Sometimes it’s helpful to know some reference numbers to estimate back of the envelope calculations. Here is a short list of some reference numbers. I also think knowing some of these numbers provides useful context for understanding political discussions.
| Metric | Estimate | Actual |
| US Population | 300m | 330,068,304 |
| World Population | 8b | 7,747,805,693 |
| US Median Household Income | $60k | $63,179 |
| US Median Personal Income | $30k | $31,099 |
| US Number of Households | 100m | 118,825,921 |
| US People per Household | 3 | 2.63 |
| US Labor Force | 150m | 164,364,000 |
| US # under 18 | 75m | 74,181,467 |
| US # 18-44 | 100m | 112,806,642 |
| US # 45-64 | 80m | 81,489,445 |
| US # 65 and older | 40m | 40,267,984 |
| US # 16 and over | 250m | 243,275,505 |
| US # 18 and over | 250m | 234,564,071 |
| Median Rent | $1k/mo | $982 |
| % High School Graduates | 90% | 87.3% |
| % College Graduates | 30% | 30.9% |
| % in Labor Force | 60% | 63.0% |
| Average Commute Time | 30 mins | 26.4 mins |
US Population – About 300 million
330,068,304 – https://www.census.gov/popclock/
World Population – About 8 billion
7,747,805,693 – https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
US Median Household Income – About $60k
$63,179 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States
US Median Personal Income – About $30k
$31,099 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States
US – Number of Households – About 100m
118,825,921 – https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSD410217
US – People per Household – About 3
2.63 – https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSD410217
US Labor Force – About 150m
164,364,000 – https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CLF16OV
People 16+ who are employed or unemployed
People with jobs are employed.
People who are jobless, looking for a job, and available for work are unemployed.
The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed.
People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force. [source]
About 1 in 2 people is in the labor force
US # under 18 – about 75m – 74,181,467
US # 18-44 – about 100m – 112,806,642
US # 45-64 – about 80m – 81,489,445
US # 65 and older – about 40m – 40,267,984
(sanity check – the estimates add up to about 300m)
US # 16 and over – about 250m – 243,275,505
About 2/3 of people 16 and over are in the labor force
US # 18 and over – about 250m – 234,564,071
https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-03.pdf
Median Rent – about $1k/month – $982
High School Graduates – about 90% – 87.3%
College Graduates – about 30% – 30.9%
% in Labor Force – about 60% – 63.0%
Average Commute time – about 30 mins – 26.4 mins