Page 7 - Italian-American Herald - December 2023

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HERALD
ANALYSIS
Survey: Numbers offer a snapshot
DECEMBER2023 | ITALIANAMERICANHERALD.COM 7
ITALIAN-AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHICS FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL SITUATIONS, BY THE NUMBERS
Married couple households
49.30%
47.80%
1.50%
Cohabitating couple households
Female head of household, no spouse/partner present Ages 15 and older, female, now married
Ages 25 and older, high school or beyond
Ages 25 and older, graduate or professional degree
Ages 65 and older, with a disability
Ages 5 and older, English only spoken at home
Household with computer
Females ages 16 and older, in the labor force Management/business/science/art occupations Production/transportation/moving occupations National resources/construction/maintenance Median household income*
Home value $500,000 to $999,999
Have health insurance coverage
People living below poverty level, past 12 months 65 and older, below poverty level, past 12 months Live in renter-occupied homes
Median age
Identify as one race*
Ages 65 and older, male
Italian-American Entire U.S. population population
8.10% 6.70% 24.60% 27.40% 47.30% 46.40% 95.20% 88.90% 16.70% 13.10% 28.90% 33.40% 93.40% 78.30% 95.50% 93.10% 64.00% 58.80% 48.30% 40.30%
8.30% 13.10%
6.70% 8.70% $90,487 $74,755 18.9 13.60%
95.60% 91.20% 7.70% 12.60% 7.00% 9.60%
29.70% 35.40% 40.1 39 92.60% 87.50%
46.70% 44.90%
Difference
1.40% -2.80% 0.90% 6.30% 3.60% -4.50% 15.10% 2.40% 5.20% 8.00% -4.80% -2.00% $15,732 5.30% 4.40% -4.90% -2.60% -5.70% 1.1 5.10% 1.80%
Householder living alone
13.20%
12.70%
0.50%
Ages 15 and older, female, widowed
7.40%
8.40%
-1.00%
Ages 25 and older, less than ninth grade
1.30%
4.80%
-3.50%
Ages 25 and older, bachelor’s degree or higher
42.70%
33.70%
9.00%
Noninstitutionalized, with a disability
11.40%
12.60%
-1.20%
Foreign born
3.50%
13.60%
-10.10%
Ages 5 and older, speak English less than “very well”
1.50%
8.20%
-6.70%
Ages 16 and older, in the labor force
67.70%
63.60%
4.10%
All parents in labor force, w/child younger than 6
73.40%
66.90%
6.50%
Service occupations
14.40%
17.00%
-2.60%
Finance/insurance/real estate industries
8.30%
6.70%
1.60%
Household income and benefits, $200,000 or more
13.70%
9.50%
4.20%
Households receiving food stamps, past 12 months
7.10%
11.40%
-4.30%
Home value $1 million and greater
4.8
4.1
0.70%
Monthly owner cost w/mortgage – $3,000 or more
20.70%
14.80%
5.90%
Younger than 18, below poverty level, past 12 months
7.90%
17%
-9.10%
Live in owner-occupied housing
70.30%
64.60%
5.70%
Live in household with no vehicle available
6.40%
8.30%
-1.90%
Persons younger than 18
21%
22.50%
1.50%
Identify as two races *
6.90%
11.80%
-4.90%
Ages 65 and older, female
53.30%
55.10%
-1.80%
Sources: American Community Survey, 2017-2021, 5 Year data, Tables DP-02 through DP-05. Starred data is from the American Community Survey, 2022, 1 Year data, Table S0201. Links to source tables available upon request at joequartullo@gmail.com
ABOUT THESE NUMBERS
This data sample, most of which was collected during the five-year period of 2017-2021, compared Italian-American responses with those of the overall U.S. population. Although the gap between numbers may not initially appear to be sizable, each percentage point can represent hundreds of thousands or millions of people. The table above reveals some interesting differences.
COMING SOON
An analysis of the Italian-American population as it has spread through- out the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, including nearby Pennsylvania counties, southern New Jersey and northern Delaware.
Continued from front page
interviews were conducted at about 9.7 million randomly selected households. This resulted in an approximate sample
of 25 million people. The data collected is considered a reliable reflection of the nation as a whole, and it can be used to identify differences in the estimates between the Italian-American population and the overall U.S. population.
Compared to the general U.S. population, Italian Americans are ...
• More likely to be married or cohabitating.
• More likely to have a computer in the household.
• More likely to be found in these occupations: Management, business, science, art, finance, insurance and real estate.
• Less likely to identify as having a disability.
• Less likely to live in a household that receives SNAP benefits (food stamps)
One of the questions that the survey asks each person is “What is your ancestry or ethnic origin?” The Census Bureau defines ancestry as a person’s ethnic origin or descent, “roots,” or heritage, or the place of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. Close to 6 million Americans report “Italian” as their only ancestry. Additionally an estimated 10.2 million report “Italian” as part of their heritage. In total then, about 16
million Americans identify as either all or part Italian. It is from this ancestry question that we can identify, isolate and gather statistics on Italian Americans.
Putting the data in context
Upon immigration to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italians brought with them a unique culture, far different from the American culture
at the time. In addition to language, their attitudes and experiences toward education, employment, and family all differed from mainstream America. Economically, they were more likely to be poor and the scant employment skills that they carried with them were often not applicable to the needs of the new world.
Recent data shows that despite more
than 100 years of living in the United States, there are still significant variations when comparing the Italian-American population to the population of the nation as a whole. These variations though, are found in categories that differ from early 20th century variations. Differences in living arrangements, occupation, labor force participation and demographic characteristics all exist. Comparisons in educational attainment, median household income, home values
and English language competency all reveal differences. In many economic categories, Italian Americans have not only achieved parity, they have exceeded it. IAH
Joe Quartullo is a retired Data Dissemination Specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau. Originally from South Philadelphia, he lives in Deptford, N.J.