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Northeastern United States

Region in US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

57,414,970
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

40.4
years ∙ half population younger than 40.4, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
57.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

17.3%
foreign-born population
82.7%Native
17.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

The Northeastern United States, also known as the Northeast Region or simply Northeast, is one of four census regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, comprising 9 states across two divisions: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont) and Middle Atlantic (New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania).
Location
Region in US
Co-ordinates
DEC42.488797° N, 72.974840° W
DMS42° 29′ 19.67″ N, 72° 58′ 29.42″ W

Population Density & area

354.6/sq mi (136.9/km²)
Total Area
181,319 sq mi (469,615 km²)
Land Area
161,914 sq mi (419,355 km²) · 89.3%
Water Area
19,405 sq mi (50,260 km²) · 10.7%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.1% male
Male 49.1%
Female 50.9%
males per 100 females
Northeast region 96.4
United States 98

Nativity

17.3%
foreign-born population
82.7%Native
17.3% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Northeast region 17.3%
United States 14.1%
%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

40.4
years ∙ half population younger than 40.4, half older
Northeast region
40.4
United States
38.9

Dependency ratio

Low High
63.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Northeast region 63.3
United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Northeast region United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 20.4% 22% %
Working age (18-64) 61.2% 60.8% %
Senior (65+) 18.4% 17.2% %
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 63.3 64.4
Child dependency ratio 33.2 36.1
Old-age dependency ratio 30 28.3
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
61.8%
Black
10.5%
Asian
7%
Hispanic
15.8%
Other
4.9%
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

Low High
57.6%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Northeast region 57.6%
United States 61.4%
—%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Northeast region population
Northeast region United States
Hispanic or Latino 15.8% 19.3% %
Mexican 1.9% 11.3% %
Puerto Rican 4.6% 1.8% %
Cuban 0.4% 0.8% %
Other Hispanic / Latino 8.9% 5.5% %
Not Hispanic or Latino 84.2% 80.7% %
One race 80.3% 76.4% %
White 61.8% 57.4% %
Black or African American 10.5% 11.9% %
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.1% 0.5% %
Asian 7% 5.9% %
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0.2% %
Some Other Race 0.8% 0.6% %
Two or more races (Multiracial) 3.9% 4.3% %
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

62.9% family
Family 62.9%
Non family 37.1%
% family households
Northeast region 62.9%
United States 64.2%
%

Average household size

2.47
persons per household
Northeast region
2.47
United States
2.53
-

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Northeast region population
Northeast region United States
Total households 22,592,216 129,227,496
Average houshold size 2.47 2.53
Family households 14,218,030 82,990,528
Average family size 3.09 3.14
Married couple family 10,301,514 60,637,388
Other families 3,916,516 22,353,140
Male householder 1,106,756 6,572,819
Female householder 2,809,760 15,780,321
Non-family households 8,374,186 46,236,968
One-person households 6,728,054 37,140,836
Male householder 2,936,438 16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone 974,727 5,225,110
Female householder 3,791,616 20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone 1,974,870 10,089,070
Other living arrangements 1,646,132 9,096,132 0

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

24,980,597
housing units
Northeast region 24,980,597
United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

90.4% occupied
Occupied 90.4%
Vacant 9.6%
vacancy rate
Northeast region 9.6%
United States 10.1%
%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

60%
Single family houses
Single family houses
60%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
37.6%
Mobile homes
2.3%
Boat, RV, van, etc
0%

Median Year Built

1964
Half of houses were built before 1964, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
25.9%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
30.6%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
29.3%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
14.2%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Northeast region United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 5.5 5.5
1–3 rooms 17.8% 15.1% %
4–6 rooms 48.6% 51.6% %
7+ rooms 33.6% 33.4% %
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 3.6% 2.9% %
1 bedroom 14.6% 10.9% %
2 bedrooms 25.8% 25% %
3 bedrooms 35.1% 38.7% %
4+ bedrooms 20.9% 22.4% %
At a glance
Median year built 1964 1981
Total housing units 24,980,597 143,775,355
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

62.5% owners
Renter-occupied 37.5%
Owner-occupied 62.5%
homeownership rate
Northeast region 62.5%
United States 65.2%
%

Average household size

2.62
Owner-occupied
2.21
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Northeast region 2.62
United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Northeast region United States
Total occupied units 22,592,216 129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later 20.9% 24.8% %
2010 to 2019 37.3% 39.6% %
2000 to 2009 17.5% 16.4% %
1999 or earlier 24.3% 19.1% %
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 96.6% 96.6% %
1.01 to 1.50 2% 2.2% %
1.51 or more 1.3% 1.2% %
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 16.7% 8.4% %
1 vehicle 34.5% 33.1% %
2 vehicles 32.6% 36.6% %
3 or more vehicles 16.2% 21.9% %
House heating fuel used
Gas 59.5% 51.4% %
Electricity 18.1% 41.3% %
Solar 0.2% 0.3% %
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 18.3% 3.9% %
All other fuels 3% 2% %
No fuel used 1% 1.2% %
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0.4% 0.4% %
Lacking complete kitchen 0.8% 0.8% %
No telephone service available 0.9% 0.9% %
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$381,100
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Northeast region
$381,100
United States
$332,700
$—

Housing Cost Burden

29.6%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
29.6%
Owners without a mortgage
18.4%
Renters
51%
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Northeast region United States
Property value
Median Value $381,100 $332,700 $—
Under $100,000 8.5% 11.4% %
$100,000 - $200,000 13.4% 15.8% %
$200,000 - $300,000 16.2% 17.8% %
$300,000 - $500,000 27.4% 26.9% %
$500,000 - $1,000,000 26.5% 20.9% %
$1,000,000 and more 8% 7.1% %
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 60.7% 60.6% %
Without a mortgage 39.3% 39.4% %
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $2,342 $1,963 $—
Without a mortgage $894 $638 $—
Gross rent
Median rent $1,527 $1,413 $—

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

40.5%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Northeast region 40.5%
United States 35.7%
%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Northeast region 9.6%
United States 10.4%
%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

13,344,879
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
6.1%
K–12
64.7%
College / Undergraduate
22.2%
Graduate / Professional
7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

47.2%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Northeast region
47.2%
United States
40.9%
%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Northeast region United States
Total enrolled (age 3+) 13,344,879 80,089,790
Nursery / preschool 6.1% 5.7% %
K–12 64.7% 67.6% %
Kindergarten 4.8% 5% %
Elementary: Grades 1–4 18.7% 19.8% %
Elementary: Grades 5–8 20.1% 21% %
High School: Grades 9–12 21.1% 21.7% %
College or graduate school 29.2% 26.7% %
College, undergraduate 22.2% 21% %
Graduate, professional school 7% 5.8% %
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 47.2% 40.9% %
School type
Public school 75.7% 82% %
Private school 24.3% 18% %
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

40,567,677
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
4.5%
9th-12th, no diploma
5.1%
HS graduate
26.5%
Some college no degree
15%
Associates degree
8.3%
Bachelors degree
23.2%
Graduate or professional degree
17.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
49.4% · 50.6%
9th-12th, no diploma
52.9% · 47.1%
HS graduate
50.6% · 49.4%
Some college no degree
49.3% · 50.7%
Associates degree
43.4% · 56.6%
Bachelors degree
48.1% · 51.9%
Graduate or professional degree
44.8% · 55.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Northeast region United States
Population (25+) 40,567,677 230,807,303
Less than 9th grade 4.5% 4.7% %
9th–12th, no diploma 5.1% 5.7% %
High school diploma or GED 26.5% 26% %
Some college, no degree 15% 19.1% %
Associate's degree 8.3% 8.8% %
Bachelor's degree or higher 40.5% 35.7% %
Bachelor's degree 23.2% 21.6% %
Graduate or professional 17.4% 14.1% %
High School or higher 90.4% 89.6% %
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$58,945
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$32,975
HS graduate
$41,934
Some college or associates
$49,795
Bachelors degree
$75,385
Graduate or professional degree
$95,958

Poverty Rate

4.4%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
25.7%
HS graduate
14.2%
Some college or associates
9.6%
Bachelors degree or higher
4.4%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Northeast region United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $58,945 $52,696 $—
Less than high school graduate $32,975 $32,485 $—
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $41,934 $40,153 $—
Some college or associate's degree $49,795 $47,260 $—
Bachelor's degree $75,385 $70,044 $—
Graduate or professional degree $95,958 $90,720 $—
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 25.7% 24.2% %
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 14.2% 14.4% %
Some college or associate's degree 9.6% 9.8% %
Bachelor's degree or higher 4.4% 4.5% %
Insights for Northeast, by topic

About Neilsberg Research

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Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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