The top stories of the year (so far)
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The midway mark of 2021 is quickly approaching. Already. With vaccinations available in more places nationwide, states reopening, a new presidential administration, increasing air travel, and more, this year is starting to look different from 2020. In some ways, at least.
So what kind of year has it been? To mark the start of summer, here are the most-read reports since January 1. Take a look and see if your favorite articles are here, or if there’s anything you missed the first time around. And as always, thanks for being part of this mission to bring government facts to discussions of national importance.
5. Wealth is growing, as is inequality
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Despite the pandemic’s effects on the economy, the total wealth of American households is up. In the spring, USAFacts presented an in-depth look at wealth in the US, including the fact that middle-class families went from owning 12% of wealth in 1990 to 7% in 2020. Investments like corporate equities and mutual fund shares have grown 294% since 2009, adjusted for inflation. Real estate asset worth increased 31% in that time.
4. COVID-19 killed more Americans than the worst flu season of the past decade
As COVID-19 vaccinations were ramping up in late March, readers dug into the data on another illness that can be guarded against with a shot: the flu. 2017-2018 was the worst flu season of the past decade, with 61,000 people dying. About 22,000 people died of the flu during the 2019-2020 season — the second-lowest total in 10 years. The United States reached 61,000 COVID-19 deaths in late April 2020.
3. Tracking marijuana legality by state
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This piece was in this newsletter just two weeks ago, but it’s already a reader favorite. The article explains the many different forms of cannabis legality, from CBD oil to medical use to fully legal, and includes a handy chart to track how the laws differ from state to state — while still being illegal federally. As of April 14, marijuana is fully legal in 16 states and Washington, DC.
2. The 2021 State of the Union in numbers
The second year for the State of the Union in Numbers was a big one. This updated report collected data on how the pandemic impacted Americans, including the economy losing 9.4 million jobs last year or how 9.5% of US adults facing housing insecurity in December 2020. The report also illustrates many other facets of life in the US, from the fact that wages for people with a bachelor’s degree have increased 5% since 2000, to how immigration accounted for 41% of population growth from 2019 to 2020.
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There’s much more in the report, including an overview of the 333 federal government actions in 2020. One action affected the population (a presidential memorandum requesting that unauthorized immigrants not be counted in the 2020 census for Congressional reapportioning. Lower courts found the action unconstitutional) and there were 82 actions on defense.
1. COVID-19 vaccine tracker
It’s clear that the USAFacts vaccine tracker didn’t slip under anyone’s radar; it's by far the most-visited spot for newsletter readers all year. This tracker, which is updated daily, is a resource for measuring vaccination rates close to home. In fact, as of June 20, 46% of the population is fully vaccinated.
See how many people have received doses in your state, track how rates change by demographic (females are more vaccinated than males, for example), and see how many doses have been distributed nationwide in this coronavirus data hub.
One last fact
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While overall inflation is not at Great Recession levels, many prices have risen over the decade. Here's a sampling of metrics from the Consumer Price Index, which measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a figurative basket of consumer goods and services.
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