As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, Census Bureau data show just how much the country has changed since midcentury, from population growth and education levels to work, home life and …
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, Census Bureau data show just how much the country has changed since midcentury, from population growth and education levels to work, home life and technology.
The nation's population has expanded dramatically over time. About 2.5 million people lived in the newly independent United States in July 1776, according to Census Bureau historical estimates. By the first census in 1790, that number had grown to about 3.9 million.
According to a 2020 Census Bureau article by Andrew Babin, conducting that first census was no easy task. U.S. marshals and their deputies spent months traveling across a young nation with little infrastructure, collecting population information by horseback, boat and on foot. Their final count, completed in 1791, found 3.9 million people living in the United States.
The 2020 Census counted 331.4 million people in the United States, a 119% increase from 151.3 million in 1950. The Census Bureau now estimates the nation's population at about 341.8 million as of July 2025.
The geographic center of population has also shifted over time, reflecting westward and southern growth. In 1950, it was located in Clay County, Illinois, near Louisville. By 2020, it had moved to Wright County, Missouri, near Hartville.
The 1950 Census captured a very different country. Harry S. Truman was president, and the United States had 48 states, with Alaska and Hawaii still territories.
By 1950, the census had become a massive national undertaking, with about 143,000 enumerators visiting roughly 45 million homes across the country. Today, much of the process can be completed online while federal law strictly protects respondents' privacy.
The census enumerators counted households across the United States and territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and other island areas. Workers traveled by boat, helicopter and even dog sled to reach remote communities. More than half of enumerators were women.
It also marked a turning point in data collection. After the 1950 Census, the Census Bureau began using UNIVAC I, the first nonmilitary computer. The system weighed about 16,000 pounds and used 5,000 vacuum tubes.
Educational attainment has increased significantly since 1950.
About 34% of people age 25 and older had completed four years of high school or more in 1950. By 2020, that figure had risen to about 91%. College completion also rose from about 6% in 1950 to about 38% in 2020.
The role of women in the workforce has also changed. In 1950, about 15.7 million women age 14 and older were employed, representing about 28% of women in that age group. By 2019, about 75.7 million women age 16 and older were employed, or about 47.7%.
Life in 1950 looked different in many households. The average family income was about $3,300 a year, and there were roughly 46 million homes nationwide.
About 94% of homes had electricity, and about 60% of families owned an automobile. The median home value was about $7,400.
Marriage was also more common. About 70% of people age 14 and older were married in 1950, compared with about 50% of people age 15 and older in 2019.
The median age has also increased, from about 30 in 1950 to about 39 in recent estimates.
As the nation prepares to celebrate its semiquincentennial, Census Bureau data highlights how Americans continue to mark the occasion.
In 2023, there were 1,319 fireworks manufacturers in the United States. In 2025, the country imported about $407 million worth of fireworks and exported about $1.8 million worth of American flags.
The country also includes thousands of places where Americans gather to celebrate history and recreation, including 5,480 museums, 1,120 historical sites, 781 zoos and botanical gardens, 797 nature parks, 742 amusement and theme parks and 4,274 sports arenas.
There are also 55 incorporated places with patriotic names, led by "Liberty," followed by "Independence."
From population growth to changing education levels and evolving households, Census Bureau data shows how much the United States has changed since 1950 while continuing to document the story of a growing nation.
Sources include the article "U.S. Marshals Overcame Hardships and Challenges to Count 3,929,214 People in a Young America" by Andrew Babin, U.S. Census Bureau; Census Bureau 2020 Census and 1950 Census data; and Census Bureau population estimates and historical statistics available on www.Census.gov.
