1. Population Diversity & Distribution
September 14, 2017

2. Racial/Ethnic Distribution
What changes does this chart project?
The 2050 data are a projection.
The Hispanic and Asian populations are growing as a percentage of the total population. Whites are in proportional decline.

4. Age Distribution
What does this chart tell us about the age distribution of various population groups?
The Hispanic population is younger than the other groups.

5. Population Distribution
Which regions are most populous? Which are least populous?
Both coasts, the Midwest, and the South are most populous. The Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain region are the least populous.

6. Population Movement

7. Frostbelt to Sunbelt
The Northeast and Midwest are known as the Frostbelt.
The South and West are known as the Sunbelt.
The Sunbelt region has been growing more rapidly than the Frostbelt for decades.

9. Population Distribution
Nonmetropolitan areas are losing population. In urban areas, the historic core of cities (central cities) are growing more slowly than the suburbs.

10. Religious Diversity

11. Religious Affiliation

13. Faith-Based Issues
Are peoples’ views on political issues influenced by religious belief? What issues?
Abortion
Same-sex marriage
Public school prayer
Immigration reform
Response to climate change
Civil rights
Assistance to the poor
Death penalty

14. Change in Affiliations
What group has grown the most rapidly?
“Nones”

17. Americans are less religious than most people in the developing world, but more religious than most people in Europe.

18. What We Have Learned
What is the racial/ethnic make-up of the population and how is it changing?
How has the distribution of the U.S. population changed among regions of the country and locations relative to large cities?
What are the most important religious groups in the United States?
What is the relationship between religious faith and attitudes toward various political issues in the United States?
How religious are Americans compared to other people in the world?