CB00-FF.01                                             February 14, 2000
                                
                    African American History Month 
                          Celebrated in February

Education

- In 1999, about 77 percent of African Americans 25 years old and over
  had completed high school or a higher level of education and more
  than 1 in 7 had earned at least a bachelor's degree.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- Among African Americans, a slightly higher proportion of women than
  men had earned at least a bachelor's degree in 1999 (16 percent
  versus 14 percent).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- The number of African Americans under 35 enrolled in college in 1998
  (1.7 million) was 50 percent higher than the number enrolled a decade
  earlier. Similarly, African American nursery school enrollment more
  than doubled over the same period, from 286,000 in 1988 to 761,000 in
  1998. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-179.html

Income and Poverty

  
- Although the 1998 poverty rate for African Americans 26.1 percent, or
  9.1 million people remained statistically unchanged from 1997, it 
  continued to represent the lowest rate since the Census Bureau began
  collecting poverty data in 1959.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-188.html

- The African American median household income in 1998 $25,351
  remained at its all-time high first reached in 1997.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-188.html

- For African Americans, per capita income increased 3.3 percent
  between 1997 and 1998, to $12,957.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-188.html

- Nearly one-third (28 percent) of African American families reported
  total money income in 1998 of $50,000 or more; for African American
  married-couple families, that percentage was 48 percent. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

Families

- In 1999, there were 8.4 million African American families, nearly
  half of whom (47 percent) were married-couple families.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- Two out of three African American families included children under
  age 18 in 1998. That compares with fewer than one-half of non-Hispanic 
  White families.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-37.html

- In 1997, 36 percent (1.4 million) of all children residing in a
  grandparent's home were non-Hispanic African Americans. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-115.html

- Four million African American children (36 percent) resided with
  both their parents in 1998.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html

- On average, African American families are larger than non-Hispanic
  White families: in 1999, 63 percent consisted of three or more members, 
  compared to 52 percent of non-Hispanic White families. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- Among African American men age 15 and over in 1999, 46 percent had
  never been married, 37 percent were currently married, 3 percent were 
  widowed and 10 percent were divorced. Among women, the corresponding 
  percentages were 42 percent, 30 percent, 10 percent and 12 percent. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

Population Distribution

- The nation's African American population totaled an estimated
  34.9 million as of July 1, 1999. It comprised 13 percent of the
  total population. Since April 1, 1990, the African American
  population increased by 4.4 million people or 14 percent; meanwhile, 
  the total U.S. population grew by 10 percent.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html

- The African American population is young. Nearly one-third of the
  nation's African American population was under 18 years of age in
  1999, versus 24 percent of the non-Hispanic White population. Conversely,
  8 percent of African Americans were 65 years old and over versus 14
  percent of non-Hispanic Whites. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- The African American population, according to projections, could
  increase from 34.9 million in 1999 to 59.2 million in 2050 a
  70-percent increase; under this scenario its share of the total
  population would increase slightly, from 13 percent to 15 percent.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-05.html

- African Americans are concentrated in the South: 55 percent lived
  there in 1999, compared with 33 percent of non-Hispanic Whites. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- African Americans were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live
  in metro areas 86 percent versus 78 percent in 1999. Furthermore,
  more than half of African Americans lived in central cities within
  metro areas (55 percent) versus about one-quarter of non-Hispanic 
  Whites (22 percent). 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

As of July 1, 1998, according to population estimates:

- The 10 states with the largest African American populations were
  New York (3.2 million), California (2.5 million), Texas (2.4
  million), Florida (2.3 million), Georgia (2.2 million), Illinois
  (1.8 million), North Carolina (1.7 million) and Maryland, Louisiana
  and Michigan (1.4 million each).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

- The District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) led all states or state
  equivalents with the largest percentage (62 percent) of African
  Americans in its total population. Nine Southern states rounded out the
  top 10 in this category: Mississippi (37 percent), Louisiana (32
  percent), South Carolina (30 percent), Georgia (29 percent), Maryland   
  (28 percent), Alabama (26 percent), North Carolina (22 percent),
  Virginia (20 percent) and Delaware (19 percent).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

- Cook County (Chicago), Ill., had more African Americans (1.4
  million) than any other county in the nation. Los Angeles County,
  Calif., was second (1.0 million), followed by Kings County 
  (Brooklyn), N.Y. (933,120); Wayne County (Detroit), Mich. (898,891);
  Harris County (Houston), Texas (633,035); Philadelphia County, Pa.
  (622,399); Bronx County, N.Y. (507,801); Queens County, N.Y.
  (462,128); Prince George's County, Md. (447,580); and Dade County
  (Miami), Fla. (438,928).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

-  With respect to African Americans as a percentage of a county or
   county equivalent's total population, Jefferson County, Miss., and
   Macon County, Ala., led the nation, with 87 percent of their respective
   populations made up of African Americans. Others in the top 10
   were: Claiborne County, Miss. (83 percent); Hancock County, Ga. (82
   percent); Greene County, Ala. (81 percent); Holmes County, Miss.
   (77 percent); Tunica County, Miss. (77 percent); Lowndes County,
   Ala. (76 percent); Petersburg city, Va. (74 percent); and Bullock
   County, Ala. (73 percent).
   http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

Between April 1, 1990, and July 1, 1998, according to population estimates:

- Florida registered the biggest increase (495,329) in African
  American population among states. Just behind were Georgia
  (430,275), Texas (381,962), Maryland (231,986), North Carolina
  (203,710), Virginia (194,334), New York (154,518), California
  (151,589), Illinois (132,339) and Ohio (129,964).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

- Idaho's African American population increased 103 percent tops
  among all the states. Nevada (67 percent), Vermont (59 percent),
  South Dakota (56 percent) and Utah (55 percent) followed in that
  order.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

- Harris County (Houston), Texas, was the top gainer (84,648) in
  African Americans among counties. Broward County (Fort Lauderdale),
  Fla., was No. 2, with 79,033 new African American residents,
  followed by Fulton County (Atlanta), Ga. (77,776); Prince
  George's County, Md. (76,935); Cook County (Chicago), Ill.
  (63,819); Dallas County, Texas (53,864); Clark County (Las Vegas),
  Nev. (49,587); Wayne County (Detroit), Mich. (47,269); Duval County
  (Jacksonville), Fla. (41,231); and Palm Beach County, Fla. (40,973).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-170.html

Coming to America

- The African American foreign-born population was an estimated 2.0
  million in 1999. That is 8 percent of the nation's total
  foreign-born population.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- Of the African American foreign-born population in 1997, about 80
  percent came from Latin America. Sixty-three percent hailed from 
  Caribbean nations.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-195.html

Jobs

- In 1999, the civilian labor force participation rate for African
  American women was slightly higher than that of non-Hispanic White
  women (63 percent and 60 percent). Non-Hispanic White men (74
  percent) had a higher labor force participation than African
  American men (66 percent).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- In 1999, 24 percent of employed African American women, age 15 and
  over, and 17 percent of men worked in managerial and professional
  specialty occupations (e.g., engineers, dentists, teachers, lawyers
  and journalists). Similarly, a higher proportion of women than men
  worked in service jobs (27 percent versus 17 percent) and
  technical, sales and administrative support jobs (38 percent versus
  20 percent).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- Employed African American men, age 15 and over, were more likely
  than their female counterparts to work in precision production,
  craft and repair jobs (14 percent versus 2 percent) and as
  operators, fabricators and laborers (31 percent versus 9 percent).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2000/cb00-27.html

- As to individuals employed in certain occupations, the United
  States had 84,000 African American engineers, 36,000 African
  American physicians and 36,000 African American lawyers in 1998.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html

Homeownership

- The African American homeownership rate the percentage of
  African American families who own the house or apartment where
  they live reached 46.3 percent during the first quarter of 1999.
  This represents an increase of about 5 percentage points from the
  first quarter of 1995.
  http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/qtr199/q199prss.html

The preceding facts come from the Current Population Survey, population
estimates and projections and the Statistical Abstract of the United
States. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of
error. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's
Public Information Office (tel: 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670; e-mail:
pio@census.gov).