Facts for Features: Super Bowl XLIX: Feb. 1, 2015

Super Bowl XLIX will be played Feb. 1 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. This will be the second time the NFL’s championship game will be held in Glendale and the third time in the Phoenix metropolitan area. To commemorate this event, the Census Bureau has compiled a collection of facts examining the demographics of the host metropolitan area, as well as the metro areas represented by the two participants — the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

Go to <http://quickfacts.census.gov> for more statistics about the cities involved. Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 0.10 level.

New England (Patriots)

10th                          

Where Boston ranked on the list of the nation’s most populous metropolitan areas. The estimated population of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H., metro area on July 1, 2013, was 4,684,299. The Boston metro area gained 42,204 people from July 1, 2012, to July 1, 2013. At the time of the Patriots’ first season in 1960, the 1960 Census population for the city of Boston was 697,197. Source: Census Population Estimates and Decennial Census <http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2013/PEPANNCHG.US24PR> <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html>

44.8%            

Percentage of Boston metro area residents 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2013

New York State ranks third in Manufacturing Employment for 2012

Los Angeles Alone Has More Than 100,000 Manufacturing Employees The Census Bureau has released manufacturing statistics from its 2012 Economic Census at the state, metro area and county levels, as well as for cities and towns, for more than 350 manufacturing industries. These data, referred to as the Geographic Area Series, cover more than 296,000 U.S. manufacturing establishments (NAICS 31-33) within every state and their localities. “These Geographic Area Series reports are the only source of detailed economic information for more than 15,000 cities, towns and other similar places in the U.S.,” Census Bureau Director John H. Thompson said. “We are pleased that over the course of this year, the Geographic Area Series will be providing for 18 sectors of the economy − economic information for the first time for more than 5,000 small towns. This unique data set is indispensable in assessing the performance of the economy in every corner of the country.”

One in Five Children Receive Food Stamps

The number of children receiving food stamps remains higher than it was before the start of the Great Recession in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual Families and Living Arrangements table package released today.  The rate of children living with married parents who receive food stamps has doubled since 2007. In 2014, an estimated 16 million children, or about one in five, received food stamp assistance compared with the roughly 9 million children, or one in eight, that received this form of assistance prior to the recession.       These statistics come from the 2014 Current Population Survey’s Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which has collected statistics on families and living arrangements for more than 60 years.

Black (African-American) History Month: February 2015

To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, U.S. presidents proclaim February as National African-American History Month.

Population

45.0 million

The number of blacks, either alone or in combination with one or more other races, on July 1, 2013,up 1.0 percent from July 1, 2012. Source: Population Estimates <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2013/PEPSR5H?slice=Year~est72013>

Ranking America

Mark Rice, who teaches American studies at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y., said students often arrived at his classes steeped in the notion that the United States excelled at everything. He started a blog, Ranking America, to challenge their assumptions with a wild assortment of country comparisons, some sober (the United States is No. 1 in small arms ownership) and others less so (the United States is tied for 24th with Nigeria in frequency of sex).

(Excerpt from the New York Times)

Pew Explains Why the Conservatives Live in Their Own “Reality”

The Pew Research group has a great reputation for non-partisan and accurate public polling and political analysis. In fact, it was tied as the most accurate polling organization in the 2012 elections. Given their history of success, it is reasonable to have confidence in the results of their polling, particularly in issues where partisanship is an issue.

[In November], Pew released an exceptional report, detailing the news media habits of Americans based upon their partisan affiliation. Pew polled a large number of Americans to determine their political leanings and news consumption habits. The results of this study were, while not surprising, extremely revealing and informative.

The Pew study concluded that conservatives differ dramatically from liberals and moderates in their news media consumption habits. Moderates and liberals trust a much wider range of sources than conservatives. Similarly, from among the news sources that they trust, conservatives watch/listen to fewer sources while moderates and liberals access a much wider range.

More from the Progressive Cynic.

The devastating impact of vaccine deniers, in one measles chart

There were 644 new measles cases in 27 states last year, according to the CDC. That's the biggest annual number we've seen in nearly a quarter-century. The vast majority of people who contracted the disease were unvaccinated, including the dozens of cases related to an outbreak at Disneyland in Orange County, California, which is basically Ground Zero in our current epidemic of anti-vaccine hysteria.

A 2014 AP-GfK survey found that only 51 percent of Americans were confident that vaccines are safe and effective, which is similar to the proportion who believe that houses can be haunted by ghosts.

But the latest CDC data illustrate the troubling resurgence of a disease that, as of 2000, had been declared eliminated.

See the chart from the Washington Post HERE.

Guerrilla Public Service: An Unsanctioned Highway 5 Sign

From Now I Know:

In the early 1950s, the predecessor to the California Department of Transportation (colloquially "Caltrans") opened an innovative solution to Los Angeles' traffic problems at the junction of U.S. Route 101 and California Highway 110...

It looks like a mess but apparently, it's an improvement over what was there before. Nevertheless, there is always room for further improvement. For example, in 2000 and into 2001, the section of California Highway 110 leading into the Interchange had a problem -- inadequate signage, at least if you were hoping to get to Interstate 5 North...

It's hard to read, but the sign says that if you want Interstate 5 North, you want to be in the left three lanes on a five-lane highway. It's easy to miss, and if you do, you're probably going to be in the wrong lane until it's too late.

That was the experience of a man named Richard Ankrom, at least. In 2000 or 2001, he missed his exit and, frustrated, decided to do something about it. But unlike most people, who would complain (probably fruitlessly) to Caltrans or a government official, Ankrom took matters into his own hands. Ankrom is an artist -- and in this case, his masterpiece was a new sign...

Release of 2014 U.S. and State Population Estimates

July 1, 2014 population estimates are now available for the nation, states and Puerto Rico on American FactFinder. The annual estimates include components of change (births, deaths and net migration) in the previous year and since the April 1, 2010 Census. The estimates were originally released on Dec. 23, 2014, on the Population and Housing Unit Estimates website (http://www.census.gov/popest).

In addition, new monthly estimates are now available for the nation for April 1, 2010 to Jan. 1, 2015. These monthly estimates are for the resident population, resident population plus armed forces overseas, civilian population, civilian noninstitutionalized population and household population.

60 Years of Urban Change

From the Institute for Quality Communities - click this LINK:

60 years has made a big difference in the urban form of American cities. The most rapid change occurred during the mid-century urban renewal period that cleared large tracts of urban land for new highways, parking, and public facilities or housing projects. Fine-grained networks of streets and buildings on small lots were replaced with superblocks and megastructures. While the period did make way for impressive new projects in many cities, many of the scars are still unhealed.
We put together these sliders to show how cities have changed over half a century.

In this post, we look at the historic cities of the Northeast.

See also links to more then-and-now sliders: Oklahoma and Texas | Midwest | Southeast

Technology's Impact on Workers

The internet and cell phones have infiltrated every cranny of American workplaces, and digital technology has transformed vast numbers of American jobs. Work done in the most sophisticated scientific enterprises, entirely new technology businesses, the extensive array of knowledge and media endeavors, the places where crops are grown, the factory floor, and even mom-and-pop stores has been reshaped by new pathways to information and new avenues of selling goods and services. For most office workers now, life on the job means life online.

Pew Research surveyed online a representative sample of adult internet users and asked those who have jobs a series of questions about the role of digital technology in their work lives. This is not a sample representative of all workers. It covers online adults who also have full- or part-time jobs in any capacity....

Email and the internet are deemed the most important communications and information tools among online workers.

The high value of email comes despite the challenges of the past generation, including threats like spam and phishing and competitors like social media and texting. Surprisingly, landline phones outrank cell phones for these internet-using workers. Social media is very low in importance....

While commentators worry that digital tools can be a distraction in the workplace, many online workers say that is not the case when it comes to their productivity.

Educational Attainment in the United States: 2014

This table package provides Current Population Survey statistics on academic achievement by demographic characteristics, such as age, sex and Hispanic origin. It also includes detailed information on years of school completed, showing how many years of education adults have completed for each level of attainment. A variety of historical time series tables going back to 1940 are also provided, as are graphs illustrating historical data.

African American History: More Than Civil Rights

When we teach African American history we discuss slavery and the fight for equality. These are essential conversations, but there is so much more than that. African Americans have made significant contributions in all fields of study, including science and technology, the arts, and medicine. This February, we celebrate African American History month. We’ve provided a list of resources that discuss the fundamentals of African American history and a few that highlight achievements in  the arts and sciences:

• African American Artists
• African American History For Teachers
• African American Heritage
• African American World for Kids
• Black History Teaching Resources
• Emancipation Proclamation, 1863
• Faces of Science
• Harlem Renaissance Materials
• National Museum of African American History and Culture Educators Page
• Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum
• Guide: African-American Mosaic
• Lesson Plan: Revolution '67: Protest: Why and How
• Videos: Civil Rights - National Archives

2014 Was Hottest Year on Earth in Recorded History

Last year was the hottest in earth’s recorded history, scientists reported on Friday, underscoring scientific warnings about the risks of runaway emissions and undermining claims by climate-change contrarians that global warming had somehow stopped. Extreme heat blanketed Alaska and much of the western United States last year. Several European countries set temperature records. And the ocean surface was unusually warm virtually everywhere except around Antarctica, the scientists said, providing the energy that fueled damaging Pacific storms. In the annals of climatology, 2014 now surpasses 2010 as the warmest year in a global temperature record that stretches back to 1880. READ MORE » http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/science/earth/2014-was-hottest-year-on-record-surpassing-2010.html

Annual Report of the Office of Economic Research, FY 2014

The Office of Advocacy has released the Annual Report of the Office of Economic Research, FY 2014. In fiscal year 2014, Advocacy produced 23 contract and internal research reports on a variety of topics including access to capital, employment, environment, minority-and women-owned businesses, procurement, retirement, taxation and veterans. This annual report provides details about and a link to each of OER's publications from FY 2014.

The full report can be found on Advocacy's website here.

Five Healthy Resolutions You Won’t Regret Making In 2015

Raise your hand if you’re overly tired of hearing New Year’s resolutions about weight loss. Granted, we can’t see your hands and doubt that you’re actually glaring at the dim light of your computer screen holding five digits in the air, but there’s no doubting you can sympathize. Year after year, so many of us resolve to drop a few pounds and change our ways the moment the clock strikes midnight and whatever metallic New Year’s dress you wore ends up in the “drop off at the dry cleaner” pile.

The reality? There are better resolutions. Not discounting the benefits of weight loss. But, there are healthy things you can do to change your life that don’t revolve around numbers on a scale.

More from National Memo

Fracking: New Study Says It Not Only Pollutes Groundwater, But Poisons Air As Well

A new study says that the mining technique known as fracking, (aka frack sand mining or hydraulic fracturing) isn’t only a threat to drinkable groundwater supplies, but also might just make the air we breathe toxic.
***
In September, an air monitoring study in New York, Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wyoming found high levels of toxic pollutants such as the banned carcinogens benzene and formaldehyde in communities near drilling sites. About 40 percent of the samples were above pollution concentrations considered unsafe by the federal government.
***
The study leader author, David Carpenter, is the director of the Institute of Health and the Environment at New York State University at Albany.


Read more at Inquistr

2013 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll

Provides a comprehensive look at the employment of the nation’s state and local governments, as well as the federal government. It shows the number of government civilian employees and their gross payroll by governmental function. These governmental functions include, for example, elementary and secondary education, and police protection. Internet address: <http://www2.census.gov/govs/apes/2013_summary_report.pdf>.

Improved Search and QuickFacts Enhance Census Bureau’s Website

As a direct result of customer feedback, the U.S. Census Bureau recently updated two key tools on census.gov with new features to make accessing statistics easier than ever before. With an improved search feature generating better results oncensus.gov, users can discover a wealth of information and visualizations just by typing key words, such as “median income,” “population” or a particular NAICS code. For example, a search of “California population” will display the latest population statistics along with other popular statistics for California. Users are also able to filter their search by other content types, such as image and videos.

Vinyl Sales In 2014 See A 52 Percent Boost In U.S.

After surviving near-extinction last decade, vinyl made an exceptional global resurgence with purchases increasing more than sixfold. The U.S. continued this trend in 2014, seeing a 52 percent increase in LP purchases from 2013.

According to data collected by Digital Music News and Wall Street Journal via SoundScan and Nielsen ratings, 9.2 million vinyl albums were sold in 2014 -- the highest sales number recorded since the industry started monitoring LP sales in 1991. While 9.2 million albums only accounts for 6 percent of total album sales in the U.S. in 2014, streaming services saw an increase of 54 percent, jumping from 106 billion song streams in 2013 to 164 billion song streams in 2014.

On the other hand, paid downloads dropped by 9 percent for albums and 12 percent for songs.

More from Huffington Post, via the Wall Street Journal.

World Statistics Pocketbook 2014 edition

The World Statistics Pocketbook is an annual compilation of key economic, social and environmental indicators, presented in one-page profiles. This edition includes country profiles for 217 countries or areas of the world....

This issue of the World Statistics Pocketbook covers various years from 2005 to 2014. For the economic indicators, in general, three years - 2005, 2010 and 2012 - are shown, unless otherwise indicated. Due to space limitations, data for one year only are shown for the indicators in the social and environmental categories. For the six social indicators for which the range of years 2010-2015 is shown, the data refer to projections. When other ranges of years are shown, the data refer to the most recent year available within that range.

Direct link to document

Mobility is Most Common Disability Among Older Americans

Nearly 40 percent of people age 65 and older had at least one disability, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report that covered the period 2008 to 2012. Of those 15.7 million people, two-thirds of them say they had difficulty in walking or climbing.   Difficulty with independent living, such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping, was the second-most cited disability, followed by serious difficulty in hearing, cognitive difficulty, difficulty bathing or dressing, and serious difficulty seeing.   While populous states such as California, Florida, New York and Texas had the largest number of older people with a disability, high disability rates were seen in Southern counties, especially in central Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta.    Older Americans With a Disability: 2008-2012, a report based on data collected during the American Community Survey, examines disability status by age, sex and selected socio-economic characteristics, such as marital status, living arrangement, educational attainment and poverty status.

How Young Adults Today Compare With Previous Generations in Neighborhoods Nationwide

Young adults today, often called the millennial generation, are more likely to be foreign born and speak a language other than English at home, compared with young adults in 1980, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest statistics from theAmerican Community Survey released today. “Many of the differences between generations examined within these latest data reflect long-term demographic and societal changes,” said Jonathan Vespa, a Census Bureau demographer. “Three decades of decennial census statistics combined with the latest American Community Survey statistics give us a unique view of how — and where — our nation is changing. In this case, we can look at the changing characteristics of young adults over the last few decades.”

Mapping Migration in the United States

The charts show striking patterns for many states: You can trace the rise of migrant and immigrant populations all along the Southwest, particularly in Texas and Arizona; the influx of New Yorkers and other Northeasterners into Florida starting in the 1970s; and the growth in the Southern share of the Illinois population during the Great Migration.

In 1900, 95 percent of the people living in the Carolinas were born there, with similarly high numbers all through the Southeast. More than a hundred years later, those percentages are nearly cut in half.

More from the New York Times.