56.7 Million Americans Have a Disability

Last Friday, Matthew Brault from the Health and Disability Statistics Branch of the Census Bureau appeared on C-SPAN to discuss Americans with disabilities in the U.S.  There were 56.7 million people with a disability in 2010, up 2.3 million from 2005.  38.3 million possessed a severe disability – a disability that totally prevents the survey respondent from doing many different activities listed in the Survey of Income and Program Participation.  Of Americans aged 21 to 64 with a disability, just 4-in-10 were employed, and 11% of Americans aged 15 to 64 with a severe disability experienced persistent poverty.

Census Predicts Hispanic Population Within U.S. to Grow to 132.9 Million by 2050

Roberto Ramirez, Chief of the Ancestry and Ethnicity branch of the U.S. Census Bureau, appeared on C-SPAN to discuss the current and future Hispanic population in America.  Currently, 52 million Hispanics reside in America, accounting for 16.7% of the entire U.S. population.  In the past decade, the U.S. population added 30.1 million residents, 16.7 million (55.5%) of whom were Hispanic. 

Births within the U.S. contributed to almost two thirds of the growth within the Hispanic population, with migration accounting for the other third.  Additionally, Hispanics predominantly originate from Mexico, with more than 31 million hailing from the nation.  Mr. Ramirez projects the Hispanic population within the U.S. to swell to over 132 million, 30.2% of Americans, by 2050.

America's Largest Cities Still Growing

Marc Perry, chief of the Population Distribution Branch of the Census Bureau appeared on C-SPAN to discuss the population shifts and demographics of the most populous cities in America.  In 2010, there were 33 cities with 500,000 people or more, up from 29 in 2000.  In the past decade, Fort Worth experienced the greatest growth, with a 38.6% increase in population.   With a nearly 25 percent decrease in population, Detroit fell outside of the top ten most populous cities, replaced by San Jose, CA.  Most of the cities with the largest percentage increase are in the South or the West; these regions underwent a much greater population boom than the Northeast and Midwest.  Major population shifts however appear to be in decline.  From 1983 to 2011, the geographical mobility index has steadily dropped, falling to almost half of what it was in 1983.  So while population growth in these urban centers is still steadily increasing, the migration between large cities is falling significantly.