the Appalachian region in the United States, while still distinct from the rest of America in many ways, contains a great deal of variety. This PowerPoint presentation (created for the 2002 Southern Demographic Association meeting) shows this "duality" on a variety of social, economic, and housing measures. (AmeriStat, October 2002)

Homeownership Rates Divide Racial and Ethnic Groups
In 2000, about 72 percent of non-Hispanic whites owned homes, compared with 53 percent of Asians and 46 percent of African Americans and of Hispanics. Over the past decade, the gap between rates of homeownership has narrowed, due in part to an increasing number of mortgage loans to low-income, minority households. (AmeriStat, October 2002)

East Coast Suburbs Lead the Country in Household Income
The 2000 Census showed that, despite economic gains in the nation as a whole, the level of economic prosperity varied considerably by state and local area. In 1999, as in 1989, the majority of the poorest states in the United States were in the South. In two states — Mississippi and West Virginia — more than 40 percent of households had income less than $25,000 in 1999. (AmeriStat, October 2002)

Increased Cohabitation Changing Children's Family Settings
Researchers estimate that about 40 percent of U.S. children will spend some time in a cohabiting family before their 16th birthday. For children born to single mothers, 76 percent are likely to see their parent move in with an unmarried partner; for children born to married parents, the proportion is 20 percent. (Population Today, October 2002)

Iraqis in the United States
In 2000, there were just under 90,000 residents of the United States who were born in Iraq. (AmeriStat, September 2002)

Facing the HIV/AIDS Pandemic (PDF: 786KB)

 Even as HIV continues its relentless spread across the globe, most countries still lack the will, the commitment, and the resources to create effective HIV/AIDS programs, according to this Population Bulletin. (BUL57.3, September 2002)

Why We Don't Expect a Baby Boom After 9/11
A sudden event, even one as traumatic as 9/11, seems unlikely to disrupt the trend of modest increases in U.S. fertility rates. (September 2002)