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Southern United States
Region in
US
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
129,288,316
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
38.6
years ∙ half population younger than 38.6, half older
Diversity Index
63.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
12.9%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
The Southern United States, also known as the South Region or simply South, is one of four census regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, comprising 17 states across three divisions: South Atlantic (Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia), East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee), and West South Central (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas).
Co-ordinates
DEC34.994604° N, 84.900127° W
DMS34° 59′ 40.57″ N, 84° 54′ 00.46″ W
Population Density & area
148.8/sq mi
(57.47/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
49.2%
male
Male
49.2%
Female
50.8%
males per 100 females
South region
97
United States
98
Nativity
12.9%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
South region
12.9%
United States
14.1%
%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
38.6
years ∙ half population younger than 38.6, half older
Dependency ratio
64.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
South region
64.9
United States
64.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 22.5% | 22% | % |
| Working age (18-64) | 60.6% | 60.8% | % |
| Senior (65+) | 16.9% | 17.2% | % |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 64.9 | 64.4 | |
| Child dependency ratio | 37.1 | 36.1 | |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 27.9 | 28.3 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
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
63.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
South region
63.8%
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 South region population
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 19.5% | 19.3% | % |
| Mexican | 10.4% | 11.3% | % |
| Puerto Rican | 1.7% | 1.8% | % |
| Cuban | 1.6% | 0.8% | % |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 5.8% | 5.5% | % |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 80.5% | 80.7% | % |
| One race | 76.5% | 76.4% | % |
| White | 53.6% | 57.4% | % |
| Black or African American | 18.2% | 11.9% | % |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% | 0.5% | % |
| Asian | 3.8% | 5.9% | % |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% | % |
| Some Other Race | 0.5% | 0.6% | % |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 4% | 4.3% | % |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
65.1%
family
Family
65.1%
Non family
34.9%
% family households
South region
65.1%
United States
64.2%
%
Average household size
2.54
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of South region population
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 49,758,750 | 129,227,496 | — |
| Average houshold size | 2.54 | 2.53 | |
| Family households | 32,413,246 | 82,990,528 | — |
| Average family size | 3.14 | 3.14 | |
| Married couple family | 23,353,101 | 60,637,388 | — |
| Other families | 9,060,145 | 22,353,140 | — |
| Male householder | 2,485,024 | 6,572,819 | — |
| Female householder | 6,575,121 | 15,780,321 | — |
| Non-family households | 17,345,504 | 46,236,968 | — |
| One-person households | 14,223,652 | 37,140,836 | — |
| Male householder | 6,383,029 | 16,871,444 | — |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,929,139 | 5,225,110 | — |
| Female householder | 7,840,623 | 20,269,392 | — |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 3,781,795 | 10,089,070 | — |
| Other living arrangements | 3,121,852 | 9,096,132 | 0 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
56,321,476
housing units
South region
56,321,476
United States
143,775,355
—
Occupancy status
88.3%
occupied
Occupied
88.3%
Vacant
11.7%
vacancy rate
South region
11.7%
United States
10.1%
%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
68.2%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1989
Half of houses were built before 1989, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.6 | 5.5 | |
| 1–3 rooms | 13.2% | 15.1% | % |
| 4–6 rooms | 53.9% | 51.6% | % |
| 7+ rooms | 33.1% | 33.4% | % |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.2% | 2.9% | % |
| 1 bedroom | 9.4% | 10.9% | % |
| 2 bedrooms | 24% | 25% | % |
| 3 bedrooms | 42.1% | 38.7% | % |
| 4+ bedrooms | 22.3% | 22.4% | % |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1989 | 1981 | |
| Total housing units | 56,321,476 | 143,775,355 | — |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
66.5%
owners
Renter-occupied
33.5%
Owner-occupied
66.5%
homeownership rate
South region
66.5%
United States
65.2%
%
Average household size
2.63
Owner-occupied
2.34
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
South region
2.63
United States
2.64
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 49,758,750 | 129,227,496 | — |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 26.9% | 24.8% | % |
| 2010 to 2019 | 39.9% | 39.6% | % |
| 2000 to 2009 | 16.1% | 16.4% | % |
| 1999 or earlier | 17.2% | 19.1% | % |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 97% | 96.6% | % |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 2% | 2.2% | % |
| 1.51 or more | 1% | 1.2% | % |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 6.2% | 8.4% | % |
| 1 vehicle | 33.7% | 33.1% | % |
| 2 vehicles | 37.8% | 36.6% | % |
| 3 or more vehicles | 22.3% | 21.9% | % |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 32.3% | 51.4% | % |
| Electricity | 64.6% | 41.3% | % |
| Solar | 0.2% | 0.3% | % |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0.9% | 3.9% | % |
| All other fuels | 1% | 2% | % |
| No fuel used | 0.9% | 1.2% | % |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.4% | 0.4% | % |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.7% | 0.8% | % |
| No telephone service available | 0.9% | 0.9% | % |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$290,100
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
27.6%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
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
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $290,100 | $332,700 | $— |
| Under $100,000 | 13.8% | 11.4% | % |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 17.6% | 15.8% | % |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 20.4% | 17.8% | % |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 28% | 26.9% | % |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 16.2% | 20.9% | % |
| $1,000,000 and more | 4% | 7.1% | % |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 58.2% | 60.6% | % |
| Without a mortgage | 41.8% | 39.4% | % |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,819 | $1,963 | $— |
| Without a mortgage | $553 | $638 | $— |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,344 | $1,413 | $— |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
33.8%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
South region
33.8%
United States
35.7%
%
Adults without a high school diploma
11.1%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
South region
11.1%
United States
10.4%
%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
31,069,588
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
38.6%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 31,069,588 | 80,089,790 | — |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.7% | 5.7% | % |
| K–12 | 68.7% | 67.6% | % |
| Kindergarten | 5.2% | 5% | % |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 20.3% | 19.8% | % |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 21.3% | 21% | % |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 21.9% | 21.7% | % |
| College or graduate school | 25.7% | 26.7% | % |
| College, undergraduate | 20.1% | 21% | % |
| Graduate, professional school | 5.5% | 5.8% | % |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 38.6% | 40.9% | % |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 82.9% | 82% | % |
| Private school | 17.1% | 18% | % |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
88,400,874
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 88,400,874 | 230,807,303 | — |
| Less than 9th grade | 4.7% | 4.7% | % |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 6.4% | 5.7% | % |
| High school diploma or GED | 27.1% | 26% | % |
| Some college, no degree | 19.4% | 19.1% | % |
| Associate's degree | 8.7% | 8.8% | % |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.8% | 35.7% | % |
| Bachelor's degree | 20.5% | 21.6% | % |
| Graduate or professional | 13.2% | 14.1% | % |
| High School or higher | 88.9% | 89.6% | % |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$49,901
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
4.6%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| South region | United States | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $49,901 | $52,696 | $— |
| Less than high school graduate | $31,259 | $32,485 | $— |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $37,785 | $40,153 | $— |
| Some college or associate's degree | $45,115 | $47,260 | $— |
| Bachelor's degree | $65,784 | $70,044 | $— |
| Graduate or professional degree | $84,770 | $90,720 | $— |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 25.8% | 24.2% | % |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 15.2% | 14.4% | % |
| Some college or associate's degree | 10.2% | 9.8% | % |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 4.6% | 4.5% | % |
About Neilsberg Research
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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