Table 16. Selected Social and Economic Characteristics of the White Population in the United States: March 1997 Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census Internet Release date: July 30, 1998 (In current dollars. Numbers in thousands. For meaning of symbols, see text) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Both Characteristic | sexes Male Female ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNITED STATES Region All persons...................................... 220,070 108,529 111,541 Percent....................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 South............................................. 32.8 32.6 33.0 North and West.................................... 67.2 67.3 67.0 Northeast...................................... 19.6 19.3 19.8 Midwest........................................ 24.8 24.7 24.8 West........................................... 22.8 23.3 22.4 Residence All persons...................................... 220,070 108,529 111,541 Percent....................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 All metropolitan areas............................ 79.1 79.2 79.0 Inside central cities.......................... 25.4 25.3 25.4 Outside central cities......................... 53.7 53.8 53.6 Nonmetropolitan areas............................. 20.9 20.8 21.0 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS Age Total............................................ 220,070 108,529 111,541 Percent....................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 Under 5 years..................................... 7.1 7.3 6.8 5 to 9 years...................................... 7.2 7.5 6.9 10 to 14 years.................................... 7.0 7.3 6.7 15 to 19 years.................................... 6.9 7.2 6.6 20 to 24 years.................................... 6.4 6.6 6.2 25 to 29 years.................................... 7.1 7.3 6.9 30 to 34 years.................................... 7.8 7.9 7.6 35 to 44 years.................................... 16.6 16.9 16.2 45 to 54 years.................................... 12.8 12.8 12.7 55 to 64 years.................................... 8.4 8.2 8.6 65 to 74 years.................................... 7.3 6.7 7.9 75 years and over................................. 5.7 4.4 6.9 16 years and over................................. 77.4 76.5 78.2 18 years and over................................. 74.5 73.5 75.6 21 years and over................................. 70.6 69.4 71.7 55 years and over................................. 21.3 19.3 23.3 65 years and over................................. 12.9 11.1 14.7 Median age (years)................................ 35.4 34.3 36.4 Marital Status Total, 15 years and over........................ 173,296 84,540 88,756 Percent...................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 Never married..................................... 25.2 28.9 21.6 Married, spouse present........................... 55.9 57.3 54.4 Married, spouse absent............................ 2.9 2.8 3.0 Widowed........................................... 6.7 2.7 10.6 Divorced.......................................... 9.3 8.2 10.4 Educational Attainment Total, 25 to 34 years old..................... 32,638 16,449 16,189 Percent completed-- Less than 9th grade.............................. 3.9 4.4 3.5 High school graduate or more..................... 87.6 86.0 89.2 Some college or associate degree................ 28.5 27.3 29.7 Bachelor's degree or more....................... 28.1 26.9 29.3 FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS Type of Family 1/ All families..................................... 58,934 (X) (X) Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) Married couple.................................... 80.9 (X) (X) Female householder, no spouse present............. 14.2 (X) (X) Male householder, no spouse present............... 5.0 (X) (X) Size of Family Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) Two persons....................................... 44.0 (X) (X) Three persons..................................... 22.6 (X) (X) Four persons...................................... 20.5 (X) (X) Five persons...................................... 8.7 (X) (X) Six persons....................................... 2.8 (X) (X) Seven or more persons............................. 1.4 (X) (X) Age of Family Householder Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) 15 to 34 years.................................... 22.6 (X) (X) 35 to 44 years.................................... 26.6 (X) (X) 45 to 54 years.................................... 20.7 (X) (X) 55 years and over................................. 30.0 (X) (X) Number of Earners in Families Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) No earners........................................ 14.0 (X) (X) One earner........................................ 28.0 (X) (X) Two earners....................................... 45.3 (X) (X) Three or more earners............................. 12.7 (X) (X) Related Children Under 18 Years Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) No related children............................... 49.4 (X) (X) With related children............................. 50.5 (X) (X) One child....................................... 21.0 (X) (X) Two children.................................... 19.3 (X) (X) Three children.................................. 7.4 (X) (X) Four or more children........................... 2.8 (X) (X) Own Children Under 18 Years Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) No own children................................... 52.1 (X) (X) With own children................................. 47.9 (X) (X) One child....................................... 19.7 (X) (X) Two children.................................... 18.7 (X) (X) Three children.................................. 7.1 (X) (X) Four or more children........................... 2.4 (X) (X) Own Children under 6 Years Percent......................................... 100.0 (X) (X) No own children................................... 78.7 (X) (X) With own children................................. 21.3 (X) (X) One child....................................... 14.7 (X) (X) Two children.................................... 5.7 (X) (X) Three children.................................. 0.8 (X) (X) Four or more children........................... 0.1 (X) (X) ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS Labor Force Status 2/ Total persons, 16 years and over............... 169,555 82,324 87,230 In civilian labor force........................... 113,891 61,982 51,910 Percent in civilian labor force................. 67.2 75.3 59.5 Employed...................................... 108,411 58,778 49,633 Unemployed.................................... 5,481 3,204 2,277 Percent unemployed.......................... 4.8 5.2 4.4 Not in labor force................................ 55,663 20,343 35,321 Occupation 2/ Employed persons, 16 years and over............. 108,411 58,778 49,633 Percent....................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 Managerial and professional specialty............. 30.5 28.7 32.7 Technical, sales, and administrative support...... 29.8 20.0 41.4 Service........................................... 12.5 9.3 16.2 Farming, forestry, and fishing.................... 2.7 4.0 1.2 Precision production, craft, and repair........... 11.2 19.0 2.0 Operators, fabricators, and laborers.............. 13.3 19.0 6.5 Class of Worker 2/ Employed persons, 16 years and over............. 108,411 58,778 49,633 Percent....................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 Private wage and salary workers................... 77.7 79.0 76.2 Federal government workers........................ 2.1 2.3 2.0 State government workers.......................... 3.7 3.1 4.5 Local government workers.......................... 7.5 5.3 10.1 Self-employed workers............................. 8.8 10.2 7.2 Unpaid family workers............................. 0.1 0.1 0.1 Income of Persons Persons 15 years old and over with income....... 160,783 80,041 80,741 Percent...................................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 $1 to $4,999 or loss.............................. 14.5 8.9 20.1 $5,000 to $9,999.................................. 15.2 10.3 20.1 $10,000 to $19,999................................ 23.3 21.2 25.5 $20,000 to $29,999................................ 16.9 18.1 15.6 $30,000 and over.................................. 30.0 41.5 18.7 Median income.........................(dollars)... 18,288 24,949 12,961 Standard error......................(dollars)... 107 156 114 Per Capita Income Per capita income.....................(dollars)... 19,181 (X) (X) Median Earnings of Persons Persons 25 years old and over with earnings...........................(dollars)... 24,952 30,951 18,878 Standard error...................(dollars)... 130 127 172 Year-round, full-time workers....(dollars)... 30,771 35,424 25,187 Standard error..................(dollars)... 97 147 141 Year-round, full-time earnings by educational attainment- High school graduate...........(dollars)... 25,758 30,572 20,792 Standard error...............(dollars)... 143 190 151 Some college, no degree........(dollars)... 29,961 34,779 24,088 Standard error...............(dollars)... 337 550 341 Bachelor's degree or higher....(dollars)... 43,033 50,651 35,468 Standard error...............(dollars)... 565 263 297 Income of Families 1/ Total families.................................. 58,934 (X) (X) Percent..................................... 100.0 (X) (X) Under $10,000..................................... 5.8 (X) (X) $10,000 to $24,999................................ 18.4 (X) (X) $25,000 to $34,999................................ 13.5 (X) (X) $35,000 to $49,999................................ 18.3 (X) (X) $50,000 and over.................................. 44.1 (X) (X) Median income.........................(dollars)... 44,756 (X) (X) Standard error......................(dollars)... 209 (X) (X) POVERTY Household Relationship by Poverty Level 3/ Total persons................................ 219,656 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level.................. 24,650 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level................. 11.2 (NA) (NA) In families....................................... 184,119 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level...................... 17,621 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level..................... 9.6 (NA) (NA) Householder.................................... 58,934 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level................... 5,059 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level.................. 8.6 (NA) (NA) Female householder,no spouse present.......... 23,744 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level.................. 7,073 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level................. 29.8 (NA) (NA) Related children under 18 years................ 54,599 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level................... 8,488 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level.................. 15.5 (NA) (NA) Other family members........................... 70,586 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level................... 4,074 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level.................. 5.8 (NA) (NA) Unrelated individuals............................. 34,247 (NA) (NA) Number below poverty level...................... 6,463 (NA) (NA) Percent below poverty level..................... 18.9 (NA) (NA) Work Experience by Poverty Level Total persons, 15 years and over............ 172,596 83,888 88,708 Number below poverty level............... 16,856 6,632 10,224 Percent below poverty level.............. 9.8 7.9 11.5 Worked............................................ 120,186 64,825 55,361 Number below poverty level..................... 7,117 3,509 3,609 Percent below poverty level.................... 5.9 5.4 6.5 50 to 52 weeks................................... 87,521 49,870 37,651 Number below poverty level..................... 2,734 1,495 1,239 Percent below poverty level.................... 3.1 3.0 3.3 49 weeks or less................................. 32,664 14,954 17,710 Number below poverty level..................... 4,384 2,014 2,370 Percent below poverty level.................... 13.4 13.5 13.4 Did not work...................................... 52,411 19,064 33,347 Number below poverty level..................... 9,738 3,123 6,615 Percent below poverty level.................... 18.6 16.4 19.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Families in group quarters are excluded. These data may vary from other reports containing data from the March 1997 Current Population Survey. 2/ Data from labor force status, occupation, and class of worker shown in this report reflect characteristics of the civilian noninstitutionalized population for March 1997 and are not adjusted for seasonal changes. Data released by the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, may not agree entirely with data shown in this report due to differences in methodological procedures and seasonal adjustment of the data. 3/ Data from families include families in group quarters. Families and unrelated individuals will not add to total persons because unrelated subfamilies are not included.