New census data about America

Louis T. March

July 04, 2023 3 Reactions

Any demographer worth their salt realises that 2020 was one of the most turbulent years in American history aside from the Civil War (1861-1865), thus one of the most difficult in which to conduct a census. In periods of social stress and rising crime, people are not overly fond of strangers coming around, which did not bode well for census takers. Not only did we have the pandemic panic, but there was also a significant increase in civil disorder, forest fires, and much else that disrupted day-to-day life.

While such a chaotic environment was detrimental to gathering data from the public, it was quite a hospitable one for various kinds of mischief, including political chicanery. Little wonder that Americans have record low levels of confidence in the government and that 40 percent or more have reasonable suspicions about “rigged elections.”  

Troubling trends

As with every US Census, the issue of race comes front and centre. PRB related that there were suspected undercounts of poor and racial/ethnic minority populations, thus a relative overcount of Whites, Asians and retirees. As a rule, middle-class and up folks complete Census forms at significantly higher rates than the less affluent. That being the case, please no huffing and puffing about White and Asian privilege in the Census.

Nonetheless, this information is really helpful in assessing US demographic trends and the outlook for American families. The trends are not encouraging. In 1970, about 47 percent of US households included children. The 2020 figure is 27 percent. In 1970, less than 20 percent of US households were comprised of individuals living alone, as opposed to about 28 percent in 2020. If you are a numbers nerd, have at it – you can peruse the 1970 Census data here.

Much has changed in a half-century. Households are smaller today because there are fewer children. Divorce rates have increased and birth rates have declined. The US is more ethnically and racially diverse due to immigration. Church attendance imploded from 1970 to 2020. Social cohesion is fading fast. America has become a conflicted nation, riven by all manner of divisions, with the punditry occasionally bloviating about the possibility of a civil war between left and right. That is silly. The country will subdivide itself before something like that happens again. Also, the national debt is 125 percent of GDP, and people are less well off (adjusted for inflation) than they were in 1970.

It is beyond the capability of most people to do anything about this in the short term. The rot is systemic and woke indoctrination is approaching a saturation point. However, if we can take it upon ourselves to put down our smartphones, tablets and computers, subordinate creature comforts to getting along with our fellow human beings, spend more time with family and friends and invest in building compatible communities, all that could soon enough become the “in” thing to do.

That is how our forebears did it, before the lust for lucre and those pesky electronic devices took over.

Let’s give it a try.

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Louis T. March has a background in government, business and philanthropy. A former talk show host, author and public speaker, he is a dedicated student of history and genealogy. Louis lives with his family in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

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