Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2011

From the National Center for Health Statistics

The age-adjusted death rate decreased from 747.0 deaths per 100,000 population in 2010 to 740.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2011. From 2010 to 2011, age-adjusted death rates decreased significantly for 5 of the 15 leading causes of death: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms, Cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis. The age-adjusted death rate increased for 6 leading causes of death: Chronic lower respiratory diseases, Diabetes mellitus, Influenza and pneumonia, Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, Parkinson's disease, and Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids. Life expectancy remained the same in 2011 as it had been in 2010 at 78.7 years.

The puzzling case of boys who are hitting puberty earlier

From the New York Times:

A large study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that boys are entering puberty earlier now than several decades ago — or at least earlier than the time frame doctors have historically used as a benchmark.

The study, widely considered the most reliable attempt to measure puberty in American boys, estimates that boys are showing signs of puberty six months to two years earlier than was reported in previous research, which historically taught that 11 ½ was the general age puberty began in boys. But experts cautioned that because previous studies were smaller or used different approaches, it is difficult to say how much earlier boys might be developing.

The study echoes research on girls, which has now established a scientific consensus that they are showing breast development earlier than in the past.

Americans Are Visiting the Doctor Less Frequently

In 2010, working-age adults made an average of 3.9 visits to doctors, nurses or other medical providers, down from 4.8 in 2001, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Among those with at least one such visit, the average number of visits also declined, from 6.4 to 5.4 over the period.

These findings are from Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010 [PDF], a periodic report that examines the relationship between the use of medical services (such as visits to doctors and nights spent in the hospital), health status, health insurance coverage and other demographic and economic characteristics. The statistics come from the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

Consumption of Diet Drinks in the United States

From the National Centers for Health Statistics:

About 20% of the U.S. population aged 2 years and over consumed diet drinks
on a given day during 2009‒2010. The percentage consuming diet drinks
was similar for females and males at all ages except among adolescents aged
12‒19. The percentage consuming diet drinks increased with age for both
males and females.

Census Bureau Seeks Advice On LGBT Populations

From BuzzFeed:


The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it is seeking advice on how to address lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations in implementing the once-a-decade census.

The census, which has never counted LGBT people directly, has indirectly referenced gay people through its count of same-sex married couples and "unmarried partner" households in the past.

With the formation of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, however, the Census Bureau stated that it will be seeking advice from the 31-member committee "on topics such as housing, children, youth, poverty, privacy, race and ethnicity, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other populations." Specifically, the Bureau noted, the committee will provide advice on "a wide range of variables that affect the cost, accuracy and implementation of the Census Bureau's programs and surveys, including the once-a-decade census."

HIV Testing in the U.S. Household Population

This report presents nationally representative estimates and trends for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among the U.S. household population aged 15–44. Data are presented for lifetime experience with HIV testing and HIV testing in the past year, including testing done as part of prenatal care.

Data for this report come from the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), consisting of 22,682 interviews with men and women aged 15–44, conducted from June 2006 through June 2010. The overall response rate for the 2006–2010 NSFG was 77%: 78% for women and 75% for men.

Among U.S. women aged 15–44, the percentage ever tested for HIV outside of blood donation increased significantly from 35% in 1995 to 55% in 2002, and to 59% in 2006–2010. Among men aged 15–44, the percentage ever tested outside blood donation fell from 47% in 2002 to 42% in 2006–2010.

Statistics Resources and Big Data on the Internet

Statistics Resources and Big Data on the Internet is a comprehensive listing of statistics and big data resources and sites on the Internet. This bibliography of sources is taken from my Subject Tracer™ Information Blog titled Statistics Resources and is constantly updated with Subject Tracer™ bots.

These sites will help you to discover a wide range of avenues through which you may locate and leverage the latest statistics resources applicable to many different types of projects, programs and research. As this site is constantly updated it would be to your benefit to bookmark and return to the above URL frequently.

Choice of College Major Can Mean Millions Over Career

The field of bachelor’s degree makes a considerable difference in a college graduate’s annual earnings, according to 2011 American Community Survey (ACS) data released this month by the U.S. Census Bureau. These differences add up over the span of one’s work-life. For example, among people whose highest degree is a bachelor’s, engineering majors earn $1.6 million more than education majors.

These findings come from two separate ACS reports. The first report, Field of Degree and Earnings by Selected Employment Characteristics: 2011, provides information about the relationship between the field of bachelor’s degrees, median annual earnings, and the likelihood of full-time employment...

The second report, Work-Life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occupation for People With a Bachelor’s Degree: 2011, explores the relationship between how far one goes in school and how much money one might make over the course of a 40-year career (from age 25 to 64). It goes into further detail for people whose highest degree is a bachelor’s by investigating how college major and occupation impact these work-life earnings. This is the first time the Census Bureau has ever analyzed work-life earnings by both field of degree and occupation.

The Patent, Used as Sword

The New York Times, Sunday, October 7, 2012

Thousands of executives and companies are caught in a software patent system that federal judges, economists, policy makers and technology executives say is so flawed that it often stymies innovation.

Alongside the impressive technological advances of the last two decades, some argue, a pall has descended: the marketplace for new ideas has been corrupted by software patents used as destructive weapons.

This article is Part 7 of the iEconomy series, which examines the challenges posed by increasingly globalized high-tech industries.

Updated NYS Legislative Spending Posted

New York's State Legislature spent $102 million during the six-month period ending last March, according to the latest legislative data posted at SeeThroughNY. The expenditure information, which goes back to 2006, can be sorted by reporting period, expenditure type, and member name. Users can also isolate spending for individual units of the Legislature's central staff.

Ranked by office expenditures, highest-spending members in the Senate and Assembly were Kenneth Lavalle (R-Long Island) at $510,598.26 and Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) at $488,359.44, respectively.

The period covered by the Legislature's release of six-month expenditure data ends before the Assembly reportedly made a secret payment of $103,080, under the cover of "legal services," to settle sexual harassment claims brought by two former staffers against Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn). However, it does include a total of $424,237 in payments, by both the Assembly and Senate, to four law firms for "legal services" not further specified in the data.

To view the database, click here.

School Enrollment in the United States: 2011

The Census Bureau's annual, national-level statistics on the characteristics of students, from nursery to graduate school. According to the statistics, enrollment in private elementary and high schools was 4.1 million in 2011, down from 4.8 million in 2005 and a high of 6.3 million in 1965. Furthermore, non-Hispanic white children now make up only a slight majority of elementary school students (54 percent), down from 58 percent in 2005.

For the first time, the Census Bureau has developed a series of charts illustrating trends in enrollment from 1947 to the present. These include the distribution of school enrollment by level from 1955 forward, trends in college enrollment by sex and by race, and dropout rates of students in 10th through 12th grades.

Autumn Colors: Predictions, Activities

If you're planning a long trip--or even a short local trip--to see fall colors, check out the U.S. Forest Service's Fall Colors 2012.

You can view webcams that show scenic views in a few states; call the hotline to get predictions about fall colors; get ideas about activities for kids; learn about the science behind fall colors; and more.

Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, now in its ninth year, and is a nationally recognized effort coordinated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) to raise cyber security awareness across the country and to empower citizens, businesses, government and schools to improve their cyber security preparedness. In celebration of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Cyber Security (DHSES OCS), in partnership with these organizations, offers free awareness materials and resources to assist you in educating students and citizens about cyber security.

Cyber Security Awareness Month materials:

The New York State Cyber Awareness Toolkit is available on our website, and includes cyber security themed posters, calendars, bookmarks, guides, brochures, and other content that can be downloaded.
Stop.Think.Connect. toolkits for Students, Parents and Educators, citizens and others.
Additional Stop.Think.Connect. materials are located HERE and HERE and HERE.
Talk with students about staying safe online.
Consider signing the Cyber Pledge
Brand and distribute the Cyber Tips Newsletter.
Watch for information on this year’s NYS Kids Safe Online Cyber Security Awareness Poster Contest for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students.
View awareness videos - visit the DHSES OCS website.
Plan to attend the Awareness Month Webcast on 10/11 at 2pm .

Please visit the Awareness Month page at for more ideas and resources.

2012 National Toy Hall of Fame Finalists

Which of 12 toys will be inducted into the 
National Toy Hall of Fame this November?

International Visitation in the United States

The Office of Travel & Tourism Industries has 2012 U.S. Travel and Tourism Statistics (Inbound) that identifies INTERNATIONAL visitors to US states and selected cities, and other data.

The Emergency & Transitional Shelter Population: 2010

Studying the population in emergency and transitional shelters for people experiencing homelessness provides information about one segment of the group quarters population in the United States. This special report focuses on the 209,000 people enumerated in the 2010 Census at emergency and transitional shelters and their demographic characteristics and geographic distribution. Although this population accounted for only 2.6 percent of the nearly 8 million people in group quarters, examining this group provides information on the portion of the population experiencing homelessness that is valuable to federal, state, and local agencies for a variety of reasons such as program planning and implementation.

How People Get Local News and Information in Different Communities

From Pew Internet & American Life Project:

A new report from the Pew Research Center shows that many of the differences in local news consumption emerging from these data reflect the varying demographic compositions of different community types in the U.S. Some differences in the platforms people use might also be tied to the lower overall use of the internet and mobile platforms in small towns and rural areas.

Who Owns the Media?

From Journalism.org:

The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism has compiled a new interactive database to help users make sense of the changes at the highest levels.

Who Owns the News Media provides detailed statistics on the companies that now own our nation's news media outlets, from newspapers to local television news stations to radio to digital, and this accompanying summary highlights the major changes of the year.

What Your Beer Says About Your Politics

From the National Journal:

Americans who most often drink Dos Equis are in the middle-of-the-road while drinkers of Heineken's flagship brand are strongly Democratic. Samuel Adams drinkers are strongly Republican, and more likely to vote.

Beer has a long and storied place in American presidential history and politics.

Populations Increasing in Many Downtowns, Census Bureau Reports

A U.S. Census Bureau report released this week shows that in many of the largest cities of the most-populous metro areas, downtown is becoming a place not only to work but also to live. Between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, metro areas with 5 million or more people experienced double-digit population growth rates within their downtown areas (within a two-mile radius of their largest city's city hall), more than double the rate of these areas overall.

Chicago experienced the largest numeric gain in its downtown area, with a net increase of 48,000 residents over 10 years. New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City and Washington also posted large population increases close to city hall. These downtown gains were not universal, however: New Orleans and Baltimore experienced the greatest population declines in their downtown areas (35,000 and slightly more than 10,000, respectively). Two smaller areas in Ohio — Dayton and Toledo — also saw downtown declines of more than 10,000.

These are just some of the findings in the new 2010 Census special report, http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-01.pdf Patterns of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Population Change: 2000 to 2010. The report uses 2010 Census results to examine contemporary geographic patterns (as well as changes since the 2000 Census) of population density and distribution by race, Hispanic origin, age and sex for metro and micro areas collectively as well as individually. Metro areas contain at least one urbanized area of 50,000 population or more, while micro areas contain at least one urban cluster of less than 50,000, but at least 10,000.

“By including totals for both 2000 and 2010, this report helps us to understand patterns of change for this past decade,” Census Bureau Deputy Director Nancy Potok said. “The report, together with its associated online maps, graphics and statistical tables, provides a detailed view of the nation's centers of population and economic activity.”

A common theme for the non-Hispanic white alone population from 2000 to 2010 was population increases in the central areas of many of the largest principal cities, especially those in the largest metro areas.

“The Washington metro area is a notable example of this pattern,” said Steven Wilson, a co-author of the report. “We see increases in the non-Hispanic white population, in both numeric terms and share of the total population, in many of the District's census tracts in or close to the city's downtown area.” At the same time, this group's share of the population declined by 10 or more percentage points in many tracts in the surrounding suburbs of Washington, D.C.

These demographic patterns were not uniform across all race and ethnic groups; the black alone population increased in most metro areas outside the area's largest city. In Atlanta, for example, this group's share of the population rose by at least 10 percentage points in wide swaths surrounding the city. For Hispanics, growth was greatest in pockets along principal city perimeters and adjacent territory.

In several sections of the report, census tract data were examined to provide a neighborhood-level perspective on demographic patterns within individual metro areas. Because census tracts often change boundaries from one census to the next, one of the report's innovations was to retabulate 2000 Census data in updated 2010 Census tracts, thereby allowing the calculation of 2000 to 2010 change data by tract. Another feature of the report is the construction of distance bands as measured from city hall. This permits a look at population distribution and density at various distance ranges from a metro area's largest city center.

Along with metro and micro area data for all variables in the report, two online data tools were released: a series of interactive population pyramids showing the age and sex structure of all metro and micro areas in 2000 and 2010, and a set of “distance profiles” of the population for all metro areas. Also, an interactive mapping tool that allows users to see metro and micro area and census tract-level data is now available.

Other highlights:
• More than one in 10 U.S. residents lived in either the New York or Los Angeles metro area in 2010.
• Although metro areas covered only slightly more than one-quarter of the nation's land area, they were home to eight of every 10 people.
• The Hispanic share of the population increased in every U.S. metro area.
• While the non-Hispanic white alone, black alone and Asian alone populations grew faster in metro areas than in micro areas, the reverse was true for Hispanics.
• Next to those who were non-Hispanic white alone, Hispanics were the most populous race or ethnic group in most metro and micro areas in the western half of the U.S., with single-race blacks the largest in most areas in the eastern half.
• Metro area populations were younger (a median of 36.6 years) than the population in either micro areas (39.3 years) or territory outside either of these areas (41.9 years).
• Areas with the highest median ages were either in slow-growing regions like western Pennsylvania, which had past outmigration of the young combined with “aging in place,” or were faster-growing areas in parts of Florida and Arizona that were traditional retiree migration destinations.
• Areas with the lowest median ages included metro areas and micro areas in Utah, southern Idaho and along the U.S.-Mexican border.