What Are We Doing with Our Lives?

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TIME USE

Average workday in 2012 for employed people ages 25 to 54 who have kids

8.8 hours

WORKING

7.7 hours

SLEEPING

2.6 hours

LEISURE/SPORTS

1.2 hours

CARING FOR OTHERS

1.1 hours

EATING/DRINKING

1 hour

HOUSEHOLD ACTIVITIES

1.6 hours

OTHER

2.5 FAMILY SIZE

American families have shrunk. In 2013, the average size of a household was 2.54 people. In 1950, it was about 3.37 people. The percentage of households with one person has gone up. In 1960, it was around 13.1%. In 2013, it was about 27.4%

COST OF RAISING KIDS TO ADULTHOOD

$245,340 In 2013, these were among the major expenses of raising a child age 17 or younger:

MISC. 8%

HOUSING 30%

FOOD 16%

TRANSPORTATION 14%

CLOTHING 6%

HEALTH CARE 8%

CHILD CARE/EDUCATION 18%

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MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES TO HAVE KIDS LEAST EXPENSIVE CITIES TO HAVE KIDS 1. New York City 1. Norman, Okla. 2. Honolulu 2. Harlingen, Texas 3. San Francisco 3. Ashland, Ohio

STUDENT DEBT

College graduates in the class of 2014 are the most indebted in U.S. history, with double the debt load of borrowers 20 years ago, even after adjusting for inflation

1992–93 $9,320

1994–95

1999–2000

2004–05

2009–10

2014–15 $35,051

CREDIT-CARD DEBT

In June 2010, total student-loan debt passed total revolving credit, most of which is credit-card debt, for the first time

$826.5 billion

TOTAL REVOLVING CREDIT

$830 billion

TOTAL STUDENT-LOAN DEBT

SCREEN TIME

On an average day in 2013, Americans ages 15 and up watched TV for:

2.77 HOURS

Men tuned in for 24.6 minutes more than women, on average

0.15 hours spent on the phone, mail and email

0.43 hours spent on computer use and digital games

WORK

On average in 2013, for Americans ages 15 and older:

8.34 Hours per day worked by men with full-time jobs

7.73 Hours per day worked by women with full-time jobs

IN GENERAL, THE MORE EDUCATED YOU ARE, THE LESS YOU WORK

Those with a bachelor’s degree or higher worked

7.44 hr./day

Those with an associate degree or some college worked

7.79 hr./day

High school graduates without college worked

7.78 hr./day

Those without a high school diploma worked

7.96 hr./day

VACATION

The pursuit of happiness doesn’t include much vacay

0 Number of paid-leave days U.S. firms are required to offer

4 Average number of unused vacation days in 2012. Americans received an average of 14 vacation days

577,212,000 Total number of unused vacation days (1.58 million years) in 2012

WHY DON’T AMERICANS USE ALL THEIR VACATION DAYS?

27% said they were “stockpiling” them for future trips

24% found it difficult to coordinate family scheduling

35% canceled or postponed in order to work

17% prefer to cash out unused vacation days

HOME OWNERSHIP

Who owns your home?

65% of households are owner-occupied

34% of households are renter-occupied

1% of households have occupiers paying no cash rent

INCOME INEQUALITY

Cities with the largest and smallest gaps between rich and poor

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MOST EQUAL MOST UNEQUAL 1. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah 1. Atlanta 2. York-Hanover, Pa. 2. New Orleans 3. Lancaster, Pa. 3. Miami 4. Anchorage, Alaska 4. Jackson, Miss. 5. Reading, Pa. 5. Gainesville, Fla.

HUDDLED MASSES

Number of immigrants living in the U.S. in 2012, a record high

41 MILLION

FOOD STAMPS

What portion of all Americans have ever received food stamps?

18%

TOTAL POPULATION

15% WHITE

31% BLACK

22% HISPANIC

18% OTHER NON-HISPANIC

22% DEMOCRAT

10% REPUBLICAN

17% INDEPENDENT

SOURCES: TIME USE, SCREEN TIME, WORK, VACATION: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR; EXPEDIA.COM; FAMILY SIZE, HOME OWNERSHIP, INCOME INEQUALITY: CENSUS.GOV, U.S. NEWS; NERDWALLET.COM; COST OF KIDS: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; STUDENT DEBT: MARK KANTROWITZ; EDVISORS.COM; CREDIT-CARD DEBT: U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE; FASTWEB.COM; VACATION DAYS: EXPEDIA.COM; HUDDLED MASSES: MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE; FOOD STAMPS: PEW RESEARCH CENTER.