Which states have the most young people? 

Last week we covered which states are getting older, but what about the flip side? The percentage of the US population younger than 20 has dropped since the 1970s, particularly from 1970 to 1990. There are, however, a few states with fairly high birth rates — USAFacts has the data on where. 

• In 2021, the nation had 81.2 million people under 20. That’s about 1.5 million more than in 2000.

• In 2020, 30% of Utah’s population was ages 0 to 19 — the highest percentage of any age group. Texas was the second highest for young residents: 28%. Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota rounded out the top five.
   
• Utah’s high percentage of young people can be attributed to a high birth rate, low death rate, and positive net migration. It had the nation’s highest birth rate since 2000 (17 births per 1,000 people), and its youth death rate is in the bottom third of all states. Net migration accounted for more than 3% of Utah’s 2020 population.
   
• Washington, DC had 2020’s fourth-highest birth rate, but it's offset by two factors: the nation’s highest youth death rate (98.6 deaths per 100,000 people under 20) and losing more than 25,000 young people to net migration. 

For even more, read this article. And if you haven’t already, explore this analysis of which states are getting older.

Here's what states spend per student

Students are back in school and to mark the new year, USAFacts has the numbers on what schools spend per student by state. Data from 2019 shows what spending was like right before the pandemic, and the state medians range from more than $25,000 in one state to $7,810 in another. Here’s how it breaks down: 

• Schools in New York spent more per student than any other state, with a median of $25,358. New York was one of three states that spent more than $20,000 per student in 2019 (as did New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington, DC). 
   
• With a median of $7,810, Utah spent the least per student; eight other states also spent under $10,000 per pupil in 2019.
   
• Spending is highest for preschools and high schools across all states. Preschools and other early education programs spent a median of $11,956 per student, while elementary schools had a median of $11,849. The median dropped to $11,529 per middle schooler and reached $12,707 per high school student.

Healthcare access differs by race and ethnicity 

Access to health insurance and the ability to pay and take time off from work for doctor's appointments affect a person’s health outcomes. Of course, not everyone has the same healthcare access. Metrics reveal that some demographics can have lower life expectancies or higher rates of specific health problems than other races or ethnicities.

• As of 2020, more than 15% of people who identify as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian report being in fair or poor health.
   
• About 9.5% of Hispanic Americans didn’t receive necessary medical care due to cost, the highest for any group. In comparison, about 3.5% of Asian Americans didn’t receive care for the same reasons, the least of any group.
   
• Over 10% of Hispanic, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native people took medications at a different rate than prescribed to save money. This could include lower doses or taking medicines at wider intervals.

Use these charts to compare rates between groups.  

Understand the data behind the news

The Inflation Reduction Act, just signed last month, will impose a minimum 15% tax on the book income of corporations that made an average of $1 billion annually over the past three years.

The 2022 midterm elections are less than two months away. USAFacts just launched Vote Facts 2022, a collection of facts and metrics on key issues so you can inform your vote with nonpartisan data.

Defense contracts, US life expectancy, and more — are you ready for the latest weekly fact quiz?


One last fact