The pandemic, US income, and home ownership
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On average, American households received more money and spent less in 2020 and 2021 than in previous years. Saving more meant more people could buy a home — at least early in the pandemic. US homeownership rose to 67.9% from April through June 2020, the highest rate since 2008. Explore this new article to learn how increased American savings have intersected with home buying and mortgages since 2020.
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- Single-family home prices are up 33% since mid-2020. At the start of this year, the median US home sold for $100,000 to $430,000 more than two years earlier. Home prices haven't risen in this way since the late 1970s.
- Government transfers, including pandemic stimulus payments and unemployment insurance, led to higher personal income in 2020. These transfers were up $1.1 trillion over 2019 totals.
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- Mortgage rates were a historically low 3% from the pandemic's start to the end of 2021. The Federal Reserve increased interest rates to help contain rising inflation in early 2022 and 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates climbed above 5%. These are the highest mortgage rates since 2009.
See more, including charts on how incomes, savings, and spending habits have changed, at USAFacts.org.
The best (and worst) airports for on-time flights
Are you flying around the United States this summer? How likely is it that you'll arrive at your destination on time? Find out with this new visualization.
- Nearly a quarter of flights didn't arrive on time in the first three months of this year, making for the tardiest first quarter of commercial air travel since 2014.
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- Among the county's busiest airports, the top five for on-time arrivals so far in 2022 are: Salt Lake City International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and San Diego International Airport. More than 82% of flights arrived within 15 minutes of scheduled arrival at these airports.
- Orlando International Airport has the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals in the first three months of 2022. What other airports rounded out the bottom five? Click here to find out.
What's the national debt?
Pop quiz: What's the total national debt? Make your guess and watch
our on-the-street interviews to see if you're right! Be sure to subscribe to the USAFacts' TikTok to watch more quizzes.
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Maine is 89% forested, more than any other state. California has the most national forests of any state. Alaska is home to the country's largest forest, Tongass National Forest. See more about US forests and how they stabilize climate right here.
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